Have you ever ordered something in the wrong size? It’s frustrating. Whether it’s a jacket that’s too tight or a refrigerator that is too big, the worst time to learn about the mistake is just before you are ready to use it for the first time. We do as much as we can to make sure that doesn’t happen with your solder preform project.
The need for dimensions on an engineering drawing is fairly obvious; however, we do receive drawings without all tolerances called out. I’ve done it before – I think anyone who has drafted a bit has left something out at one point. When this happens it may delay the process, but once we have the missing dimensions we can move forward.
A more difficult exclusion is dimensional tolerance. If there are no tolerances available, we leave the guesswork to the customer, although we offer a set of standard tolerances as a suggestion. If the tolerances aren’t critical, it’s usually pretty safe to include a universal +/-0.005” tolerance note on the print.
Omitted units of measure are the most frequent error I find on solder preform drawings. There can obviously be no guessing here – since the same dimensions in millimeters are grossly different than the same dimensions in inches. Again, a simple note “Unless otherwise specified, dimension are in inches” (or mm) can be quite helpful. Mixed units should be avoided, but can be used if there is a need for them.
Our tech team can offer some help with your solder preform print, so don’t be shy to ask if you need advice. We are here to help!
*This post is part of the World of Solder Preforms series