Lead-Free Solder

In recent years a growing concern for lead-free solder and the European Union’s Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive for a cleaner environment have propelled industry to reevaluate surface mount technology production.

Military and aerospace industries, even though they have been exempted from the RoHS directive, are nevertheless very dependent upon commercial industry that must be RoHS compliant. Moreover, the military and aerospace industries must also meet rigorous standards to ensure performance in rugged environments.

Reliability Testing

METTOP is ideally suited for conducting research in the use of lead-free solder for electrical components and can provide a variety of reliability testing for electrical components including vibration testing, mechanical shock drop testing, and environmental climate testing. Reliability testing is crucial in military and aerospace applications and especially in matters relating to Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS).

Research

As a New Mexico Tech organization, METTOP has unlimited access to the university’s many research programs and world-class research personnel. Currently, METTOP engineers are studying the brittle to ductile transition temperature of common lead-free solders being used in industry today. In addition, METTOP is collaborating with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, in support of their Project 1722 (Impact of Lead-free Components on Military Repair).