September/October 1999

An Industry Resource for Soldering Information

Those in the industry looking for an expert's help in soldering can find one at Soldering Technology International, Inc., an organization dedicated to training, consulting, laboratory analysis, prototyping and small to medium volume PCB assembly in the electronics industry. STI also provides a complete line of solder training kits and training support products, and distributes other produces for the soldering and electronics assembly industries.

As the pressure mounts to replace traditional soldering methods with lead-free solder processes, readers of Wiring Harness News may find these services particularly useful. The technical director and founder of STI is Jim D. Raby, an industry veteran with over 45 years experience, including the development of the NASA and Department of Defense Soldering Schools. He initiated the Zero Defect Program for Save Soldering, in addition to developing and implementing WS-6536D and DoD-Std-2000 Specification programs. He has been involved in the research for lead-free solder processes and materials, and has made significant contributions to the knowledge base on the subject.

According to an article by Mr. Raby which appeared in the August issue of Electronic Packaging and Production, published by Cahners Business Publishing, a significant amount of pressure for lead-free solder is coming from the European Community, which is working on a draft of a directive to ban lead in electronics by 2004. In the Japanese marketplace, electronics products are differentiated by "environmentally friendly" products, which boast a "lead-free" label. In the US, California has enacted Proposition 65, setting a time limit for the elimination of lead that can be disposed of in landfills. These political harbingers seem to mean the end is near for lead in electronics all over the world.

A drop-in replacement for eutectic tin-lead solder with a melting point near 183 degrees, which has superior mechanical properties, is in plentiful supply and at a reasonable cost has so far eluded researchers, according to Mr. Raby. Operating temperature range is one difficult problem. It depends on the application—telecom and consumer applications have a typical operating range of -55 degrees to 100 degrees; automotive applications are more demanding, requiring a melting point higher than 183 degrees. It is beginning to look like there will have to be application-specific alloys and processes, further complicating the search for a substitute.

The problem is, tin/lead solder has been a keystone of soldering technology for so long that all the component design, mechanical property data, and solder reflow processes are based on it. So, while for the past 10 years research has been devoted to a replacement, until

tin/lead really is just not available, the industry has been unwilling to let go.

According to Raby, the future will require serious collaboration among industry participants, including board manufacturers, solder suppliers, component manufacturers and assemblers. Organizations such as IPC, NEMI, and SEMATECH must coordinate activities and training to minimize the impact on the industry. Inspection and training will have to be completely overhauled to adjust to the different appearance and functionality of some of the new alloys and techniques.

Raby exhorts the industry to share data and experiences to make the transition as painless as possible, thereby

benefiting the end customer of the electronic products that will be affected.

Jim Raby's company Soldering Technology International holds training seminars and courses at its facility in Madison, Alabama. Examples of subjects taught include, "Electronic Assembly and Solder Training to NASA Standards;" "Cable and Harness Assembly Training;" "IPC-J-STD-001 Registered Instructor Training and Certification;" and "IPC-A-610 Worker Proficiency Training and Certification."

For more information, call Jim Raby at (256) 461-9191. To register for his courses call Diana Bradford, ext. 144. Or visit their website at http://www.solderingtech.com.