Good morning! Alan makes some good points but I believe leaves out the
heart of the matter. Yes, proven lead-free solder alloys exist for stained
glass windows, plumbing, and a host of other products. Very shortly we will
see lead-free solder alloys for TVs, VCRs, and other consumer electronics
that will be very reliable. However, there is a pretty big difference in
whether I can listen to my favorite CD or have toast pop out of my toaster
in comparison to my automobile running correctly or the plane I happen to
be flying in stay in the sky. The lead-free discussion needs to always
contain two areas of concern - industry electronics and high performance
electronics (that's stealing a couple of definitions from IPC). There are
electronic products we require/expect a much higher performance level -
medical, auto, system critical types of devices. If the technical community
is given sufficient time and resources some lead-free solder solutions will
be found for the high performance products too - but too lump the
industrial and high performance into any  statement that lead-free alloys
are available is misleading and confusing. Well enough soap boxing and time
get a Coke for breakfast - please keep the flames to a low roar.

Dave Hillman
Rockwell Collins
[log in to unmask]





Alan Rae <[log in to unmask]> on 08/17/99 03:58:26 PM

Please respond to "Leadfree Electronics Assembly E-Mail Forum."
      <[log in to unmask]>; Please respond to [log in to unmask]

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:    (bcc: David D Hillman/CedarRapids/Collins/Rockwell)
Subject:  Re: [LF] Lead Usage in Electronics




You might be interested to know that at Fry Technology we've been producing
several types of lead-free solder and "came" for the stained glass market
for
some time.  Replacement market's a little slow as these windows tend to
last for
centuries......but we're ready!

Solder in the hobby section of your hardware store is also lead-free as are
many
other industrial applications.

The technology does exist to get lead out of electronics at life end - in
fact
we have a process to do it.  The economics depend very much on
circumstances
(efficiency of collection, stability of feedstock, metal content and value
etc.)

Alan Rae
Cookson Specialty & Industrial Materials

508 541 5843





Bill Gilman <[log in to unmask]> on 08/11/99 02:25:24 PM

To:   [log in to unmask]
cc:
Fax to:
Subject:  Re: [LF] Lead Usage in Electronics




Don't forget that as other industries reduce lead usage, electronics %
increases
even without growth of actual usage. :o
    -----Original Message-----
    From: Andy Mackie <[log in to unmask]>
    To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
    Date: Wednesday, August 11, 1999 2:09 PM
    Subject: [LF] Lead Usage in Electronics


    All right, folks: Where does this 2% usage of lead in electronics
figure
come
    from? How much is it slated to GROW over the next few years? What are
the
other
    major users of lead? I think that one of the problems with lead in
electronics
    is that it's so darned hard to get it out at end-of-life: unlike car
batteries,
    stained-glass windows, church roofs etc. [Hang on a minute...what's the
    Vatican's position on lead-free?].

    Andy

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