Years of fragmentation and lack of coordination in the European lead-free soldering research community have been brought to an end with the launching of a major initiative. Partially funded by the European Commission, Elfnet (European Lead-Free Soldering Network) will enable the electronics industry in the EU to engage with the research community, optimize solutions and meet the deadline of introducing lead-free technology. This network of national research organizations, technical experts and industry bodies, was first brought together years ago. This was as a response to poor coordination in European research in the face of the challenges from the RoHS directive.
Elfnet invites all European researchers with experience in lead-free technology to sign up via the project website and become affiliate members. This will give access to the work and an opportunity to coordinate with peers across Europe. As Dr. Jeremy Pearce, Elfnet coordinator at Soldertec Global in the UK, comments, “The expertise is there, the challenge is there – now we can finally make it happen.”
In this iniative the coordinators of all major lead-free projects are assembled, research representatives in 19 countries, and leading industry players in electronic sectors, to shape a platform for coordination of Europe’s LF-research effort. Its aim is to find and collate existing projects, identify and prioritize key technical and business issues in lead-free technology, and seek solutions towards a common goal. At the same time, the network will provide the industry with connections to people and resources for solutions. As well as 19 national networks, Elfnet will operate five expert groups in solders, components, assembly, reliability and recycling as well as four industry networks in consumer, automotive/industrial, IT/telecoms and aerospace/defense. The infrastructure will also be used for status research and measuring implementation of lead-free technology. The initiative operates in 19 European countries.
EPP EUROPE 407
Share:
