In the production of printed circuit assemblies, the demand for higher reliability levels has increased over the years. In order to achieve a high level of soldering quality, it is essential that solderability is built into the system at all stages and various factors must be taken into account. In the first section of this paper some of these factors are discussed. The various solderable coalings that are available are reviewed, some of the problems that can be encountered are illustrated and the effects of impurities in solders discussed. In the second part of the paper, the use of circuit boards having fused tin/lead coatings is discussed from the solderability point of view.