SMT / Finishing - Assembly of PCB prototypes and low volumes

Research & In-house PCB Prototyping

Exact Assembly

SMT / Finishing

Assembly of PCB prototypes and low volumes

From application of the solder paste to placement of individual components, low-cost and proven processes lead to an electrically functional product in just a few steps.

SMT technology for developers

In series production, surface mount devices (SMDs) are assembled with SMT pick and place machines. Before this process takes place, paste is printed onto the pads on the board. After the SMDs have been placed on the printed circuit board, reflow soldering is performed. All processes and methods used in SMT production – adapted to the requirements of the electronics laboratory – are also available for in-house PCB prototyping.

 SMT methods for PCB prototyping


The prototyping process isn’t finished after the circuit board has been manufactured.With the subsequent processes – solder mask coating, solder paste printing, assembly, and reflow soldering – a circuit board becomes an electronic assembly.
Solder paste application

Application of solder paste on all pads on which components should be placed requires maximum precision. The LPKF ProtoPrint S4 stencil printer, a manual stencil printer for SMT prototyping and low-volume production, performs this task.

The mechanical resolution down to a grid size of 0.4 mm (16 mil) allows stencil printing in the ultrafine pitch range. The stencil thickness (between 100 µm and 250 µm) determines the amount of solder paste to be applied.

For PCB prototyping, milling of polyimide stencils with LPKF circuit board plotters is a genuine alternative to laser-cut steel stencils, especially from a cost perspective. Solder paste stencils (SMT stencils) can usually be milled in-house in less than ten minutes.

Component placement

For a large number of functions to be accommodated in a small space, tiny components are needed. The small dimensions of modern electronic components make manual assembly of circuit boards difficult.

For the complex SMD assembly, LPKF offers the ProtoPlace E4 and ProtoPlace S4 pick & place systems for precise assembly of PCBs with fine-pitch components.

Reflow soldering

LPKF ProtoFlow E and ProtoFlow S4 are the ideal reflow ovens for lead-free, RoHS-compliant reflow soldering, through-hole paste curing and other thermal processes that require precise control.

Assembly pressure and solder mask application

The solder mask coating protects the surfaces and conductive traces on a circuit board. Creation of short circuits between closely spaced pads is prevented by the professional surface finish applied in the soldering process.

LPKF ProMask is an easy-to-apply green solder mask. The professional surface finish is especially ideal for SMT prototypes with small trace spacings. LPKF ProLegend can apply any marking to the board – without using environmentally harmful wet chemical processes.

SMT Assembly Equipment

Systems for solder paste application
Systems for SMD assembly
Systems for reflow soldering
Solder resist and legend printing
LPKF Edition SMT ProtoPrint S4 fine-pitch stencil printer

Manual SMD fine-pitch stencil printer for precise application of solder paste to circuit boards.

LPKF Edition SMT ProtoPlace E4 pick & place system for SMD assembly of PCB prototypes

Manual pick & place system for SMD assembly of PCB prototypes and small series in the laboratory.

Reflow oven LPKF Edition SMT ProtoFlow S4

Reflow oven for SMD soldering, also with lead-free, RoHS-compliant solder. The system also cures the ProConduct through-hole plating paste.

With LPKF ProMask, printed circuit boards can be quickly and easily equipped with solder resist masks. The LPKF ProLegend assembly print identifies the position of the components on the printed circuit board and can be used for any labeling. Both processes are based on manual lacquer application.


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