Industry News

What is Tyvek®?

by David K. on February 24, 2012

While traveling recently, I happened to pass a construction site along my local highway. Glancing over I read “Tyvek®” emblazoned across the white paper covering its walls, which struck me as odd because the day before I was looking at some of the Tyvek® lab coats that we carry at All-Spec. I never realized that the same material that can be used for protective lab clothing could be used for construction work, so I thought I would look into what makes this material so versatile.

Tyvek® is a trademark of Dupont™, the company that created and currently manufactures it. They produce a wide array of products from this material, from the aforementioned lab coats and building wrap to envelopes and vehicle covers.

Tyvek® is produced by bonding Olefin into a paper or fabric-like product. Olefin is made from polyethylene and when bonded into Tyvek® it becomes very strong. Depending on the manufacturing process, Tyvek® can be hard and paper-like or soft and fabric-like, which is one of the reasons it is used in so many places. All Tyvek® is durable and lightweight, making it extremely reliable.

Probably the most important quality of Tyvek® is that it resists both water and air, but allows moisture vapor to move through it. This is why it is used for building wrap, as it keeps water from hurting the structure and insulates against wind while allowing vapors to pass through. Similarly, it works well for lab coats as it protects the wearer from spills, but it is still a comfortable and breathable material. Tyvek® can also be used as packaging for desiccants, providing a tough, tear resistant outer coating that allows vapors to pass through and be absorbed.

Tyvek® shares many qualities with paper and fabric, but it is actually considered a plastic. Because of this, it can be recycled, though it is not as simple as dropping it into a recycling bin and sending it on its way. To make things as easy as possible, DuPont™ and Waste Management have a recycling program where you can purchase kits, allowing you to mail your used Tyvek® in to be recycled.

For more technical details you can check out Dupont’s website on Tyvek®. Are there any materials that you see in your products that you want to know more about? Let us know in the comments and we will look into any questions you have!

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Lead-Free Soldering Tips and Tricks

by David K. on February 10, 2012

As the soldering industry grows and matures, more emphasis is being placed on green processes and technology. This emphasis is coming both from governmental regulations like RoHS and personal convictions to save the planet. However, it can be a struggle to find environmentally friendly alternatives to industry standards, such as leaded solder. Even when we do find a suitable replacement, the difference between the new and the old can’t be overlooked. Proper knowledge and training is needed to get past the challenges that new environmentally friendly technologies pose, and to ensure the new methods meet the standards of the old.

In the electronics industry many are finding problems with lead-free soldering. Many see lead-free solder as hard to use and think the quality is subpar when compared to leaded solder. There are many issues that may not be taken into account, and there are things you can do to increase the effectiveness of lead-free soldering. By following these tips, you can increase the quality of your soldering joints as well as the life of your soldering tips.

Make sure your soldering iron can handle the requirements of the lead-free solder

The melting point of lead-free solder is typically 70-110°F higher than leaded solder. The typical response is to increase your soldering iron temperature. However, a good soldering iron with accurate temperature control and good thermal recovery can solder lead-free solder and leaded solder without the need to increase the temperature. Using a higher temperature will burn through soldering tips faster and potentially damage your PCB’s. Using the same temperature demands a longer dwell time to heat the solder to its melting point which can also potentially damage your PCB’s.

Take your time and do not increase pressure to force solder to melt and flow

Lead-free soldering can take longer to flow due to its higher melting point, so it is important to be patient. If you try to move too fast can lead to a weak or insufficient solder joint that requires reworking. If you press your tip against a joint too hard then it can damage your soldering tip/iron and the PCB or the component/wires you are soldering. Also, increased pressure doesn’t decrease the dwell time.

Be prepared for lead-free solder joints to look different than leaded joints

When soldering with lead, the joints are typically shiny and smooth. However, lead-free solder joints can look dull in comparison. This is normal, so you do not necessarily need to rework your lead-free joints if they are dull.

Keep your solder tip clean and coated with solder

Due to the high temperature of lead-free soldering, tips will tend to wear out faster. Higher temperatures lead to faster rates of oxidation, which can eat through the iron coating of solder tips. By properly cleaning and preparing your soldering tips, you can ensure the longest tip life possible.

For more information you can check out the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Life-Cycle Assessment on lead-free soldering. There is also an interesting article about some of the challenges of lead-free solder on Hakko’s site.

Have you tried lead-free soldering? Tell us in the comments below why you like or dislike lead-free soldering and if you have any tips of your own to share with us!

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ESD Standards: An Annual Progress Report by The ESD Association

by Guest on February 8, 2012

(Special thanks to the ESD Association for sending us this article, originally posted in the IN Compliance magazine December 2011 issue)

Industry standards play a major role in providing meaningful metrics and common procedures that allow various manufacturers, customers, and suppliers to communicate from facility to facility around the world. Standards are increasingly important in our global economy. In manufacturing, uniform quality requirements and testing procedures are necessary to make sure that all involved parties are speaking the same language. In ESD device protection, standard methods have been developed for component ESD test models to measure a component’s sensitivity to electrostatic discharge from various sources. In ESD control programs, standard test methods for product qualification and periodic evaluation of wrist straps, garments, ionizers, worksurfaces, grounding, flooring, shoes, static dissipative planar materials, shielding bags, packaging, electrical soldering/desoldering hand tools, and flooring/footwear systems have been developed to ensure uniformity around the world.

For more on the ESDA’s annual progress report, plus a listing of current ESDA standards committee documents, click here.

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Vendor News Roundup-February 2012

by Jenn A. on February 3, 2012

We’d like to take time to acknowledge some of our vendors who have exciting company news.

Channellock made the cover of Vendor Partner Magazine (published by the North America Retail Hardware Association)

O.C. White has been nominated for a 2012 Edison Award for their Green-Lite Magnifiers. What sets them apart from the rest is their energy efficiency along with their high output. These magnifiers are also ESD-Safe.

The Edison Awards are recognized across the country as America’s innovation awards named after Thomas Edison himself. Finalists for the awards will be announced on February 11, 2012 and winners will be announced at the presentation reception and gala on April 26, 2012.

Lista has launched a new corporate website

Lindstrom is featured on the inside of the February/March edition of Beadwork Magazine for their EX pliers.

Congrats and keep up the great work!

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An Introduction to the SEC Conflict Minerals Regulation

by David K. on January 24, 2012

While the environmental impact of producing electronic devices is a growing concern, there are many other problems with our current production methods. It can be hard to figure out the origins of electronic devices and how they are produced. One thing that is certain is that the mining and production of some of the minerals commonly found in electronics are used to fund conflicts in areas such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Due to this, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is creating regulations that require companies to know and disclose, where their supplies come from so that manufacturers can purchase minerals from mines that do not fund violent conflicts.

The major requirement of the SEC’s conflict mineral regulation is that any companies that make products that contain conflict minerals should have their supply chain audited. This audit should look at the chain of custody of the minerals to certify that they are not being used to fuel armed conflict in the DRC or any of the surrounding areas. Each company that follows these regulations must show that they are doing their due diligence to ensure that the minerals in their products are free of any ties to armed conflict.

Currently the regulations are still taking shape, so the requirements are morphing as various groups try to find the best balance of cost and benefits. In a set of proposed rules from the SEC in December 2010 the minerals to be regulated are cassiterite, columbite-tantalite, gold, wolframite, as well as their derivatives and any other minerals funding conflicts, as determined by the Secretary of State. A notable derivative of cassiterite is tin, so any product that uses tin alloys, plating, or solders would be contained in this regulation.

While this regulation may seem straightforward to some, it would be a very large undertaking. Many companies are not set up to provide this chain of custody, especially larger companies that get their minerals from many different sources. This regulation could also have far reaching implications even outside of the electronics industry, as it covers minerals used in various industries. A wide array of companies will have to look into their supply chain as some of these minerals may be used in food packaging, jewelry, computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, jet engines, and many other products.

Even with the high cost of this regulation, the benefits could be great. Progress has been reported through a letter from the United Nations Security Council, showing that the preliminary regulations that are in place have hurt the financing of armed groups in the DRC area. While this will by no means dismantle these forces or stop conflict, it will certainly help slow their growth and continue to undermine their operations. It will also allow consumers to purchase products knowing that their money is not being used to fund armed groups that commit atrocities against the people in their area.

For more information on this regulation you can go to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website as well as review information gathered by a committee established by the UN to look into conflicts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Read Part 1 on RoHS here.

Read Part 2 on WEEE here.

Read Part 3 on REACH here.

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