Epec's Blog | Electronics Manufacturing Solutions

In today’s challenging manufacturing marketplace it is more and more difficult selecting the most capable supplier that has the right capabilities for your company long term (so challenging, in fact, we had to break it into 2 parts). With more pressure being put on cost cutting and improving efficiency, it becomes very easy to put short-term gain ahead of all else. Unfortunately, when we do that, we end up losing sight of long-term goals that drive core future organizational growth.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) with immersion finishes such as electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG), immersion tin, silver, and OSP are appealing because they are lead-free. However, if handled improperly, these materials are susceptible to oxidation and corrosion from exposure to moisture and humidity. This oxidation causes dewetting after soldering, which can lead to poor joints at assembly and ultimately lead to failure of the board.