When it comes to replacement parts, you don’t have to worry about using lead-free components because the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) segment is exempt, right?

However, the components industry is going through such a massive switch to lead-free parts, you may find that the replacement part for your refrigerator is lead-free, even though it doesn’t have to be.

And soon, if you want that non-compliant leaded version - because you’re in the defence industry and don’t trust lead-free parts - it may cost you more than the new lead-free part. So even though MRO components are exempt, they are certainly not unaffected by the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations.

“When it comes to products that are already built - like a refrigerator or a laptop, everything that goes into the product is grandfathered in,” explained Jeff Shafer, senior v-p of products at Newark InOne, a large MRO parts distributor. “They can use a non-compliant part for repairs.”

There is no limit on how long non-compliant parts can be used for products produced before the RoHS deadline of July 1, 2006, he continued. “There is no end to the grandfathering, plus there will be some products that don’t have to be compliant even after the July 2006 deadline. You have industries such as automotive and the military that are exempt. A radio going into a Toyota is exempt, so repair parts are also exempt.”

There will come a time when those parts will be produced in lead-free versions, even though they’re exempt. And the leaded version - if it still gets produced at all - will probably be sold at a higher cost because it will be produced in smaller lots. “As suppliers make the conversion from compliant to non-compliant parts, some will sell their non-compliant parts at a premium,” Shafer said.

He noted that if manufacturers make their lead-free parts backward compatible, it may not make a big difference whether the part is lead-free or not. “If the manufacturer says the parts are backward compatible, why should they continue to produce the non-compliant version?”

At least one organisation, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), is preparing to make moves to make sure exempt parts will continue to be produced beyond the RoHS deadline. The industry group has formed the iNEMI High-Reliability Task Force which is calling for continued availability for tin/lead-compatible components for exempted products.

The group is concerned that those in the exempt areas of electronics, from MRO to the military, will not be able to find non-compliant parts. The task force was formed when industry executives began to discover that many suppliers have decided to move their production entirely to lead-free components. Many MRO and military customers want the original leaded version of the product.

“Many telecom, server, monitoring and control instruments have a field life to 10 to 25 years and are high-end systems that customers will want to repair rather than replace,” said Joe Smetana, principle engineer, advanced technology. Smetana is also the chair of iNEMI’s Tin Whisker User Group.

“Companies that manufacture high-reliability long-service-life systems must be assured of the availability of components that are compatible with tin-lead assembly, not only to provide continued quality and performance in new products, but also to maintain products already in use.”

www.inemi.org