Teddington launches lead phase-out in line with RoHS directive

Citation

(2004), "Teddington launches lead phase-out in line with RoHS directive", Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, Vol. 16 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/ssmt.2004.21916cab.005

Teddington launches lead phase-out in line with RoHS directive

Teddington launches lead phase-out in line with RoHS directive

Keywords: Lead-free soldering

In line with regulations to phase out lead in electronic equipment by 1 July 2006, as proposed by the European Commission, Teddington Controls, a leading UK engineering company specialising in commercial and industrial electronics, has launched an aggressive drive for lead-free soldering.

Since the RoHS (Restriction of use of Certain Hazardous Substances) directive was published on 13 February 2003, concern on how to safely administer the growing quantity of waste electronics has led to the supply chain seeking new alternatives, such as increased processing temperatures and materials compatibility. Teddington Controls Ltd is currently making the transition towards lead-free electronics with the introduction of new machinery and process alterations.

The company already offers both tin-leaded and lead-free soldering solutions, which are processed separately. The dual offering comes as a result of Teddington’s recent assets acquisitions from Concentric Controls and Duchy Contractors, generating additional machinery and equipment.

Teddington’s migration towards lead-free subcontract manufacture involves three major stages. Firstly, the company has employed new machinery and processing equipment to meet the needs of the new drive. The company will then concentrate all efforts on changing the process flow of alternative materials. This measure involves two main phases, the re-flow of soldering and flow soldering. Lastly, lead-free components will need to be sourced to complete the manufacturing process and result in the finished lead-free products. At present, most products have a tin-lead finish, of which 37 per cent is lead.

These initial efforts will include investigating effects in terms of bills of materials, manufacturing infrastructure, system reliability and developed appropriate solutions. The company will place strategic efforts on the selection process of plating options, inventory storage and storage environment.

Teddington’s electronics division manager, Graham Tonkin, said: “In line with the recent major accomplishments in our energy-efficiency projects, we are very pleased to be one of the first in the industry to place such considerable efforts on keeping abreast of government requirements”.

Management at Teddington understand the scale of the task and recognise the importance of getting systems into place promptly. Under Graham’s supervision, the project should be ready to unfold by Christmas.

Teddington has earned a reputation for adhering to industry regulations and quality standards, which is why production conforms with continuously reviewed high-assurance standards to ensure compliance with BS EN ISO 9001:2000.