A US aerospace industry group, working under the auspices of the Government Electronics Industries Association (GEIA) will release its guidelines on performance and qualification testing for lead-free solder during the first quarter of 2008.

The GEIA report, "Guidance Regarding the Performance and Qualification Testing of Aerospace and High-Performance Lead-Free Interconnects," will be released by 31 Dec. 2007 at the earliest.

Although aersopace and defence are exempt from legal requirements to implement lead-free soldering, the significant use of commercial (COTS) parts, with associated obsolescence and SnPb supply issues is forcing the switch.

The project will give industry guidance, including test procedures for predicting performance and reliability in the harsh, high reliability environments common to the aerospace and defence industries. Work will include thermal cycling, vibration, mechanical shock, and combined environments such as dust, humidity, salt spray, and other environmental threats.

The GEIA group - which includes members from The Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp., BAE Systems, Honeywell, Curtiss-Wright Controls, Rockwell Collins, and the Aerospace Industries Association of America - is focusing on performance at the interconnect level, and seeks to be user-friendly, using adaption of exisiting mil-specs if possible.

The group will also look at possible redefinition to account for surface finishes and mixed alloys, as well as clarifying what is meant by qualification.