Sorry, Oliver, but I respectfully disagree with your approach.
Quite often I have customers tell me that they want to use a lead-free
process, for whatever reason. My obligation is to advise them in such a
way as to do no harm. I want to make it clear that I am not against
using Pb-free processes and materials, but if a choice is available, I
need good, compelling reasons to choose Pb-free and its risks over
63/37, and environmental friendliness and ease of recycling do not fall
into that category.
I let them know exactly what the additional known risks are in using
Pb-free. I also tell them that it is his/her choice, but I want them to
make an informed choice. I review the design and the application, and I
make sure I understand the design and use requirements. If the design
and use is appropriate for Pb-free and not exempt per RoHS, then I would
cheerfully use a Pb-free process and the appropriate materials.
But if the product is exempt, I am never afraid to tell my customer "if
you select lead-free for this particular product, here are the known
risks". They always thank me for that. Always. And most of the time they
go back and pass this information on to their customer, who quite often
thinks that Pb-free is the way to go "because it is the new thing".
Then I provide them with what they want.
Whenever you are afraid to tell your customer something, you have
already done them a disservice.
Who better to be the "third-party press" than you or I? John Burke
certainly is a good example of this.
Let me tell you this, I have no customers who do not trust my advice
fully. They know if something is wrong, or not quite right, they can
depend on me to tell them in such a manner that they won't
misunderstand. And they know I do it to protect them from themselves, or
from their own customer's ignorance.
And they know I am a human being, not infallible, and I can make
mistakes. If I have sound logical reasons, I will readily change my
mind. But I will not change my mind simply because some EU weenies with
their heads up where the sun doesn't shine won't admit that they made a
big, big mistake.
-----Original Message-----
From: Leadfree [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Oliver Betz
Sent: Tuesday, November 07, 2006 1:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [LF] EU Not Busting for RoHS Violations Yet
Stadem, Richard D. wrote:
> May I ask why you support the introduction of lead-free materials and
> components in industries that are exempt? They are exempted for good
> reasons.
although I'm not Brian, I can tell you why our company builds also lead
free devices (for fixed installations => not in scope of RoHS):
Because our customer wants it. And he wants it because his customer
wants it.
Nobody in marketing or management dares to tell his customer: "don't
order lead free because it has unknown reliability".
The already mentioned "PR nightmare".
I predict that this situation will persist as long as no third party
(press) educates end users.
Maybe the same applies to diesel particulate filters - I don't know.
I wasn't able to get hard data about their usefulness.
Oliver
--
Oliver Betz, Muenchen
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