Wesley BCT-6200-6SA - Manual (Page 89)

Curtis 1243
GEN
2 Manual, Rev. B A-5
APPENDIX A: EMC & ESD DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS APPENDIX B: WEEE / RoHS
B-2
is prohibited. Generally, the schemes require collection and recycling of a broad
range of EEE products. Certain Curtis products fall within the scope of the direc-
tive and the implemented member state regulations. Affected Curtis products that
have reached end-of-life must not be disposed as general waste, but instead, put
into the collection and recycling system provided in the relevant jurisdiction.
RoHS
For several years now, Curtis has been implementing a rigorous program with the
aim of achieving full compliance with the Restrictions on the use of Hazardous
Substances (RoHS) Directive, 2002/95/EC.
Curtis has taken all available steps to eliminate the use of the six restricted
hazardous substances listed in the directive wherever possible. As a result of the
Curtis RoHS program, many of our instrumentation product lines are now fully
RoHS compliant.
However, Curtis’s electronic motor speed controller products are safety-critical
devices, switching very large currents and designed for use in extreme environmental
conditions. For these product lines, we have successfully eliminated five out of the
six restricted hazardous substances. The single remaining issue preventing full RoHS
compliance is the unsuitability of the lead-free solders available to date, due to
the well-documented issues such as tin whiskers, and premature failure (compared
with leaded solder) due to shock, vibration, and thermal cycling.
Curtis is closely monitoring all RoHS developments globally, and in par-
ticular is following the automotive industry’s attempts to introduce lead-free solder
as a result of the End of Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive, 2003/53/EC. To date, the
automotive industry has rejected all lead-free solder pastes due to a significant
reduction in reliability compared to leaded soldering.
Curtis firmly believes that the operating environments, safety requirements,
and reliability levels required of automotive electronics are directly analogous to
that of our speed controller products. As such, Curtis will not be switching to a
lead-free solder process until lead-free solder pastes and techniques are available
that meet the requirements of the RoHS study groups and ELV Automotive In-
dustry bodies. That is, when all known issues, including that of tin whiskers, are
satisfactorily resolved.
At this moment in time, all Curtis motor speed controllers used on industrial
vehicle applications are also regarded as exempt under EEE category 9 of the RoHS
directive 2002/95/EC. This means there is no requirement at this time for Curtis
control systems used on such equipment to comply with the directive. Curtis will
work closely with all key customers to ensure that whenever possible, we are in a
position to continue the supply of products should these exemptions expire.