New Research on Lead Free Implementation Challenges Drives IPC APEX Expo Technical Conference

In the four years since the lead free ban in electronics manufacturing went into effect, there has been a swarm of unintended consequences — new defects, reliability concerns, processing issues and challenges for high reliability segments. With new research now available, lead free implementation issues and solutions will be featured at the IPC APEX Expo Technical Conference, April 6–8, 2010, in Las Vegas, USA.

Sponsored by IPC—Association Connecting Electronics Industries, the conference includes 35 technical sessions featuring 99 technical papers by renowned experts in printed board manufacture, electronics assembly, environmental regulations, materials and test.

"Conference attendees this year will find a lot of sessions that delve directly into the concerns they’re experiencing on the factory floor,” says IPC Technical Conference Director Greg Munie. "We have sessions covering defects like pad cratering and head on pillow; tin whiskers; a new class of low silver alloys that can better handle shock and vibration; and reliability and rework for high reliability assemblies.”

Munie notes, "Lead free soldering is raising the bar on the engineer trying to produce reliable products. Decreased board/component stability during reflow from higher temperatures, smaller component pads, decreased wetting behavior of lead free solder — these are problems that people are facing every day in our industry. This conference will alert them to new innovations to help them solve these problems and catch up with new findings.” He adds, "So far, the focus is reaching an appreciative audience. Our registrations for the conference are ahead of the seven-week point for both 2008 and 2009.”

While Munie is encouraging industry personnel to take advantage of the breadth of sessions connected to lead free technologies, he also recommends sessions on other aspects of industry innovation. "The session on solar panel assembly should be interesting to EMS companies looking for areas for business expansion. Another session on embedded actives offers excellent insights into answers on the age old question of how to get more functionality in a smaller space.”

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