Seiko Instruments Inc. (Abbreviation: SII; President, COO & CFO: Yukihiko Chayama; Head Office: 1-8 Nakase, Mihama-ku, Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture; Tel: 043-211-1111) achieved its lead solder total abolition goal (*1), one of the most critical issues brought forth in SII environmental activities.
*1: SII definition of lead solder total abolition
Target: Products containing solder
Scope: All SII group companies and subcontractors, including overseas production sites
Definition of total abolition: A product output ratio of 95% or higher
(Product output ratio = No. of products produced with lead-free solder / Total number of products produced with solder)
SII launched its “Lead-Free Solder Promotion Project” in July 1999 and, along with the entire SII Group, has been actively engaged in the establishment of technologies geared toward the elimination of lead in the electrode terminals of electronic components and conversion to lead-free solder in circuit boards and electronic components.
By the end of December 2003, SII had already established a system for providing electrode terminal lead-free parts for all electronic components sold by SII, such as semiconductors, crystal oscillators and batteries.
SII progressed in earnest with lead-free solder conversion activities not only in its domestic production sites but in its overseas production sites as well. Utilizing the metals Sn-Ag-Cu (tin-silver-copper) as the main components of the lead-free solder material, SII established mounting technology which provides sufficient quality and reliability to the variegated products across SII’s extensive business scope. SII standardized this technology with the document “Lead-Free Mounting Related Guidelines” and, at the same time, proceeded to actively license the technology to subcontractors, achieving mass production with a portion of its products as early as August 2001. While the initial plan cited the end of 2003 as the target achievement date, SII faced difficulties in achieving the goal by the target date since the production efficiency rate of certain products could not be maintained on the mass production line even though the basic technology had been established. Recently, however, SII established the know-how required for maintaining production efficiency and achieved a product output efficiency rate of 96%, meeting the initial goal.
Although conversion to lead-free solder has not been implemented with certain models since the heat resistance of the purchased parts for certain industrial products which require high reliability is not ensured, SII will continue to make every effort to achieve conversion.
In addition to lead, SII will continue to accelerate chemical substance total abolition activities in an effort to achieve compliance with the RoHS Directive (*2) at an early date. At present, SII has put into effect a plan to eliminate all heavy metal content (lead, hexavalent chromium, cadmium and mercury) in new products to be sold as of January 2005, and is vigorously proceeding with a plan to complete existing products by the end of FY2005.
*2: RoHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive): A directive which became law in the European Union in February 2003. The directive prohibits use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB (Polybrominated byphenyls) and PBDE (Polybrominated diphenyl ethers) in electrical and electronic equipment sold to the EU market as of July 2006.
[Achievements]
Products with Lead-Free Solder: Product Examples
(1) Watches
Complete conversion to lead-free solder in core watch movements
(Elimination of lead in “mounting solder” and “component terminal metal plating”)
Date achieved: 10.01.2004
(2) Displays
Conversion to lead-free mounting solder in all models
Date achieved: 04.01.2004
(3) Compact Thermal Printers and Related Products
Conversion to lead-free mounting solder in core models
Date achieved: 07.01.2004
[Reference]
Lead Content in Solder
The amount of lead content in mounting solder in SII processes in September and October 2004 production reflected a reduction of 99.2% the monthly content of 2003. Similarly, the amount in subcontractor production reflected a reduction of 71.8%.
Contact Information
Seiko Instruments Inc.
Corporate Communications Dept.
Arai, Io
Fax:+81-43-211-8011
Corporate Environmental Administration Group
Mori, Tomita
Fax:+81-43-211-8019