At 07:28 AM 5/1/2006, Lyle Johnson wrote:
> I assume you're talking about RoHS, which bans lead (except in
certain
> very narrow situations, not applicable here) in electronics.
>
> I don't know much about how Gerald makes the boards for the SDR1000, but I
> wouldn't think that changing to no-lead solder is a big issue...
Actually, it is a big issue.
Turns out that no-lead solder manufacturing processes require more heat,
and normal FR-4 PCBs tend to delaminate, so you must use
high-temperature fiberglass. This is available, just more expensive --
20% to 50% higher cost per board.
I have heard that it depends a lot on what approach you're taking to
RoHS. You can spend more on low melting solder alloys and keep the board
the same (important for things where, for instance, the dielectric
properties of the board are important), or, you can use the high melting
point solders, and redesign the board.
In some devices, the board itself isn't a big fraction of the cost of the
total bill of materials, so even if the board cost 3 times as much, it's
not a huge driver of total manufacturing cost.
Fewer facilities are available to manufacture assemblies in a RoHS
compliant way, and willing to certify same, so those costs go up.
Yes... there is a "certification cost", but I expect that it will come down
fairly quickly, except for manufacturers aiming at huge volumes with
offshore production. Those folks haven't ever been particularly concerned
about paper trails and regulatory compliance anyway, just cranking out
those $15 DVD players.
In
the case of my DSPx, the quotes I have for the raw PCB cost are double
and the assembly costs will more than double what I am currently paying.
But what fraction of the total cost is that, compared to the component
cost, non-recurring-engineering, testing, shipping, support?
RoHS hits hard on small volume, thin margin (e.g. the low budget ham
widget, where the NRE is essentially free, low marketing costs, etc.).
The components used in the product must all be RoHS compliant.
Indeed.. but most manufacturers saw this coming, and actually, getting
non-RoHS parts is sometimes harder than RoHS. There are some anomalies,
though. Some popular parts are in short supply for RoHS compliant
versions. Tesla coilers use a lot of 2000V, 0.15 uF high current low esr
polypropylene capacitors, which are also used in other things.. the lead
time on RoHS parts is many weeks, but stock on the non RoHS ones... A year
from now, it will probably be reversed, as the manufacturers go to all RoHS.
And it isn't just about lead. There are six commonly used substances
that are banned or severely proscribed. Normal passivation processes
used for aluminum, for example, contain banned substances, so even the
case may be affected.
The passivation issue probably arises more from the waste stream (what
happens when you throw the passivated thing away):
http://europa.eu.int/comm/environment/waste/weee_index.htm is a related
rule, which covers the list
lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls,
polybrominated diphenyl ethers.
I have been given to understand that Cr6+ processes DO result in parts that
exceed the 0.1% limit, so that IS an issue.
73,
Lyle KK7P
In any case, it's not like RoHS has suddenly appeared. Most manufacturers
(and contract manufacturers), certainly those in the U.S. that have
customers selling overseas, have been thinking about this for quite a
while. There will be hiccups, prices will rise (a little) for some things,
but overall, I wouldn't expect Flex-radio to have any significant problems.
It's those zillions of little fab shops in the far east making a few
container loads of boards at a time to stuff into talking teddy bears that
will have trouble. (or, alternately, they'll just print up the
"certifications" they need, figuring that by the time someone bothers to
check, they'll have moved on to something else)
James Lux, P.E.
Spacecraft Radio Frequency Subsystems Group
Flight Communications Systems Section
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 161-213
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena CA 91109
tel: (818)354-2075
fax: (818)393-6875
