James Sweet said:
Count me in, I despise lead-free solder, it just doesn't work worth a crap
compared to the standard stuff. Joints tend to be cloudy and blobby and
it's hard to make it flow well. Guess I better stock up.
Absolutely, James. I have written whole pieces in magazines about the
hateful stuff. Soldering on printed circuit boards was, until a couple of
years ago, a tried, tested, reliable and mature technology. Bad joints,
except in the ' traditional ' places, had become a rarity. Now, I see more
and more, often on huge surface mount ICs, where you would never have seen
them before. There are also issues with mixing leaded and lead free solders.
Most of the current wisdom states that a joint with mixed composition, is
potentially more unreliable, than either type on its own. I think that it is
absolute madness to make it law such that a board originally fabricated
using leaded technology, has to be repaired using unleaded, after June this
coming year.
I currently have an issue with a device that I use many hundreds of in the
course of doing a modification to a particular industrial board that I see
hundreds of a year. Over here in the UK, none of the suppliers who deal with
this component, can supply me in the numbers I require, unless I am prepared
to commit to them ordering in a year's supply for me. For a little guy like
me, who is at the mercy of the whims of the company that I do this work for,
this is not an option. So I found a company in the US who can supply me with
as many as I need, when I need them and, even allowing for exchange rates,
shipping and import tax, can still supply me them for 2/3 what I have to pay
here. It has worked great for the last year. Now, on enquiring, it seems
that in the US, the lead free version of this component, is not going to be
offered so, lead free rears its ugly head again, and shafts me on this very
good business.
I wouldn't mind so much if someone could demonstrate to me the need for the
change. Apparently, over 80% of the world's mined lead, goes to automotive
battery manufacture. This has been exempted because there is " no viable
alternative to this technology ". Instead, vigourous recycling mandates have
been put in place. Fair enough. However, only 2% of mined lead finds its way
into solder, and again, new recycling mandates for end of life electronic
equipment, have been put in place throughout ( supposedly ) the whole EU.
I'm pretty sure that millions of people are not being lead poisoned as a
result of there being leaded solder in the electronics that they interact
with, and if the stuff is going to be properly recycled at the end of the
equipment life, JUST WHAT IS THE ISSUE ???
I would say just how long is it going to be before 400 people get killed
through a 747 falling out of the sky as a result of bad joints, or how long
before people start dying in hospitals ( " Charge to 300 - CLEAR !! "
click... fizzz ... " Oh SH** - someone bang the side quick ! " ) but
interestingly, as a result of strong lobbying, the avionics and medical
instrument industries, seem to have succeeded in securing at least temporary
exemptions. Now ask yourselves, what exactly does this tell us about lead
free soldering ... ??
Perhaps we should start ' CALFS ' - C ampaign A gainst L ead F ree S older
I would be interested in hearing other peoples experiences and thoughts on
this subject, anywhere in the world, and particularly anyone directly
involved at production or bulk maintenance levels. Feel free to mail me
direct if you would prefer not to be ' public ' on the group.
Arfa
