DKL Metals began forming strategic international partnerships early on as part of the preparation for the future switch to lead free soldering. This led to the formation of the “Global Partners for Lead free Solders”, a world-wide alliance of lead-free specialists which today comprises of Nihon Superior (Japan), patent holder for SN100C family of lead free alloys, DKL Metals (UK), Balver Zinn Josef Jost GmbH & Co. (Germany), FCT Assembly (USA). The alliance partners produce and distribute SN100C, the superior solution for lead-free soldering in their respective territories.
SN100C is currently used in excess of 1500 wave soldering machines worldwide , particularly in Asia and Europe.

"Researched Solution"

Japanese company Nihon Superior Co. Ltd., founded in 1966, began manufacturing lead-free tin-silver-copper-based solders under licence in 1998. A carefully structured research project was started to develop the company's own environmentally friendly, cost-efficient lead-free alloy. When significantly less nickel was added to an alloy, Tetsuro Nishimura, now president of Nihon Superior, could tell by the unusually smooth surface of the hardened solder that he was on the right track towards finding the solution.
Full scale production of the now patented SN100C Solder system began in 1999, with Matsushita Electric as the first large O.E.M. customer. The following years saw Nihon Superior expand its business in Asia through licensed manufacturing and subsidiaries in Thailand, China and Taiwan.
In 2002 Nihon Superior reached an agreement with DKL on the licensed manufacture and distribution of SN100C in UK and Ireland and with Balver Zinn covering mainland Europe. “We required strong partners outside our home market in Asia,” explains Tetsuro Nishimura, President of Nihon Superior.

Nihon Superior has grown substantially in the intervening period, and President Tetsuro Nishimura sees huge potential for continued growth after the completed conversion to lead-free on 01.07.2006:
“NASA and the US armed forces are testing our solders, as is Boeing. Initial results show just how superior our solders are, particularly in high vibration environments. It could well be that, by 2010, our solders will be used in civil and military aircraft and even in the Space Shuttle, setting new standards in the aerospace sector.”


"Europe-wide solutions"

Balver Zinn are a long established family business with a wide portfolio of products and production expertise serving many manufacturing sectors.
“Our co-operation with Balver Zinn has not only gained us one of Europe's largest solder manufacturer as a partner, but also a company with tremendous experience and know-how.” explains Tetsuro Nishimura, President of Nihon Superior.
Balver Zinn has 11 trading partners throughout the European continent, and supplies around 40 percent of all solders for lead-free soldering in Europe. 95 percent of hot air levelling machines in Europe work with products from Balver Zinn – making them the market leader in Europe.

"Expanding across the USA"

US company FCT Assembly, based in Greeley, Colorado, is a subsidiary of Florida CirTech (FCT), founded in 1991. FCT Assembly manufactures and distributes lead-free and conventional solders, pastes and liquid fluxes for the US-American and Asian markets. The company joined the Global Lead-Free network in 2003, when it entered into a licensing agreement with Nihon Superior on the manufacture and distribution of SN100C on the North American market.
“ The conversion to lead-free solders is an exciting development for the electronics industry in America, too,” confirms FCT CEO Mike Scimeca. “The tin-copper-solution SN100C, which we have marketed since 2003, has many advantages which are gaining greater importance in the North American marketplace. We have been able to increase our market share significantly over the last years.”

“The Independent Solution”

DKL Metals, the largest independent manufacturer of electronic grade solder in the UK, has been one of the “Global Partners for Lead-free Solders” since May 2002. The addition of the licensed SN100C range further complements their established product portfolio of high quality soldering materials for all electronic and industrial applications.
“ Strong international partnerships along with world class lead free products as we have with SN100C, are key factors in our continued expansion” explains Colin Longworth, Managing Director of DKL Metals Ltd. “However, it is also vitally important that our partners share the same philosophy as us of exceptional quality standards, short reaction times and individual customer service and we are proud of our membership of the Global Partnership”