I have to echo others' sentiments that reliability data from consumer
products (if it exists at all) is utterly useless for application to
products that have actual significant reliability requirements. You approach
the whole subject of DfR differently for infrastructure, aerospace,
military, etc. hardware than you do for consumer PCs, TVs, MP3 players, etc.
Pam Gordon of Technology Forecasters, a partner of ours and an excellent
market research/consulting firm, estimates the cost of compliance throughout
the industry at about $8 billion. I will not get in to the details of how
this was calculated but it is based on interviews with 75 companies, large
and small, and extrapolated across the rest of the industry. The methodology
is solid (after all, that's what their reputation is based on).
I personally think it's a conservative estimate, in part because industry is
still paying to comply...it's not "automatic" yet. There are plenty of SMEs
that are not yet compliant; there is plenty of scrambling at big companies
to cross their t's and dot their i's...
Also IMHO, there is minimal environmental benefit (as I've said before, the
removal of PBBs and PBDEs are probably the greatest positive environmental
impact of RoHS, but there is no impartial study I've seen yet that answers
the question - anyone out there want to fund it? ;o} ). So I don't think the
environment got its full $8 billion worth. The one positive outcome of this
is that industry (not just electronics, but others as well due to ELV in
automotive and the looming impact of REACH) is becoming aware that
"environmental impact" is a component and product attribute that requires
attention, like functional, thermal, mechanical, electrical, etc.
attributes. In the long term (10-15 years?) our products will have less
"environmental impact" because we will have started thinking about it and
driving products towards reducing it. Unfortunately regulation is what
kicked it off.
Mike Kirschner
Design Chain Associates, LLC
On Thu, 2 Nov 2006 14:24:39 -0600, Steve Gregory
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>Even if lead-free performance is proven to be equal to standard leaded
>solders, what has this change cost our industry? Billions of dollars!
>Also what benefit is this change going to bring? It sure isn't any
>environmental benefit as far as lead in solder is concerned...
>
>-Steve Gregory-
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Pratap Singh
>Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 1:58 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: [LF] EU Not Busting for RoHS Violations Yet
>
>Lester,
>
>You have raised an important point about LF. Recently Dell reliability
>engineer presented a paper on LF experience with Dell products. They
>have > 30 million pieces of LF hardware out in the field. The product is
>working equal to or better than SnPb soldered product. His conclusion
>was that extra vigilance, inspection, assembly process improvements,
>material improvements, reliability testing etc. have resulted in better
>product.
>
>
>
>Many Japanese companies have consumer electronic product being produced
>with LF technology for sometime (3-5 yrs). Are there any field problems
>or additional reliability issues mentioned at any of the conferences?
>NO. So why are we as engineering community (at least some of us) so
>agitated about LF?
>
>
>
>
>
>pratap singh
>
>____________________________________
>
>Tel/Fax: 512-255-6820; Cell: 512-663-8903
>
>www.rampinc.com ; EMail: [log in to unmask]
>
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