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The Inside Line
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
European SMT Conference Answers Tough Questions
The impending RoHS and WEEE deadlines raised several questions at the recent 6th Annual European Surface Mount Conference in Brighton. Leaders of a Q&A session fielded questions concerning the continued availability of tin/lead solder after July 2006. It is believed that the natural rules of supply and demand will prevail, making tin/lead available as long as people are willing to pay for it. Thus, as requirements dwindle and become more specialized, prices will increase.
A demand for tin/lead solders will continue for military applications until lead-free alternatives are functional and reliable. When faced with the question of who will regulate WEEE and RoHS compliance, the panel stated that the UK government still had to make provisions and responsibility would fall upon local trading standards departments. It is believed that the supply chain will become a self-policing agent, relying on audit trails and declarations of compliance.
When questions arose about cleaning issues, it was agreed that unless cleanliness of incoming components was guaranteed, manufacturers are encouraged to clean anyway — although lead-free fluxes may require more aggressive cleaning. The cleaning challenge, however, was not fully addressed and a consensus was to not use a no-clean flux if cleaning of an assembly was anticipated.
In regard to laminates, bare board considerations such as halogen-free and lead-free finishes were discussed. Attendees agreed that current halogen-free laminates minimally pass UL-flammability testing and additional temperature stress most likely will cause properties to degrade further. There is great need for new developments in this area.
Conference attendees also discussed future finishes. While lead-free hot-air solder leveling had been demonstrated as practicable, it is not considered a preferred finish. Electroless-nickel/immersion-gold also is losing favor. Immersion tins, immersion silvers and organic solderability protectives are expected to become the standard finishes.
The feasibility of applying for exemptions from lead-free legislation also was debated. The group agreed, however, that the industry instead should lobby for cut-off date extensions.
- Michelle M. Boisvert
Name Change Signifies Global View
Now more than ever, the electronics industry is an international entity. Keeping up with this trend, the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) has decided to expand beyond North America and change its name to the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI). “The electronics industry has been going through an evolution for some time,” said Jim McElroy, executive director of iNEMI. “It seemed appropriate that our next step in this natural evolution was to address the global industry.” Many of iNEMI’s member companies already operate on a global scale and several of iNEMI’s collaborative projects involve key organizations in Asia and Europe. This move now opens the door to adding more international partners and collaborative activities in Japan and Europe. The iNEMI by-laws also were changed to reflect an international tone — leveling the playing field for all member companies. Meeting structures also were revised to include activities in Asia and Europe. “We don’t expect this to be an overnight change,” added McElroy. “We will need to show value to people in other areas. We are convinced that this direction is consistent with the needs of our members and the industry.”
- Michelle M. Boisvert