Gary: Sorry but I have to disagree with your blanket statement about 
routing thru soldermask causing chips and flakes.This may hold true for some 
acrylic dry films or UV's but not LPI or thermal screen masks.		
	We run router bits thru miles and miles of soldermask without a 
problem.								
		


				Regards					
				Michael Barmuta				
				Staff Engineer				
				Fluke Corp.				
				Everett Wa.				
				(206)356-6076



On Wed, 19 Jun 1996 11:45:12 -0700 Gary Ferrari wrote:

> From: Gary Ferrari <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 19 Jun 1996 11:45:12 -0700
> Subject: Re: FAB: Soldermask to edge of board
> To: "Pucket, Larry Lee 9784 M" <[log in to unmask]>
> Cc: TechNet <[log in to unmask]>
> 
> Larry;
> 
> Running the soldermask onto a land near a via hole is fine. But running a
> soldermask to a board edge is another issue. When boards have routed edges,
> the soldermask tends to chip and flake the soldermask. It is recommended
> that the mask stay away from the cut edge, in order to eliminate this
> chipping tendency.
> 
> 
> At 12:00 PM 6/19/96 -0700, Pucket, Larry Lee       9784 M wrote:
> >What are the problems with running the soldermask to the edge of the 
printed 
> >wiring board and non-plated holes?  We have been keeping it away by 50 
mils 
> >but you see alot of commercial boards with it to the edge.
> >
> >Does it depend on board material?  Does it depend on whether it is 
> >commercial versus military?  Does it depend on dry versus liquid 
soldermask?
> >
> >Any ideas would be appreciated.
> >
> >Larry L. Pucket
> >Dept. 9784 MS0624
> >Sandia National Laboratories
> >P.O. Box 5800
> >Albuquerque, NM 87185-0624
> >
> >Phone: (505)844-1711
> >  Fax: (505)844-7428
> >
> >Email: [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> Regards,
> 
> Gary Ferrari
> Tech Circuits
> (203)269-3311
> [log in to unmask]
>