Hello,

I am trying to find out more about what equipment changes are needed to
switch board manufacturing and assembly facilities to lead-free. I am trying
to get an idea of how difficult making the change would be for small and
medium size firms in terms of investment in new equipment. The answer no
doubt depends on what alternative is being used but I would very much
appreciate hearing from people in the group about what they have heard/read
about the different options. 

1. For PWB manufacturing, making boards that stand up to higher temperatures
apparently requires some change in materials, no? Does any equipment need to
be replaced to make these modified boards?

2. For PWB assembly, one could break down the process flow into printing,
placement, reflow/wave, inspection. On the lead-free website, Brian Bauer
and Angela Grusd hint that for Su/Ag/Cu solder, inspection may be most
affected (needing new equipment?). Harvey Miller, a member of the list,
makes an estimate of capital costs assuming that only reflow/wave ovens will
need to be replaced. A source in the Taiwanese electronics industry suggests
that the lead-free switch is really only about materials and that no
equipment needs to be changed. As far as I have found so far, no one is
suggesting that the printing and placement machines need changing. According
to your experiences/knowledge, what equipment needs to be replaced? Are
there written analyses of this issue?

Thanks very much. 

Best Regards, Eric 


---------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Williams
United Nations University
Environment and Sustainable Development Programme
IT and Environment Project
http://www.it-environment.org
53-70 Jingumae 5-chome  Shibuya-ku  Tokyo, Japan
Phone: 81-3-5467-1352    Fax: 81-3-3406-7346
------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------Leadfee Mail List provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8d
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Leadfree
To temporarily stop delivery of Leadree for vacation breaks send: SET Leadfree NOMAIL
Search previous postings at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/html/forum.htm for additional
information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.5315
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------