Looking for lead-free plating for aluminum.

[deadeye]

Hi, Just popped in from the SolidWorks forum. I'm not a metalurgist, or a plating expert, but the group I work with have been asked to 'look everywhere' for this so I thought I'd give you all a crack at it. We're looking for a lead-free plating option for 6061 aluminum that will leave the part solderable. This is for a small aluminum heater block that is pick & placed onto a PC board. We are currently using tin-lead but have been directed to go lead-free.

Thanks in advance.

 

[IRstuff]

Can't you just anodize it?

TTFN

 

[deadeye]

I am relaying this response from our process engineer, unfortunately very quickly as he was headed out the door on vacation…
Although we have had aluminum anodized before, we have no experience soldering to it. We are concerned as to what the solder will wet to. We assume that the anodized finish will go into solution with the liquid solder. Will the solder wet to the aluminum?
Thanks for the response.

 

[IRstuff]

Sorry, I mis-read your posting. Anodize will leave the aluminum unsolderable.

This article talks about Ni/Pd finished IC leads:

http://focus.ti.com/lit/an/szza024/szza024.pdf

TTFN