What is Peelable Soldermask?
Peelable Soldermask (PSM) PCB is the printed circuit board with peelable solder mask (a temporary solder mask), protected for some area during surface finishing or assembly process. That’s to say, sometimes printed circuit boards require protection of selected board areas during the Surface Finish or Assembly Process to keep solder from flowing onto contacts, terminals and plated through holes (PTH).
PCB Peelable Soldermask
Peelable mask, also as strippable mask or blue mask is applied to the already soldermask PCB to protect circuit by screen printing. Peelable Solder Masks, provide such protection in soldering processes like wave soldering, reflow soldering or hot-air solder leveling (HASL).
When these processes are over and the soldermask is no more needed, then it can be mechanically removed or "peeled-off" by hand. The area it used to protect is exposed for the final assembly process. Pealable mask is not a replacement for standard solder resist.
The Advantages of peelable soldermask:
Reliable, time & cost saving compared to taping
Protection of complex structures and shapes by screen-printing
Protection of selected areas on PCB during finishing or assembly processes
Easily removes and leaves no residue
Stable to high temperature (288°C)
