Regulatory issues: Difference between revisions

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'''Very few consumers of music gear realize the complex, difficult, ever-changing nature of manufacture of music electronics. Simply putting a circuit-board in a box and offering it for sale is not a viable possibility in the 21st century, due to a lengthy list of factors evolving from government regulations. Not only do nearly all industrialized countries have regulations and court-case precedent covering electrical safety, the issues of RFI (radio-frequency interference) and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) must be considered. EMC is a major issue for any electronic device sold with a microprocessor inside. And the enactment of ROHS laws by the European Union in 2006 severely restricts the types of materials that a manufacturer can use in an electronic product.'''

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Lead does one thing for solder that is still poorly understood today: it helps prevent a bizarre effect called "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/03/research.engineering tin whiskering]". For some specialized applications, such as medical equipment or space-rated electronics, manufacturers will attempt to use a pure tin or tin-silver solder, to avoid the toxicity or other problems of lead. Whiskers can sometimes grow between electrical connections, shorting them out.

All well and fine--until 2006, when the EU promulgated the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive RoHS] regulation. ~~along~~ with banning cadmium plating, hexavalent chromium (also used to plate parts), and certain brominated chemicals that are used to make plastics more fire-resistant, it banned lead solder. Luckily there are a number of exemptions that any maker of modular synthesizers can take, thus avoiding RoHS problems when exporting to Europe. But the maker still has to include an RoHS exemption sheet with every shipment to an EU country. Companies that mass-produce consumer goods, like cellphones, personal computers, appliances and the like, have no recourse but to use lead-free solder.

All well and fine--until 2006, when the EU promulgated the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive RoHS] regulation. Along with banning cadmium plating, hexavalent chromium (also used to plate parts), and certain brominated chemicals that are used to make plastics more fire-resistant, it banned lead solder. Luckily there are a number of exemptions that any maker of modular synthesizers can take, thus avoiding RoHS problems when exporting to Europe. But the maker still has to include an RoHS exemption sheet with every shipment to an EU country. Companies that mass-produce consumer goods, like cellphones, personal computers, appliances and the like, have no recourse but to use lead-free solder.

There are attempts being made by legislators in other countries to outlaw the RoHS substances. The US Congress has considered it, though with no action to date. The State of California will probably outlaw lead solder soon, with other states likely to follow.

60-40 solder is still less costly than any of the more exotic solders being used, and although long-term reliability is still a subject of much argument, 60-40 solder has a proven reliability track record going back to the 1920s. It is not unusual to find an 80-year-old radio whose soldered joints are still solid, shiny, and functional. Since PCs and cellphones tend to be disposed of or die after two years or less, tin whiskering may not be an issue. Only the future will tell.

(E. Barbour, May 2011)

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 '''Very few consumers of music gear realize the complex, difficult, ever-changing nature of manufacture of music electronics. Simply putting a circuit-board in a box and offering it for sale is not a viable possibility in the 21st century, due to a lengthy list of factors evolving from government regulations. Not only do nearly all industrialized countries have regulations and court-case precedent covering electrical safety, the issues of RFI (radio-frequency interference) and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) must be considered. EMC is a major issue for any electronic device sold with a microprocessor inside. And the enactment of ROHS laws by the European Union in 2006 severely restricts the types of materials that a manufacturer can use in an electronic product.'''
@@ Line 48: / Line 49: @@
 Lead does one thing for solder that is still poorly understood today: it helps prevent a bizarre effect called "[http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/03/research.engineering tin whiskering]". For some specialized applications, such as medical equipment or space-rated electronics, manufacturers will attempt to use a pure tin or tin-silver solder, to avoid the toxicity or other problems of lead. Whiskers can sometimes grow between electrical connections, shorting them out.
-All well and fine--until 2006, when the EU promulgated the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive RoHS] regulation. along with banning cadmium plating, hexavalent chromium (also used to plate parts), and certain brominated chemicals that are used to make plastics more fire-resistant, it banned lead solder. Luckily there are a number of exemptions that any maker of modular synthesizers can take, thus avoiding RoHS problems when exporting to Europe. But the maker still has to include an RoHS exemption sheet with every shipment to an EU country. Companies that mass-produce consumer goods, like cellphones, personal computers, appliances and the like, have no recourse but to use lead-free solder.
+All well and fine--until 2006, when the EU promulgated the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Restriction_of_Hazardous_Substances_Directive RoHS] regulation. Along with banning cadmium plating, hexavalent chromium (also used to plate parts), and certain brominated chemicals that are used to make plastics more fire-resistant, it banned lead solder. Luckily there are a number of exemptions that any maker of modular synthesizers can take, thus avoiding RoHS problems when exporting to Europe. But the maker still has to include an RoHS exemption sheet with every shipment to an EU country. Companies that mass-produce consumer goods, like cellphones, personal computers, appliances and the like, have no recourse but to use lead-free solder.
 There are attempts being made by legislators in other countries to outlaw the RoHS substances. The US Congress has considered it, though with no action to date. The State of California will probably outlaw lead solder soon, with other states likely to follow.
 -40 solder is still less costly than any of the more exotic solders being used, and although long-term reliability is still a subject of much argument, 60-40 solder has a proven reliability track record going back to the 1920s. It is not unusual to find an 80-year-old radio whose soldered joints are still solid, shiny, and functional. Since PCs and cellphones tend to be disposed of or die after two years or less, tin whiskering may not be an issue. Only the future will tell.
+(E. Barbour, May 2011)

Regulatory issues: Difference between revisions

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