To help designers and board assemblers address the challenges of working with new materials and smaller, finer-pitch components, IPC – Association Connecting Electronics Industries® released the B revision of IPC-7525, Stencil Design Guidelines.
IPC-7525B provides guidelines for the design and fabrication of stencils for solder paste and surface mount adhesive with discussion on through-hole and mixed technology. The updated standard includes differences for tin-lead and lead-free solder paste, overprint, two-print and step stencil designs.
The document also provides users with an example of an order form and an inspection checklist that can be used to verify that stencils have been fabricated correctly and that no damage has occurred during the shipping process.
IPC-7525B is available for purchase by IPC members for $31. The standard industry price is $62. For more information or to purchase the standard, visit www.ipc.org/7525.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,100 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2.02 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Arlington, Va.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China.