-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueComing to Terms With AI
In this issue, we examine the profound effect artificial intelligence and machine learning are having on manufacturing and business processes. We follow technology, innovation, and money as automation becomes the new key indicator of growth in our industry.
Box Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
Halogen-free Guidelines, Databases, and Future Projects
December 31, 1969 |Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
By Scott O'Connell, Ruben Bergman, and Marshall Andrews, HDPUG
The High Density Packaging User Group International (HDPUG) has been evaluating halogen-free material properties and the feasibility of using them in electronic products since information about the first halogen-free materials was introduced some 12 years ago. HDPUG recognized the market need for halogen-free materials in electronic equipment and developed programs to assistant in this transition.
HDPUG took a major step in establishing information about the properties of halogen-free printed wiring board (PWB) materials through two projects run by Japanese members, beginning in 2002. The first project (2002) was focused on a comprehensive evaluation of available halogen-free printed wiring board (PWB) materials. The second project tested available materials (2005). Concurrently, there were three other design for the environment (DfE) projects underway within HDPUG that dealt with other aspects of halogen-free. Those projects revealed both problems and features of the materials studied. They also established a knowledge base which has been valuable for the halogen-free projects that followed. Reports from most of these projects are available on the HDPUG website, www.hdpug.org.
Drivers for a Transition to Halogen-free ElectronicsFlame-retarded plastics commonly are needed to meet strict fire safety codes for electronic equipment. Certain halogenated compounds (of which brominated flame retardants, or BFRs, are a subset) are used as flame retardants in a variety of applications including thermoplastics, insulation materials, component mold compounds, soldermasks, and PCB laminates. In addition, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a resin that contains the halogen element chlorine, is a commonly used base resin for certain cable jacketing. However, the market need has arisen for halogen-free materials due to concerns with these materials, particularly at end of life (EOL). For the electronics industry to continue its long-standing commitment to product stewardship, companies throughout the supply chain will need to understand which halogen-free alternatives are available, as well as the electrical, mechanical and environmental, and health and safety properties of these alternatives.
HDPUG Halogen-free Properties ProjectIn 2007, HDPUG initiated the Halogen-free Properties Project, led by Dell Inc., aimed at assembling a comprehensive halogen-free guideline and halogen-free materials database. The purpose of the project was to bring the collective knowledge of the industry together to understand the issues and current status of halogen-free in electronics products. The project did not take a position on the merits of halogen-free, but rather collected the data necessary for companies to make an informed decision based on their own business model. Twenty five of the leading electronics manufacturers and suppliers joined together and pooled their knowledge and experience to create the "Halogen-Free Guideline."
Halogen-free GuidelinesWhen member company representatives began discussing the issue of halogen-free, they discovered misconceptions and a significant lack of information on the availability and properties of halogen-free replacements for existing electronic components and materials. This lack of information and misunderstanding was potentially jeopardizing the successful development of halogen-free products by those companies who wished to move in that direction. The group decided to gather correct halogen-free information from the people making and using the components and materials, and share that information with each other and the industry. This project goal was the basis for developing the HDP "Halogen Free Guideline."
The Guideline provides a comprehensive overview of the regulatory and market drivers for halogen-free electronics, flame retardant chemistry, and detailed information on where halogens are used in the basic building blocks (circuit board laminates, mold compounds, cable resins, etc.) that combine to make complex electronic products. For each building block material, the Guideline also includes key information on halogen-free alternatives such as mechanical/electrical properties, processing & manufacturability changes, and supply chain availability and costs associated with alternative materials.
The guideline has 10 chapters, most of which cover specific electronic components, such as PWBs, cables, connectors, and mechanical plastics, as well as materials such as optical and thermoplastic films, tapes, and adhesives. The team made a concerted effort to include information on all of the types of products found in typical electronic equipment. Each chapter was written by an expert on the specific topic, and was reviewed extensively for accuracy and completeness by the rest of the team. Representing the collective efforts of the 25 companies that contributed to its development over a 15 month period, the HDPUG "Halogen Free Guideline" is a comprehensive collection of information on the status of halogen-free in the electronics industry today.
Halogen-free DatabaseA halogen-free materials database will be based on the Guideline, and will serve as a centralized database allowing suppliers to list their halogen-free product offerings and the properties of those offerings in a uniform, concise format that is easily accessible to product designers. The database will reside on the Internet, accessible to everyone. Increased awareness of this information will enhance supply chain adoption of halogen-free components, and allow users to quickly find the availability and properties of halogen-free components and products. It is anticipated that the "Halogen-free Materials Database" will be online by mid-2009.
Halogen-free in the FutureKnowing that halogen-free alternatives are available is important, but it is not sufficient. We must also determine that the components are reliable and that they work together in a final system environment. Several current HDPUG projects are evaluating the performance and reliability of halogen-free components and assemblies.
Halogen-free PWB Assemblies Project, chaired by ITRI in Taiwan, is building and conducting environmental evaluations of halogen-free computer motherboard test vehicles.
The Halogen-free Notebook PWB Assemblies Project, chaired by Dell/Wistron, is building halogen-free notebook computers and testing them to board- and system-level reliability specifications.
BFR/PVC-free Cables & Wires Project, chaired by Dell, is evaluating cables manufactured using BFR-, PVC-, and phthalate-free materials.
ConclusionEnvironmental performance will continue to be an important issue to the electronics manufacturing industry, and, driven by the membership, HDPUG will continue to be in the forefront of evaluating and understanding the alternatives. The Halogen-free Guideline publication provides insight and timely information to the industry.
Scott O'Connell of Dell and Ruben Bergman and Marshall Andrews of HDPUG contributed the information for this article. Formed in 1996, the High Density Packaging User Group International (HDPUG) is a non-profit organization of over 30 of the major companies in the electronics industry that work together and share resources for addressing technical issues facing electronics manufacturing. Technical projects are proposed, defined, and implemented by the member companies, while being facilitated and supported by the HDPUG staff. Results of the projects are owned by the members, and are occasionally shared with the industry. For more information, visit www.hdpug.org.