May 05, 2014 IPC’s Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council has released a white paper, “PERM Council Pb-free Research Priorities” that identifies priority research areas regarding the impact and risks associated with the implementation of lead-free materials in electronics. The research areas include tin whisker failure modes and risk mitigation, complex systems logistics and lead-free interconnections. Each of these areas were explored across five industry platforms: avionics, ground-based systems, missiles and aviation systems, space systems and submarine and sea systems.
The research within the 25-page white paper is part of an ongoing effort that began with the 2010 Lead-Free Manhattan Project (LFMP), undertaken to address the challenges that arose with the use of lead-free materials/products, shortly after the use of tin-lead, a mainstay of the electronics industry for many years, was restricted.
“It’s been nearly a decade since the European Union passed the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive, but the electronics industry is still grappling with the transition to lead free,” said Linda Woody, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and PERM Council chair. “Some high-reliability markets such as aerospace and military still have a number of issues that haven’t been resolved and there are still many gaps about long-term performance in demanding applications. Giving attention to the topics discussed in the white paper is a solid first step toward development of an industry-wide, comprehensive risk mitigation strategy.”
Woody believes that the benefits of the research within the white paper could be significant. “If design and manufacturing teams understood all the issues that impact the reliability of printed boards and the use of lead-free solder, failures and costs could be reduced substantially.”
“Pb-free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council PB-free Research Priorities” is available as a free download from the IPC Online Store at www.ipc.org/PERM-whitepaper. For more information about PERM or the white paper, contact John Perry, IPC technical project manager, at +1 847-597-2818.
IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global industry association based in Bannockburn, Ill., dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,400 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, N.M.; Washington, D.C.; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; Bangkok, Thailand; and Qingdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Suzhou and Beijing, China.
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