Offering a one stop facility for all of your electronic assembly requirements

Lead Free

Disposal of Electronic Equipment and Restriction of Hazardous Substances Pending EU Environmental Directives

Patronics Limited can offer a dual service, one which not only ensures our compliancy with new legislation to supply lead free product, but secondly to support existing and new customers in the Medical, AUtomotive and Aerospace markets whereby leaded product is still acceptable.

As you may be aware the European Union is soon to introduce two separate pieces of legislation to make producers responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of electrical and electronic equipment and also to ban the use of certain hazardous substances in new equipment.

By the 13th August 2005

Called the WEE Directive (Waste Electrical/Electronic Equipment - disposal Directive 2002/96/EC), Producers will be responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of Waste Electrical/Electronic Equipment.

From 1st July 2006

The EU RHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment - Directive 2002/95/|EC) will ban lead for all affected products sold in Europe starting in 2006. New electrical and electronic equipment will not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB)or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

In order to comply with the directives it is necessary to phase out and replace certain items with more environmentally favourable substitutes. In particular we are planning the timing for the introduction of Lead (Pb) Free Soldering throughout our plant and the elimination of the flame-retardants called ’PolyBrominatedBiPhenyls (PBB) and PolyBrominated DiPhenylEthers (PBDE).

Total changeover involves control of:

  • Surface Mount Paste/Temperature
  • Wave Solder pot and process
  • Hand Solder materials
  • Components - of every description and sourcing
  • PCB’s - composition and finishes
  • Finished end of life articles/assemblies/products - for final Disposal according to the WEEE directive.

ROHS Directive

Components are the first thing to consider when moving to a lead free process. As a Contract Assembly company we rely on our customers to specify components that comply to the EU directives. The directive however is not only concerned with lead. It also bans PBB and PBE which historically have been added to bare board laminate - FR4 and others - to provide flame retardency.

Components

It is not as simple as just assembling existing products using a lead free process. Some products can not survive the higher soldering temperatures required by the lead free soldering process.

For example surface mount film capacitors, some led’s and some connectors will not withstand the increased soldering temperatures.

The finish on component terminations must also be lead free. If tin-lead components are used with lead free alloys, process and long term reliability issues can be created. Lead contamination can lead to secondary re-flow of joints when boards pass over the wave soldering system or during double sided re-flow, joints can re-flow again at a lower temperature due to lead contamination.

Bare Boards

The ban on PBB and PBE substances in bare board laminate has forced the introduction of "Halogen Free" laminates. These laminates are available now but will require specifying by the design authority.

Patronics are very willing to work with our customers to help the transition to meet the forthcoming directives.

We will be holding a series of seminars and presentations during the forthcoming months. Please do not hesitate to raise any questions you may have to sales@patronics.co.uk or purchasing@patronics.co.uk.

For more information on the Directives please go to:

www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs/legislation
www.europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/pdf/faq_weee.pdf