The application of SMT steel mesh mainly occurs in electronic product manufacturing factories such as those for smartphones, computers, and televisions. These products typically contain one or more circuit boards with numerous electronic components, some of which are very small and cannot be soldered using a soldering iron. Instead, these components are placed on the circuit board after applying a layer of solder paste and then heated to adhere them to the board, similar to stacking bricks to build a wall.
The role of the SMT steel mesh is to create openings for applying solder paste onto the designated areas of the circuit board. This is accomplished by aligning the mesh with the empty circuit board and then printing the solder paste onto the desired areas. In everyday electronic devices like smartphones, computers, and televisions, various electronic components are utilized. While there are numerous design approaches to achieve the functionality of a product, limitations on size and other performance indicators must be considered. Therefore, the size of components becomes a crucial consideration in electronic product design, favoring smaller and more integrated surface-mount electronic components.
When opening the mesh, several aspects need special attention:
- Ensure that the mesh openings have appropriate features such as preventing bridging, preventing solder balls, and being resistant to solder skipping.
- Different types of pads require different opening standards for the mesh.
- Check the compatibility between the mesh and the actual boards, considering factors like board expansion and contraction.
- Verify if the openings for fiducial points are consistent with the boards and easily recognizable.
- Ensure that the mesh openings match the board perfectly without extra or missing openings, offset positions, or directional errors.
- Standard thickness is typically 0.08mm or 0.1mm, depending on the openings. Special requirements may necessitate thicker mesh to prevent soldering issues. Some cases may require stepped mesh based on the actual components and pad height discrepancies.
