No, it’s not new slang.  It’s an acronym. The JIP is a Joint Industry Project.  You are probably no wiser yet, so let’s develop what it is whilst at the same time looking into the ways of making good use of hard-earned cash.

For some time, the DTI (as was. Its new name does not exactly trip off the tongue) has been prepared to assist industry with various part or wholly funded projects and with ways of making better use of tax offsets such as the R&D tax offset in conjunction with HMGCE.  This is not widely publicised and, indeed, may be difficult to publicise.  A good accountant will know all the appropriate tax concessions that can be applied to a business but this is not a plug for good accountants although they can often pay for themselves, in effect, by suggesting a good tax regime.

Being prudent with profits in current climates can be a route to survival but survival beyond the immediate future may require some speculative research or there may be some pressing legislation that forces such change that new techniques and methods have to be learnt.

Sometimes the new techniques or methods are bespoke to a particular manufacturer but it is also true that some knowledge is common and can be shared.  Finding it out can be shared too which is where the JIP comes in.

One of the main bodies that works with the DTI, and carries out the research, is the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).  NPL was once a government funded organisation but it is now independent and offers a variety of opportunities to research metrology-based requirements. These projects are based around metrology in order to meet government guidelines and they all focus on the pressing problems of the day.

The JIP requires three main cores of participants: The Researchers, Industrial Users and Industrial Suppliers and all bar the researchers are encouraged to participate with cash as well as knowledge, experience and practical help.  An individual company could easily fund a complete project but the costs tend to be high and the JIP is a good way of sharing the financial burden. It also means that specialists from a variety of backgrounds can become involved and therefore hopefully increase the scope of the project.  The actual conditions vary from project to project but the central theme is always the same.  There was a recent project that researched the use of X-Ray Fluorescence systems to determine their effectiveness at screening materials or assemblies for RoHS compliance (or not).  The Industrial and Supplier participants each contributed £1500 plus some help “in kind” e.g. offering the use of XRF equipment for tests.  The costs involved are not huge and can be offset against an R&D budget for tax purposes.  The participants all gained valuable knowledge for a small outlay and it must be stated that an XRF machine provides good measurement capabilities and shows good repeatability.

A JIP exists to serve industry and provide a cost-effective way of finding out more details about a topic or a source of concern.

The recent RoHS and WEEE legislations were conceived for altruistic and outwardly practical reasons – let’s not fill what little land we have with rubbish and, while we’re about it, let’s make sure that no hazardous substances can leach out and damage us. As we all know, there could be all sorts of reasons why these laws might eventually prove to be more damaging than was first thought.  Would you like to be on the fiftieth flight of an airliner with Pb-free electronics?  No-one knows how safe Pb-free will be and it also looks like the technology will absorb a massive increase in energy when compared with its predecessor.  A new JIP has been established to investigate the probable effects of higher heat on plastic-bodied components such as connectors.  Imagine an 80mm long connector that would withstand Sn/Pb solder temperatures with ease being subjected to 30oC more temperature. It is unknown if it will survive without distortion. Possibly it will distort after the solder has frozen and then cause strong mechanical stresses that could bend the PCB and that is what we need to know.  Lot’s of interested parties have decided to participate in this.

The picture above shows the size and shape of a connector being a possible cause of mechanical stress. This will depend on many factors.
Courtesy: SAMTEC  (please note that the inclusion of this picture does NOT assume that SAMTEC connectors cause distortion)

Another JIP is looking into the phenomenon of Cu dissolution under the higher temperatures of Pb-free soldering. This is potentially a serious failure mode for future electronics and is highly worthy of investigation. Once again, the participants gain a cost-effective insight into possible issues and, it is to be hoped, some possible solutions.

This shows clearly how much Cu has been dissolved from the pad on the circuit board. Only tiny “keys” of Cu are left at the PCB surface.
Courtesy:  Bob Willis (www.leadfreesoldering.com) and NPL

Obviously, there are many large corporations that can afford to, and insist upon researching such phenomena but they often keep the information secret for some time until they perhaps feel they have a commercial advantage.  The JIP does not exist for commercial reasons, it exists to help its participants and the information becomes available to all soon after the initial publication of findings amongst the participants.

With thanks to:
Bob Wills  www.leadfreesoldering.com
Samtec  www.samtec.com