The lead-free initiatives are coming. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive is scheduled to take effect in the European Union on August 13, 2005. The Restrictions of Hazardous Substances (RoHs) directive will take effect there on July 1, 2006. And much like the Red Coats during the American Revolution, the initiatives are not welcome in too many camps.
“The RoHS directive, in particular, threatens to disrupt the electronics industry worse than the conversion from pin-through-hole (PTH) to surface-mount technology (SMT) did in the 1980s and early 1990s,” says John R. Barnes, president of Robust Electronic Design (Lexington, KY), and author of Robust Electronic Design Reference Book, Volumes 1 and 2.
In case you’ve been living in a virtual vacuum (or aren’t involved in the electronics industry), the RoHS directive states that new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market must not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). Lead will be the main challenge. Lead is used in solder, in the protective platings on components and printed circuit board (PCB) pads and traces, and as an ultraviolet/heat stabilizer in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) insulation on wires. Lead has also been used in pigments, paints, lubricants, and metal alloys.
As a result, the controversial RoHS initiative is requiring complete redesign of core technology. Nevertheless, designers and manufacturers are plowing full steam ahead to satisfy RoHS requirements, especially now that 2005 budgets have begun to include compliance dollars. They really have no choice, whether or not they think it’s a good idea.
For a plethora of answers to your questions on lead-free, check out Barnes’ website at www.dbicorporation.com/rohs.htm#gov, a joint project of Robust Electronic Design and dBi Corp. Particularly interesting is a list of lead-free and RoHS-compliant components listed by company at www.dbicorporation.com/rohs.htm#elec.
Designers, manufacturers, and OEMs alike may also benefit from participating in a free webcast seminar, or “webinar,” at 1:00 pm on March 10, 2005, on Lead-free Rework & Adjustment. The webinar, co-hosted by Connector Specifier, Advanced Packaging, and SMT magazines, will feature speakers from Texas Instruments, Kester, BEST, and Aegis Industrial Software.
Whatever your role in the lead-free transition, whether you use solder or buy connectors, you’ll be affected somehow by the changes. For companies that have a plan in place, it’s time to get out the message. For companies that are just starting to look for solutions, when you see the whites of their eyes, it’s time to shoot. So invest some time researching, attending webinars, and talking to your suppliers.
 |
Valerie Coffey, Editor-in-Chief
valeriec@pennwell.com
