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Stepped Stencil · Mixed Assembly Solution
One board, two thicknesses — perfect for large pads + fine‑pitch QFNs
Have you ever encountered this situation?
On the same board, you have a large module (half‑hole pads) — very large pads that need a lot of solder. And you also have QFNs — very small pads where too much solder causes bridging.
A standard stencil can only have one thickness. Choose thin → large pads get insufficient solder → weak joints → manual touch‑up. Choose thick → small pads get too much solder → bridging → rework.
Stepped stencil is designed for exactly this scenario.
| Comparison |
Standard Stencil |
Stepped Stencil |
| Thickness |
Uniform across the board |
Different thicknesses for different areas |
| Large module pads |
Insufficient solder → manual touch‑up |
Adequate solder → soldered right first time |
| QFN pads |
Normal |
Precise solder amount → no bridging |
| Manual touch‑up |
Required |
Not required |
| Quality consistency |
Relies on labor |
Machine‑guaranteed |
Large module (half-hole) + QFN mixed assembly
High-power components + fine-pitch ICs mixed assembly
Power supply boards (large inductors, large capacitors) + precision components
Any PCBA where large and small pads coexist, with small pads being fine-pitch components
1. Pad analysis
Identify distribution of large module pads and QFN pads
2. Thickness determination
Thin stencil for QFN (e.g., 0.1mm), thick for large module (e.g., 0.15-0.2mm)
3. Step design
Localized thickening with smooth transition zones
4. Laser cutting
High-precision cutting to ensure flat step areas
5. Validation
First-article solder paste inspection, fine-tune as needed
Free assessment
Upload your PCB files, we determine if a stepped stencil is needed
Free design
We define step locations and thicknesses
Fast prototyping
Stepped stencil ready in 3‑5 days
One-stop solution
Stencil + assembly, we do it all
$1 for a quote. Upload. Go.
