Does not cause any issue with SMT stencil printing or placement if correctly 
applied, but I'll admit that incorrect printing or curing of the mask by the PCB 
supplier does give you a huge problem removing it. This has definietly got 
worse with Pb-free soldering too even using masks with enhanced properties 
to survive the higher temperatures involved. We have however settled on one 
type which readily meets our needs

I very much doubt the reason given for lack of interest from US PCB suppliers 
is due to more SMT build content in US than UK - what we have left here is 
mostly for reasonably high-tech industry/professional end user rather than 
high-vol/consumer end user so ratio of SMT/THT is probably similar if not 
higher on average.

Nigel

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