I'm in total agreement with Jeff Canis.

This discourse reminds me of the efforts in the early 1990's to eliminate
Class 1 ODC's. While there was scientific data to show that CFC's effected
the ozone layer, many companies ignored the issue until they could not get
Freon / 1,1,1 trich, or was paying over $ 12,000 per 55 gallon drum in the
mid 1990's due to the taxes imposed by the Clean Air Act of 1990 and the
Montreal Protocol.

As one of my former managers noted at the time, "It looked like every
engineer was getting their Freon fix!" I've heard every excuse from my
former colleagues and managers to continue using these Class 1 ODC
materials. And guess what? In the year 2000, you would find it difficult to
find any electronics manufacturer still using these Class 1 ODC materials in
their processes.

Whether we like it or not, Pb-Free initiatives are going to continue. The
question is which series of alloys, component finishes, and board finishes
will meet the technical and economic requirements of industry. These issues
we can control, not the politics.

Lee Whiteman
Senior Manufacturing Engineer
ACI / EMPF
Telephone: (610) 362-1200; Ext. 208
FAX: (610) 362-1290
E-Mail: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>

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