This is a temporary page while we prepare a better web site, which should be up soon. We have been getting many inquiries about our stencil-cutting service, and we hope this page addresses the most common questions we receive.
We offer low-cost, plastic stencils for applying solder paste to printed circuit boards. Surface-mount components can then be placed on top of the solder paste, and the entire assembly is heated to solder the components. This reflow soldering method is superior to soldering with soldering irons because it allows soldering of pads that are on the bottoms of modern packages and therefore physically inaccessible once the part is in place. Also, it is usually quicker to assemble boards with solder paste and a stencil than with a soldering iron.
Spark Fun Electronics has a nice tutorial about using solder paste stencils.
Our stencils are made from 3-mil or 4-mil mylar with a low-power CO2 laser. The finest pitch we can handle is approximately 0.5 mm, and fine-pitch stencils need to be cut from the 3-mil mylar. The stencils are just a piece of thin plastic with a bunch of holes cut in it. There is no frame, squeegee, or solder paste included. The maximum material size we can handle is approximately 24" x 12", so the stencil area will need to be smaller than that.
The minimum price for a stencil is $25 for up to 4 square inches of apertures. We round each dimension up to the next whole number, so a 2.1" x 2.1" design would be considered 9 square inches and cost $30. We measure the apertures only, so your stencil size will probably be smaller than your PCB size. We will leave at least 2" of material on all sides of the stencil. The outside border is hand cut with scissors; please let us know if you need a more precise border or a bigger margin around the apertures (for instance, for mounting into a custom frame).
We can ship by Priority Mail for $5 or by FedEx. If you have a FedEx account, we can send your stencil using that; otherwise, we can get you a quote for the shipping price.
We do not cut metal stencils, and we do not sell framed stencils. If you need precision stencils for very fine-pitch components or for volume manufacturing, you should use a stainless steel stencil. Please do not expect a $300 stencil for $25.
As you can tell, this page is under construction. Until we finish this page, you can contact us using the contact form on our main site, www.pololu.com. You can also call 1-877-776-5658 for more information.
If you have a design ready, you can email us your file. We should be able to deal with many file formats, but gerber files are the best bet for now. However, if you already have a different format (such as .dxf) and you just want to see if we can cut your design, you can send us that before you spend time generating the gerbers.
We accept major credit cards over the phone. You can also send us money through PayPal if you prefer. We do not accept purchase orders or COD.
We will ship your stencil within 5 business days of receiving payment. Typically, we ship within 3-5 days, but that is not guaranteed. If you need your stencil with a faster turn time, please contact us, and we will give you a quote.