PCB Assembly

Is paste mask layer, both top and bottom layer, necessary for THT components?

No. Paste mask is normally used only for reflowing surface mount components, while the through hole components are soldered either manually or by wave solder bath at a later stage.

If you have through hole parts and the surface mount components on the bottom side, the paste mask stencil is not required, as the parts will all be soldered at once in a wave solder bath. This process requires you to generate a glue dot coordinates file, which will be used to place a dot of glue under the surface mount component and that will keep the part in place during the soldering process.

If the only through hole parts in the PCB were the connectors, it is also possible to reflow through hole components with solder paste. That requires some tweaking to get the right pad size and stencil opening. All we need to do is to have a larger pad on the top side, so that there was enough paste on the pad to wick down the hole and ensure a solid solder joint.

Read More: THT PCB Assembly

#PCB Assembly

Oliver Smith

Oliver is an experienced electronics engineer skilled in PCB design, analog circuits, embedded systems, and prototyping. His deep knowledge spans schematic capture, firmware coding, simulation, layout, testing, and troubleshooting. Oliver excels at taking projects from concept to mass production using his electrical design talents and mechanical aptitude.

Recent Posts

What Is a PCB Netlist? Everything You Need to Know Is Here

In the world of printed circuit board design and manufacturing, precision and accuracy are paramount.…

2 weeks ago

What Is Solder Wetting and How to Prevent Poor Wetting?

Soldering is a cornerstone technique in electronics assembly, it's used to connect electrical pieces and…

1 month ago

7 Critical Techniques to Improve PCB Thermal Management

Nowadays, electronic products are both compact and lightweight while performing a variety of functions. This…

1 month ago

What Is BGA on a PCB? A Complete Guide to Ball Grid Array Technology

As technology continues to advance in the electronics industry, packaging remains one of the key…

2 months ago

How to Create a PCB Drawing: A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Bringing your electronic ideas to life begins with PCB drawing, which is the process of…

3 months ago

8 Leading PCB Design Software: A Comprehensive Comparison

Printed Circuit Board design is one of the most significant processes in electronics production. Deciding…

4 months ago