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90 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2022 original design effort by roughly 70% in size while taking the original layer count down from 12 layers to six without reverting to the use of extreme fine lines. So, to keep things simple, a list is shown in Table 1 as it stands now. I expect the list will get longer as more distinct benefits of solder- free assembly are recognized. Conclusion Soldering is a complex process where many things can and do routinely go wrong. It is far from perfect in both yield and reliability; how- ever, I have frequently mentioned in my pre- sentations over the past decade that it will con- tinue to be used for assembly well into the fore- seeable future. In all honesty, I can see impor- tant places where solder can and will work in the future of electronic manufacturing. Unfortunately, familiarity with a process does not make it infallible. I am reading with increasing frequency the myriad problems of solder along with the proposals for the next lead-free solder alloy (78 alloys at last count), the next best flux, the best way to character- ize the reflow process, the most recent prob- lem identified, and the best piece of equipment to identify that problem and tool to fix it. I graphically characterized the soldering indus- try in my SAFE book as a modern-day Sisy- phus; instead of a boulder, it's characterized as pushing a solder ball up a hill only to have it roll down again for another push to the top the nest day. Job security, for sure, but at what cost to the soul? ere are better ways to execute most rou- tine activities, but they typically require an appetite for change, and though inevitable, can be frightening. e Wright brothers did not make their first flight off a cliff; they did it on a sandy beach. ey were not fools, but they did understand the potential benefits of flight and so met their fear head on. Today, it is safer to be at 40,000 feet than it is to be on the ground and air travel is the safest possible way to get around. I believe that future design- ers will eventually see the benefit of designing products using the principles which Occam gied the world eight centuries ago. Again, to make things simple. is inspirational quote on the topic of design simplicity is from esteemed French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry in his auto- biography, Wind, Sand and Stars, "A (good) designer knows that he has achieved perfec- tion in design not when there is nothing le to add but when there is nothing le to take away." Personal note: It is with great sadness that I share news that my colleague Darren Smith died by his own hand in April aer decades of physical and mental suffering. We spoke of his suffering on numerous occasions but unfortunately his depression won out. Dar- ren's great enthusiasm for the Occam idea (which included his getting a personal- ized OCCAM license plate for his car) was immense but insufficient to keep him in life. If the reader is having such problems, please seek professional help through a suicide preven- tion service. e industry needs you to stick around. DESIGN007 References 1. "Reliability issues of lead-free solder joints in electronic devices," Science and Technology of Advanced Materials, Volume 20, 2019, printed at Taylor and Francis Online. 2. Solderless Assembly for Electronics: The SAFE Approach, by Joe Fjelstad. 3. Ibid, p. 51. Joe Fjelstad is founder and CEO of Verdant Electronics and an international authority and innovator in the field of electronic interconnection and packaging technologies with more than 185 patents issued or pending. To read past columns or contact Fjelstad, click here. Download your free copy of Fjelstad's book Flexible Circuit Technology, 4 th Edition, and watch his in-depth workshop series "Flexible Circuit Technology."