WPS ahead of the curve for Lead-Free production

WPS are now manuafacturing surface mount assemblies using lead-free solderpaste, well ahead of the new RoHS regulations, which will become mandatory on 1st July 2006.

Lead-free soldering trial
During December 2004 WPS, in collaboration with Grosvenor Electronics, specialist supplier of solder products and Seho, suppliers of soldering equipment, ran a lead-free wave soldering trial at Grosvenor's Humberside facility.  This was the first trial to be run at Grosvenor using their Seho soldering machine, which they had recently installed specifically for this purpose.

Both conventional and mixed technology assemblies were trialled, having already placed the surface mount components on site in Hastings.

Grosvenor's UK Sales Manager Nick Hirst was on hand to advise on solder and flux materials and Seho's Operations Director, Peter Bagshaw and Area Sales Manager, Jack McCaigue operated Grosvenor's purpose specified lead-free Seho MWS8240PWR Wave Soldering Machine.

After a short period of assessing different pre-heat and solder temperatures, conveyor speeds and flux settings, Nick Wilson gave the go ahead to run both batches of boards.

A new lead-free soldering machine will be purchased to take the place of our Soltec 6621 Prisma Wave aqueous flux soldering machine while the existing Soltec 6622 Delta Wave machine will be converted to lead-free. The 6621 will be kept with conventional Sn/Pb 63/37 solder for customers who are exempt from the new regulations.