-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueWet Process Control
In this issue, we examine wet processes and how to obtain a better degree of control that allows usable data to guide our decisions and produce consistently higher-quality products.
Don’t Just Survive, Thrive
If we are to be relevant and prosper during these next critical decades in electronics, we must do more than survive. As an industry, we can and must thrive. In this issue, our contributors explore these concepts meant to help you take your business to the next level.
Material Matters
Materials management is nuanced, multifaceted, and requires a holistic systems approach for business success. When building high mix, low volume, and high technology, managing materials and overall cost containment are even greater challenges.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
IPC Welcomes Language in Senate Defense Appropriations Bill Supporting R&D on Lead-Free Electronics
October 21, 2021 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
![](https://iconnect007.com/application/files/5616/9086/8193/IPC_PbFree.jpg)
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.
Suggested Items
Calling All California Employers: Harness State Funding for Workforce Training with IPC and ETP
09/05/2024 | IPCIPC, a global industry association dedicated to its member companies' competitive excellence and financial success, announces a pivotal opportunity for California employers under the Employment Training Panel (ETP) program.
WHMA/IPC Issues Call for Participation for Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo 2025
09/04/2024 | IPCWHMA/IPC invites engineers, researchers, academics, technical experts, and industry leaders to submit proposals for the Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo (EWPTE), to be held May 6-8, 2025 at Baird Center in Milwaukee, Wis. The deadline for proposals is on November 8, 2024.
Opportunity Knocks
09/04/2024 | Michelle Te, IPC CommunityIPC member DETEX Corporation of New Braunfels, Texas, like so many similar companies, strives to cultivate a highly skilled workforce to meet the growing demand for electronics assembly professionals. But also like many companies, DETEX, which engineers and manufactures security products, has struggled to hire qualified workers. Most employees are hired without certification or experience. Providing on-the-job training (OJT) without technical instruction has been met with limited success.
TRI’s High-Performance Inspection Solutions at SMTAI 2024
08/27/2024 | TRITest Research, Inc. (TRI) is joining the upcoming SMTA International Exposition & Conference on October 22 – 24, 2024, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont, IL, USA.
Give Yourself an Edge at the IPC High Reliability Forum 2024
08/27/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineFor those who support military and defense products, few topics are more important than reliability, particularly as we venture into complex packaging requirements that accommodate next-gen chips and electronic systems. Recently, I visited with Teresa Rowe, IPC senior director, assembly and standards technology, to discuss the IPC High Reliability Forum (HRF), Oct. 9-10, at the McKimmon Center, in Raleigh, North Carolina. With topics that cover high-voltage electronics, standardized test methods, and assembly and solder joint X-ray challenges, it is clear that this event needs to be included on your annual conference calendar.