FINE LINE STENCIL Wins a 2008 Advanced Packaging Award for Its Slic-Blade Squeegee Blades

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO � July 16, 2008 � FINE LINE STENCIL, a division of FCT Assembly and a leading manufacturer of stencil products, announces that it has been awarded an Advanced Packaging Award in the category of Handling Equipment/Fixtures for its innovative Slick-Blade Squeegee Blades. The award was presented to the company during a Wednesday, July 16, 2008 ceremony that took place at the St. Regis Hotel Conservatory during the SEMICON West exhibition in San Francisco.

The Slic-Blade surface is very smooth and slick, eliminating the issue of solder paste sticking to the blade. There is less bridging, reduced paste shear breakdown and faster print speeds when using this product. Additionally, the smooth surface reduces solder paste shearing against the blade surface, eliminating viscosity breakdown and rheology changes in the solder paste.

The Slic-Blade is solid nickel and will not chip or flake as coated blades do. This allows the Slic-Blade to be re-sharpened when it becomes dull. Although, only periodic sharpening is needed to keep the Slic-Blade operating at its maximum efficiency. Squeegee blade sharpness and angle of attack are significant factors that influence the printing speed of solder paste. Due to the sharpness of the squeegee blade, less pressure is required to thoroughly wipe the stencil, resulting in an increase in printing speed.

The Slic-Blade has enhanced stencil life and the least stencil damage compared to competitors, resulting in the longest stencil life on the market today. Longer stencil life reduces cost and amount of scrap.

Now in its eighth year, the Advanced Packaging Awards program is an annual celebration of product excellence in semiconductor packaging. Premier products based on the finest examples of creative advancement in technology in 21 key areas are chosen by a distinguished panel of industry experts.