Abstract:

In some industries, such as oil & gas, chemical, and metals & mining, there are a variety of harsh operating conditions that the products are subject to over life times ranging over 10 years. In addition, the risks of failure are extremely high. For example, the Emerson DVC6215 remote mount sensor, has operating requirements from -52 degree C to 120 degree C (which may get extended to -60 degree C in the future), very high rates of temperature change during manufacture, require Battelle 3G or 3X environments in testing, along with combined vibration testing up to 50G's and temperature extremes. Since industrial products are designed for use in specific industries (with their specialized operating conditions), there is no standardized set of operating conditions for industrial grade products. As a result, such products have been exempt from the restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) lead-free requirements. However, this regulation is soon to change. This paper discusses the changes, the risks and candidate plans for a transition to lead-free in safety and reliability critical products.