Patent ID: 7533793

Claim:
A method of making a solder preform for use to attach an electronic component to an electronic component substrate, the method comprising: placing metal stock in a position between a punch having a flat punch surface and an anvil having a flat anvil surface opposing said flat punch surface; and moving the punch through a punch stroke in which the punch forces a portion of the metal stock against said flat anvil surface and into a die cavity to form said preform having multiple preform sides formed by the flat punch surface, said opposing flat anvil surface, and walls of the die cavity, said multiple preform sides including a number of preform sides configured to function in a solder preform holder as a vacuum pick up side; and; intermittently feeding a continuous length of said metal stock between said flat punch surface and said flat anvil surface, and moving the punch through said punch stroke to form said preform during a dwell period between periods of intermittent feed; wherein said punch is a first punch and said punch stroke of the first punch does not completely sever said preform from the metal stock, said method further comprising feeding said metal stock with the preform thereon to a second punch, and then operating said second punch through a punch stroke to completely sever the preform from the metal stock.