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NEMI Launches New Lead-Free Hybrid Assembly and Rework Project
Project will focus on manufacturing processes, reliability testing and changes required for successful implementation of high-end lead-free assemblies
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HERNDON, Va. - July 15, 2002 -The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI), an industry-led consortium, today announced the launch of the Lead-Free Hybrid Assembly and Rework Project. This project is a follow-on to NEMI's highly successful Lead-Free Assembly Project, a three-year effort that recommended an industry-standard lead-free alloy for solder paste reflow, and carried out extensive testing to determine reliability of the alloy compared to eutectic tin-lead solder.
The goal of NEMI's new project is to develop robust lead-free assembly and rework processes for printed wiring board (PWB) assemblies utilizing the NEMI-recommended lead-free solder - Sn3.9Ag0.6Cu. The project will be working with hybrid assemblies, representing high-end office computer products that utilize both surface mount technology (SMT) and pin-in-hole (PIH) components, and it will include thorough technology qualification reliability testing.
"Transition to lead-free assemblies presents several issues and challenges for electronics manufacturers because lead-free solders require processing temperatures that are approximately 30 to 40 degrees Centigrade above the temperatures used today," said Jerry Gleason, co-chair of the new NEMI project and a member of the technical staff in Hewlett-Packard Company's Electronic Systems Technology Center. "For successful implementation of lead-free solders, electronics manufacturers must develop assembly processes for these new alloys. We also need new rework processes for repairing defective assemblies in a manufacturing environment. A related goal is to avoid any design rule changes, such as component spacing, in spite of the higher rework temperatures. Last, but certainly not least, we need to assess the reliability of as-assembled and reworked large thick and thin printed circuit assemblies."
Project work will be executed by four teams: Test Vehicle and Qualification Build Team, led by Ken Lyjak, IBM Corporation (who is also co-chairing the overall project with Gleason); Assembly Team, led by Matt Kelly, Celestica Inc.; Rework Team, led by Jasbir Bath, Solectron Corporation; and Reliability Testing Team, led by Patrick Roubaud, Hewlett-Packard. Projected completion date is February 2004.
Companies participating in development of the project include: AMD, Agilent Technologies Inc., Alcatel Canada Inc., BTU International Inc., Celestica Inc., ChipPAC Inc., Cookson Electronics, Hewlett-Packard Company, IBM Corporation, Intel Corporation, Nortel Networks, Plexus Corp., Sanmina-SCI, Solectron Corporation, SUNY-Binghamton, Teradyne Inc., Texas Instruments and Vitronics Soltec.
About NEMI
The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to facilitate leadership of the North American electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of more than 60 electronics manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. NEMI roadmaps the needs of the North American electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about NEMI, visit www.nemi.org.
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For further information:
Press Contact: Cynthia Williams
cwilliams@nemi.org
phone: 207-871-1260