SolderSCAD: 3D printed solder masks!

thingiverse

I've created a script that converts solder stencil Gerber files to STL via OpenSCAD. It leverages the similarity between OpenSCAD and photoplotting by first transforming all defined apertures into OpenSCAD modules, then calling them individually when the corresponding aperture is flashed later in the file. While it doesn't handle draws (only flashes) or aperture macros yet, these features don't seem to be commonly used in solder paste layers. This project is still in experimentation phase, and I haven't attempted printing the result yet. A fine-pitch board may require an overall height of 0.10-0.13mm for a 4 or 5-mil stencil, which could be challenging. The second side should also have a smooth surface, but it's unclear whether this is feasible using 3D printing. Potential improvements to the script include importing the board outline, creating a pocket for localizing the stencil, handling draws as hulls of consecutive coordinate pairs (for lines), exploring aperture macros, and possibly converting to a big 2D shape before extruding it to improve rendering speed in OpenSCAD. If someone manages to print one, please share a photo of the result.