Galvanically shaped stencil
Those stencils for solder paste deposition which have to meet the most stringent quality requirements when it comes to surface quality, are not being manufactured with the today standard method of laser cutting from thin stainless steel sheets, but are galvanically deposited. In this process, a positive mold with the required surface quality of the stencil is being made from electrically conductive material. On to this surface, using a galvanic process, nickel, for example, is deposited. Once the layer has reached the desired thickness, the nickel foil is removed from the mold. The disadvantage of this process is the excessive cost.