A stencil printer for printing
viscous material on a substrate includes a frame, a stencil coupled to the frame, and a print head, coupled for the frame, to deposit and print
viscous material over the stencil. The stencil printer further includes a substrate supporting and clamping
assembly to support and clamp a substrate in a print position. The substrate supporting and clamping
assembly includes at least one support member to support the substrate in a print position, a pair of rail members, coupled to the frame, adapted to engage opposite edges of the substrate, and a clamping mechanism, coupled to the frame, to move at least one of the rail members against the substrate to clamp the substrate. The clamping mechanism includes at least one
piston to move the at least one of the rail members between a first position in which the rail member is spaced away from one of the opposite edges of the substrate and a second position in which the rail member engages one of the opposite edges of the substrate to clamp the substrate between the rail members during a print operation. The clamping mechanism further includes a
pressure regulator to control a clamping force applied by the
piston to the rail member against the edge of the substrate. A method for supporting and clamping a substrate in a print position is further disclosed.