Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) is a European Union Directive that became effective 1 July 2006, that concerns the use of lead, cadmium, and other substances that are often an integral part of electrical and electronic components.
Empro is RoHS (Restrictions on Hazardous Substances) compliant only when requested by a customer. Requests for RoHS compliant product must be explicitly stated on the customer’s Purchase Order at this time.
Empro’s current RoHS compliance policy is due to the long-term quality concerns that we have regarding the durability and reliability of shunts made with Pb-free solders. Some of these concerns are as follows:
1: The normal life expectancy of a shunt is practically forever. Given that no long-term studies on RoHS-compliant solders exist as of yet, Empro is not confident Pb-free solder will give the 20+ years of trouble-free service life as is commonly expected from our product.
2: Joint embrittlement and other deterioration of Pb-free solder joints due to thermal aging is problematic. Shunts are exposed to a wide range of temperatures from below 0C to well above 120C, and may cause a resistance change and decrease in mechanical strength. Extreme thermal conditions can cause mechanical failure of the joint, which in turn will cause a change in resistance.
3: In testing Pb-free solders, flow properties are poor compared to conventional solders used in electronic manufacturing. In Type F and WT style shunts, solder needs to flow up to 10 inches with correct wicking properties. Bad solder joints could cause a premature failure, and change in resistance in the field.
4: In testing and manufacturing components using Pb-free solders, voids are appearing in solder joints, decreasing the joint’s mechanical strength.
5: In many cases Empro is not aware of the end-user’s application for a particular shunt. Shunts are purchased through distributors or 3rd party sub assemblers, and are used in military, aerospace, marine or other critical applications requiring high reliability. Shunts constructed using Pb solders have built a near-perfect reliability record for the past 100 years. This assumption of reliability for critical applications cannot be made at this time with shunts built using Pb-free solders.
6: In conjunction with item 5, the U.S. Department of the Air Force has issued an Airworthiness Advisory AA-05-01 concerning Lead-Free Solder. This advisory states that all Pb-free solders on the market have failed reliability testing required for aerospace equipment, and that “no lead-free solder has matched the qualities found within leaded solder".
If a customer requires a shunt to comply with RoHS, and high reliability is a priority, it is suggested that it be built with silver solder, which is a more labor and energy consuming manufacturing process.
All parts ordered to meet RoHS compliance will have an R appearing at the end of the part number. Example: A-300-50 R, HA-150-100 R, F-10000-50 R.
All parts ordered with Silver Solder will have an SS appearing at the end of the part number. Example:A-300-50 SS, HA-150-100 SS, F-10000-50 SS.
If you have any questions, please contact us 317-823-4478 from 8am to 4:00 pm ET or use our Contact page.
RoHS Statement In Microsoft Word Document FileRoHS Statement In Plain Text File