ARLINGTON, VA -- The Government Electronics and Information Technology Association is publishing three industry consensus documents to help aerospace, defense and other electronics segments comply with the EU RoHS and WEEE Directives.

Although aerospace and defense products are expected to be either out of scope or exempt from the directives, the aerospace and defense industries will be swept along as the larger global electronics industry transitions to lead-free products, according to GEIA.

The documents were prepared by the Lead-free Electronics in Aerospace Project Working Group and are sponsored jointly by the Aerospace Industries Association, the Avionics Maintenance Conference and GEIA.

The standards are:

• GEIA-STD-0005-1 - Performance Standard for Aerospace and High Performance Electronic Systems Containing Lead-Free Solder, for use by aerospace and defense electronic system customers to communicate requirements to aerospace and defense electronic system suppliers. It is an objective-based document that states customer concerns in the form of objectives and requires suppliers to document the processes they will use to satisfy the objectives. Examples of objectives are quality and reliability, configuration control, repair and rework.
• GEIA-STD-0005-2 - Standard for Mitigating the Effects of Tin Whiskers in Aerospace and High Performance Electronic Systems. Although many aerospace and defense electronics manufacturers will continue to use tin-lead as an attachment alloy for printed wiring assemblies, they will be forced to use piece parts with lead-free alloy finishes, the most common of which is pure tin. Pure tin finishes promote growth of tin whiskers, which can cause serious reliability problems in aerospace and defense systems.

  The technical details of tin whisker growth and control are not completely understood; but their effects must be controlled in aerospace and defense products. The standard provides a framework to do so. It is structured according to levels of mitigation, which are selected by aerospace and defense electronics manufacturers and users, based on the level of control required for the given application.

• GEIA-HB-0005-1 - Program Management/Systems Engineering Guidelines For Managing The Transition To Lead-Free Electronics, which provides guidance for program and systems engineering managers for managing the use of lead-free electronics. Programs may inadvertently introduce lead-free elements including piece part finish, printed wiring board finish or assembly solder if careful coordination between buyer and supplier is not exercised.

  The handbook is designed to assist programs in assuring the performance, reliability, airworthiness, safety and certifiability of product(s) in accordance with GEIA-STD-0005-1.

In addition to the above documents, the LEAP WG is also working on two other documents that will be released at a later date. They are:

1. Technical Guidelines for Using Lead-free Solder in Aerospace and High Performance Electronic Systems Containing Lead-Free Solder and Finishes.
2. Technical Guidelines for Reliability Testing for Aerospace and High Performance Electronics Containing Lead-Free Solder.