Hello Gary, Your issue is essentially the same as Steve Gregory's, so my answer is essentially the same. The issue of lead removal is over-played. The Industry isn't focused on lead removal; the industry is really focused on planarity. We want a flat pad to solder to - period. FLAT is the big 4-letter "F" word around town today. "What'll get me flat?" That's the zillion-dollar question. That's what we're debating. Not so long ago HASL was the single answer to moving PCB manufacturers away from tin/lead reflow circuitry to selective solder coatings (SMOBC). Today we're faced with many alternatives to HASL, but unlike the transition from Reflow to HASL I don't believe there's going to be a single answer. Gold...silver...OSP...white tin...palladium - whichever you pick - one thing is for certain: It won't be a solder alloy. And THAT means it'll be lead-free, so that along with the new technology comes an environmental bonus. But please don't tell the EPA: Let 'em think we're up all night just trying to get the lead out. Cheers! Bob Lazzara Circuit Connect Tech Support Georgia Service Bureau TEL: 800.560.9457 FAX: 888.453.0520 BBS: 603.889.5385 alternate eMail: [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Gary Camac <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]> Date: Saturday, January 30, 1999 10:56 AM Subject: Re: [TN] Removal of Lead > Why are we worrying about the lead in electronics assemblies leaching into the ground water from dumps, >when we shouldn't be throwing our electronic consumables there in the first place. Our global societies >and various governments would be better off putting their efforts towards research in recycling. Wouldn't >it be great if it were more efficient to recycle all of the metals contained in these assemblies rather >than mining and refining replacement materials from our limited natural resources? I guess when our >descendents start running out of natural resources they can start mining our dumps. > > There... I feel a lot better. I'll get off my soapbox now. > >Gary Camac ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################