Philips cooperates with leading suppliers and customers on a wide range of ‘green’ issues. Committed to environmental care, it was one of its factories that was the first in the world to receive ISO 14001 certification.
Its Eco Vision program and Eco-Design philosophy ensure that better products and more environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes lie ahead. And that includes both Pb- and halogen-free products.
Philips Semiconductors' has dubbed its own approach to environmental issues 'Profitable green'. It aims to reduce the environmental impact of its products while providing customers with leading-edge technology at the lowest possible cost.
In this article the company explains more about the 'lead-free' future.
The need to be lead-free
What is lead (Pb)?: Lead (or, in Latin; Plumbum, Pb) is a metal with a long application history. In fact, the word 'plumber' is derived from the Roman use of lead pipes for carrying water. However, when absorbed by the human body, lead is a cumulative poison detrimentally affecting health in several ways. In children, lead can impede brain development, making them particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning.
Throughout the electronics industry, the desire for Pb-free electronics is a hot topic. Customers and manufacturers alike are keen to ensure that new regulations in Europe, the US and Far East are complied with, sooner rather than later:
* In Europe, the EU directive on Restrictions on the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) includes a requirement to eliminate Pb in electronics, in all but special applications, by 1 July, 2006.
* In China, the government is working on bringing in similar legislation to the Europeans.
* In Japan, electronic waste and recycling laws oblige manufacturers to eliminate or recover their waste products containing Pb.
* In the United States, laws banning or restricting the use of Pb are coming for many products and there is an increasing demand for a total ban.
The electronics industry is now focused on Pb-free assembly processes and the issues concerning the higher temperatures needed for both reflow and wave Pb-free soldering. By investing heavily in research, Philips has developed cost-effective Pb-free manufacturing processes that guarantee the reliability of its components. Moreover, it is being proactive in also looking into solutions for devices where Pb is contained inside the package: replacing Pb-based solders in some multichip modules/SiPs with new glues, for example.
Is lead hazardous towards our environment? Today lead piping is obsolete and the largest use is in car batteries. Though these are small quantities, sheer volume of electronic consumer goods produced today means there is a risk of lead contaminating drinking water, plants and animals - for example, by acid rain filtering through landfill sites - and that is a concern to all of us.
Legislation: Formal guidelines have been introduced gradually over several years by various bodies, substantiating Philips' own drive to eliminate lead from electronic products. Two of the most recent and important directives - WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) - impose better control over waste management of electronic equipment. Of most relevance to component manufacture, the RoHS establishes phase-out dates for Pb - along with several other materials - from electronic products. This means that effective 1 July 2006, amounts of lead and the other named materials contained in electronic products must be below certain limits (unless exempt by special rule).
What is the definition of lead-free? Content less than 100 ppm Pb by weight (E3).
What is the definition of green/RoHS? The product complies to RoHS (Restriction of use of Hazardous Substances) legislation.
Do lead-free products have any impact on shelf life? No. Guaranteed shelf life remains the same as for current SnPb products.
Are Philips products lead-free? Although numerous products have been lead-free for a number of years, Philips is now ensuring all its products are converted to lead-free materials.
For more information contact Philips Semiconductors, +27 (0)11 471 6000.
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