Both actually :-) The board designer makes an SMT stencil layer with apertures for all the SMT components. The designer knows were all the SMT components are, so, while they are designing all the other layers, they may as well design a the paste layer. The contract manufacturer then reviews that stencil/paste layer and may or may not make modifications OR they may have the stencil house that fabs the stencil make modifications. Such modifications may include a reduction or expansion of the aperture size, or, exclusion of components due to process constraints. -Carrie -----Original Message----- From: Donald Kyle [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Tuesday, January 14, 2003 9:33 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] Stencils I would like your opinion on who would be more suited to design stencils for SMT PWBs; the board designer or the contract-manufacturing engineer. What do you do and why? Donald Kyle C.I.D.+ 281-285-7528 --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 ----------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315 -----------------------------------------------------