Board support
Board outline, thickness, flexible areas, and approved contact zones determine where the carrier can support the assembly without touching solderable features.
Custom Metal Reflow Fixtures for SMT Assembly
Laser-machined metal carrier parts and reflow fixture features for board support, repeatable registration, component clearance, and controlled handling through your SMT process.
- Datum edges, tooling holes, relief windows, and support features made to drawing
- Thin metal, plate, and fixture-detail options reviewed around your process requirements
- Prototype, qualification, and repeat custom production support
Start with the assembly
Define Support, Clearance, and Registration Together
A reflow fixture is a process component. The board stack, component envelope, conveyor interface, and thermal profile need to be considered together before the carrier geometry is released. See the ±0.02 mm locating-hole reflow fixture case study for a project-level example of registration and post-cycle flatness verification.
Clearance & exposure
Component heights, connector overhang, bottom-side population, and keep-out areas define the relief windows, pockets, and exposed solder regions.
Registration
Tooling holes, datum edges, conveyor direction, and loading orientation should be referenced from the same drawing datum.
Material & thermal fit
Choose Material Around the Oven and the Part
Material selection is a balance between stiffness, thermal behavior, required feature size, cleaning environment, and the way the fixture supports the assembly.
- Stainless steel for durable, wear-resistant carrier details
- Aluminum or other metals reviewed where thermal response and fixture geometry allow
- Thin nickel, Kovar, or stainless features for local masks, shims, and support details
- Material thickness and thermal mass reviewed against the intended oven conditions
Production release
Verify the Conditions That Affect SMT Yield
Inspection should focus on the finished conditions that control board seating and process repeatability, rather than applying the same requirement to every contour.
- Board-support surfaces and the agreed flatness condition
- Edge condition, burr expectations, and clean handling surfaces
- Part ID, orientation, and drawing revision where required
- First-article review before repeat production or line release
Common uses
Where Custom Reflow Fixture Parts Fit
Thin or Flexible PCB Assemblies
Carrier features that reduce board sag while maintaining clearance around populated areas.
Fine-Pitch SMT Builds
Controlled registration and relief geometry for assemblies where placement and solder-joint access matter.
Prototype & Qualification Lots
Tooling-free metal fixture parts for proving the board, fixture, and oven interface before a repeat build.
Custom Assembly Handling
Drawing-defined carriers, masks, supports, and fixture subcomponents for non-standard production flows.
Prepare your review
Send the Board Data That Controls the Fixture
Include the board outline, component envelope, support and clearance zones, datum features, expected oven conditions, material preference, inspection needs, and quantity.
Answers
Reflow Fixture FAQs
What information is needed to review a reflow fixture?
Please send the PCB outline or Gerber/DXF data, board thickness, component-height information, bottom-side population map, required support areas, datum and tooling features, oven conditions, material preference, and quantity.
Can a metal fixture be used through reflow?
The fixture must be reviewed around the actual oven profile, thermal mass, board geometry, and required process outcome. A metal part can add stiffness and durable locating features, but it can also change heating behavior; validate representative assemblies before production release.
Which tolerances should be controlled?
Apply controlled tolerances to features that determine board seating and process registration: datums, tooling holes, critical reliefs, and support locations. Wider tolerances may be suitable for non-functional contours and handling cutouts.
Can you make the complete solder pallet assembly?
We can review laser-machined metal carrier parts, plates, masks, shims, and drawing-defined fixture features. Complex assembled tooling, non-metal components, clamps, and final thermal validation should be scoped against the complete fixture design.