The lead-free push now comes from Europe, where environmental concerns hold sway. U.S. manufacturers will have to move faster if they want to do business there. Lead is on the "hazardous materials" list, so the European Community's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment directive says it's got to go.

Ericsson's new PKD 4000 series, touted as the world's first lead-free solderable surface-mount dc/dc converter is one of the first steps in that direction (see Nov. 5, page 109). The product has increased significance because it's a medium-power high-density source that also carries a fair degree of weight.

But using lead-free solder is as complicated a materials issue as most engineers will encounter. Lead-free solder is in its second decade, but it still generates frightening manufacturing concerns in today's higher-temperature reflow processes. Fairly or not, it still conjures images of brittle connections, large parts falling off boards in rugged environments, and damaged laminates.

Sure, say opponents, lead-free is acceptable for consumer items that have short life expectancies. Even fervent supporters of lead-free solder acknowledge that when push comes to reliability, traditional solders are the way to go for military, space, and automotive systems.

Opponents add that lead in electronics applications amounts to only about one-half of a percent of the metal's overall usage. Little wonder there's been a scaling back of the "drop dead" date for meeting the European directive's provisions.

In the U.S., legislation trails. Getting rid of lead seems a priority in most camps, but a relatively low one, and the lead-free movement is even less of an imperative for solder.

That will change. Don't expect a rush of competing dc/dc converters from U.S.-based manufacturers in a month or two, but there should be plenty of activity in a year. Perhaps the issue will be more easily addressed in view of recent real-life events and the economic slowdown, when profit doesn't seem to be as important as quality of life.

Some of the materials used in future solders could cost much more than what's being used now, indicating that profit concerns will take a back seat. If only that were the case more often.