ITestin g Services Tr ace Laboratories is a full Specifically, NASA information on the durability of parts is service independent testing on "electromigration"w as used by manufacturers to refine laboratory specializing in applied to the surface insulation their production processes. the testing of printed circuit resistance (SIR) testing that Says JeffryS chutt, "The boards, automotive products Trace Laboratories frequently Technical Support Packages and military hardware. The conducts on printed circuit from NASA reaffirmedm uch company maintains two sepa- board materials, such as fluxes of what we already knew rate facilities in Chicago, Illinois and solder pastes (below about electromigration but also and Linthicum, Maryland to a Trace technician is assessing opened our eyes to other issues serve U.S. customers. the integrity of a prepared test that needed to be considered. Trace Laboratories-Central pattern prior to subjecting it to The information enabled us in Chicago is one of many U.S. testing). The NASA input to improve the quality of the firms that have benefited from helped optimize the SIR testing service we provide our technical information contained process without compromising customers." in NASA Tech Briefs, a publica- testing data and it allowed tion designed to advise Trace to reduce testing time. industry of recent technological This is important because NASA TECHNICAL advances and technologies SIR testing evaluates the effects available for transfer (see on electronic materials that page 141). have been cleaned by an alter- INFORMATION HELPED JeffryA . Schutt, general native method to the use of manager of Trace Laboratories- chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) IMPROVE THE SERVICE Central, reports that his division solvents, which electronics used two Tech Briefs articles, manufacturers have used for plus follow-up Technical Sup- years to clean components; TECHNIQUES OF A port Packages from Jet Propul- they are seeking to eliminate sion Laboratory, to enhance CFC solvents, which are soon 1 TESTING LABORATORY the company's testing process. to be banned. SIR test data Publ~cS afety