Trouble in Your Tank: Organic Addition Agents in Electrolytic Copper Plating
Facing the Future: Successfully Navigating the Uncertain Path Ahead
It’s Only Common Sense: Going After the Small Wins Fosters a Winning Culture
IPC Welcomes Language in Senate Defense Appropriations Bill Supporting R&D on Lead-Free Electronics
October 21, 2021 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee this week released their fiscal year 2022 defense appropriations bill, which for the first time included language supporting further research and development (R&D) into the issues surrounding lead-free electronics in mission-critical applications.
IPC and its allies have called for a five-year, $40 million investment in a public-private R&D program to support the transition of various aerospace, defense, and high-performance (ADHP) electronics to lead-free technologies. To date, Congress has provided a combined $15 million for this purpose in FY20 and FY21.
The U.S. House version of the FY22 defense appropriations bill, which was approved by the House Appropriations Committee in August, included $7.5 million for this purpose. The new Senate language makes it more likely that such funds will be allocated as the legislation is finalized.
“The gap between commercial and defense electronics has grown as lead-free has become the norm in commercial technologies,” said Chris Mitchell, IPC vice president of global government relations. “Today’s defense electronics are now 15 to 20 years behind the commercial market in terms of the underlying technologies used, creating risks to supply chain resiliency and defense readiness. With lead-based electronics becoming more difficult and expensive for the Defense Department to procure, the transition to lead-free is imperative.
“We salute the leadership of Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chairman Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) on this issue, and we call on Congress to ensure that at least $7.5 million for lead-free R&D is included in the final bill.”
IPC and its partners in the Pb-Free Electronics Risk Management (PERM) Council and the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics believe a sustained investment in lead-free R&D will yield more than $100 million in annual defense savings and improve military readiness and overall innovation. Participants in the R&D program include Purdue University, the University of Maryland, Auburn University, Binghamton University, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon Technologies, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Boeing, Plexus, and many others.
Share on:
Suggested Items
IPC President’s Award: Dr. Thomas Marktscheffel
04/15/2025 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007At ASMPT SMT Solutions, Thomas Marktscheffel, director of product management software solutions, is responsible for the SMT line software portfolio. As a member and leader of several IPC committees, he is also a driving force for global industry standards such as IPC-2591 CFX and IPC-HERMES-9852, which make it possible to provide plug-and-play connectivity for intelligent SMT Factories. In 2015, he participated in the IPC-1782 A-team and subsequently joined the IPC-2591 CFX standard A-team, which became the new SMT industry communication standard following its first release in March 2019.
BEST Inc to Host Soldering 101 Workshop at Illinois & Michigan Locations
04/15/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, training, and products is pleased to announce it will host multiple Soldering 101 workshops in its Rolling Meadows, Illinois and Lansing, Michigan locations.
Explore TRI's Test and Inspection Innovations at ElectroneX
04/15/2025 | TRIGPC Electronics, TRI's industry partner, will participate in the ElectroneX Electronics Design & Assembly Expo 2025 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, Australia, on May 7–8, 2025.
HT Pho-Tronics Appoints Ankit B. Goti as New General Manager to Drive Strategic Growth
04/14/2025 | HT Pho-TronicsHT Pho-Tronics, a leading provider of high-reliability printed circuit boards (PCBs), proudly announces the appointment of Ankit B. Goti as the company’s new General Manager, effective immediately.
IPC Welcomes Exemptions to Reciprocal Tariffs
04/14/2025 | IPCIPC shared the following statement today on tariff exclusions and their implications on the global electronics industry. This statement can be attributed to Dr. John W. Mitchell, IPC president and CEO: