Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: microstepping drivers

Mark Vaughan wrote:

> There’s so much interpretation it’s unbelievable.
>
> I arranged a visit by DTI officers before weights and measures were put in
> charge in the UK, and I eventually received a written response from the DTI,
> together with their disclaimer, but something written from Gov’t helps my
> due diligence, and their decisions and conclusions would not have been mine.
> The really silly bit is after it, I was offered the job to be a Rohs
> consultant for them, which would have totally sent it scatty.
>
> It is supposed to be the same in all countries in the EU.
>
> I know one firm that manufactures laboratory equipment for hospitals and
> labs (Not test kit). If sold to industry the kit is exempt, but if a member
> of the public buy’s it to use in their home lab, the supplier has broken the
> law.
>
> Another firm make boilers. They have been told they can stockpile parts and
> spent two years before the ban flat out making control boards. You cannot
> stockpile parts, BUT if the device being sold derives most of it’s energy
> from a source other than electricity then it is exempt. I would apply this
> to a gas or oil fired boiler.
>
> Have you found a specific written exclusion for PLC’s. The only one I can
> find is control kit exemption till 2008
>
> I do a lot of boat electrics, steering controls for large vessels, and it
> does appear as you have said this area is exempt.
>
> Cars are an odd issue. For cars lead is controlled on the end of life
> directive which gives a restriction on total lead content in cars. The
> manufacturers thought this was easy because the car was so heavy when
> compared with the weight of the electronics. BUT no body realised how much
> lead there is in recycled steel. Last year every car produced broke the
> legislation, and the EU agreed not to prosecute if the manufacturers worked
> on a solution, but there isn’t enough virgin steel available to correct
> this, so the EU has had to adjust the level.
>
> I also manufacture agricultural electronic controls, the EU have totally
> passed this by.
>
> All I know is I spent over £40K last year just on man hours for the RoHs
> issue, and if the EU are going to keep adding this sort of legislation many
> many companies are not going to survive. Strangely though if you want lead
> free from China, most manuf. are well ahead of the EU, so this legislation
> will do more harm to the EU, where companies kept small by over taxation
> just cannot keep up.
>
> All EU ministers (come to that all ministers) should have an internet
> linked, CNC controlled noose, and when we get p*ss*d off with them, we push
> a button on a web page and vote to let them know. I propose this should be
> EU law.

Seconded :)
Just been discussion replacing computers on a site. If I refurbish them I can
use what ever I want inside, but it would be cheaper just to scrap the lot and
put in new machines - which the Chinese will supply RoHS compliant. Except I
now have to dispose of the old ones and cover the cost of that as well. So we
are going to fit new motherboards, add a second hard disk and only have the
old motherboard to dispose off - which will be stored to provide spares for
other sites ;)

--
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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