Lead Free Assembly

The Lead Free Assembly Process
The RoHS legislation requires that none of the hazardous materials listed in the RoHS Directive are used in the printed circuit board, components or solder. This means that the finishes on bare printed circuit boards must be changed to comply with lead free and RoHS standards. As a result, higher temperatures, around 30-50 degrees higher, are usually required to assemble lead free printed circuit boards. All components and boards must be able to withstand this additional heat. Also, it is important to note that the IC moisture sensitivity level that indicates how long the board can be exposed to the air is approximately 2 classes higher for lead free printed circuit boards, so there can be increased moisture sensitivity. The shelf life of the materials used in lead free boards may also be shorter.

A lead free assembled board may look differently. This is because the lead free solder has a different metallic composition. Please keep in mind that our technicians are experts at quality control and will guarantee that all lead free assembly is performed accurately to your exact specifications.
Our Lead-Free Process
  1. Customers either supply the correct lead free parts or we will order them for you.
  2. Using a lead free pcb, we apply a stencil to the board using a lead free compatible solder paste alloy – SAC305 and SAC304.
  3. All lead free parts are then machine-placed for accuracy.
  4. The stuffed board is then placed in the oven at a higher than normal temperature, to achieve the correct metallic bond between the components and the boards.
  5. We also perform thru hole and hand or wire soldering on lead free printed circuit boards.
  6. Finally, each board is visually inspected for quality.