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Lead Free – What It Is and Why You Should Care
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You’ve likely been hearing a lot about lead free in recent months. Wondering how you’ll be affected? Need to better understand the rules and regulations? At Advanced Circuits we’re constantly monitoring the lead free landscape and working with customers to make sure all of us are prepared for a lead free future.
What Started All This Lead Free Talk?
As the world population grows and the use of electronic products correspondingly increases, the affects of pollutants like lead is a growing concern. Unfortunately our industry has not developed a viable recycling program to help eliminate even part of the waste that is currently dumped into landfills across the world. The European Union, China, Japan, South Korea and a select number of states in the US are voicing their concerns by enacting or preparing laws, such as RoHS and WEEE, aimed at reducing the use of lead and other contaminants in certain electronic items.
What is RoHS and WEEE?
RoHS - The Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS)
This directive limits the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers in new electrical and electronic equipment beginning July 1, 2006. Advanced Circuits products and processes currently meet the restricted levels of mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls or polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
WEEE - Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment
This European Parliament directive is scheduled for implementation throughout Europe beginning in August of 2005. It affects any product that is dependent on electrical current or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly. Also included would be equipment used for the generation, transfer and measurement of the current or fields. Any equipment rated to operate at less than 1000 volts AC or 1500 volts DC are also included.
I’m a Designer, What Should I Do?
Familiarize yourself with the directives. Both are written to challenge our industry’s designers to begin creating products that are environmentally friendly from the start. Investigate your options for creating circuit boards that use fewer materials with environmental issues – whether that’s components or metal finishes. As its stated in WEEE “…encourage the design and production of electrical and electronic equipment which take into account the and facilitate dismantling and recovery… reuse and recycling … of WEEE…” Doing so may require adjustments to component types, layer counts, plating finishes, impedance values for new laminates and dielectric spacing changes to accommodate compliance.
I’m an Assembler, What Should I Do?
If you don’t have a plan in place get one! If you think you won’t have to worry about it, you’re wrong. It won’t be long before the entire globe embraces RoHS type legislation. Begin by asking your customers what their expectations are for you and their product. Contact IPC (www.ipc.org), your component and board suppliers, and industry organizations like the SMTA to find out what information and assistance might be available to you. Begin to work with your engineering staff on alternatives to leaded solder. Evaluate process parameters, equipment capabilities, employee training, data collection systems, inspection criteria, testing and the documentation revisions that will be necessary to meet the directives. In short - “Dive in!”
What is Advanced Circuits Doing?
RoHS Compliant
Products we produce that are not processed through hot air solder level for a “final” finish will currently meet RoHS’ no lead restriction. These products would include those that have electro less nickel immersion gold, electroplated gold, white tin or finishes other than “tin-lead” solder. We can supply you a RoHS compliant board today; however, there would be limitations in exposure to high temperatures based on the laminate material.
Laminates
We are finalizing the process procedures for three different laminate materials that have been designed for use at the higher temperatures necessary for most lead free assembly applications. Once our processes have been finalized we will be producing samples for Underwriters Laboratories qualification testing. We anticipate the completion of this test series in the near future. We have also identified specific types of solder application equipment that would meet our needs for running a parallel “no lead” HASL line.
Lead Free Solder
At the same time Advanced Circuits is continuing to gather information and data surrounding the various lead free solder alloys. We are looking for a final solder finish that will provide an acceptable and workable surface for all concerned. It is not Advanced Circuits’ intent to replace the current tin-lead solder process at this time, but to run it in tandem with a “lead free” process until the use of leaded solder becomes untenable. Once the choice of solder alloys is made, we will be running a series of processing tests to assure the best possible coverage and surface characteristics. The length of this testing is entirely dependent upon meeting the required quality levels. We do not anticipate any major issues in this area.
Our ultimate goal is to offer an operational no lead application process to help our customers become RoHS compliant well before the deadline.
If you have questions please contact Tony Garramone, Corporate Training Manager at 800-979-4pcb
x344 or tonyg@4pcb.com.
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