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Tin whiskers causing Boeing 787 problems?

Just read this statement from a Boeing engineer:

"Sinnett, the 787?s chief project engineer, said that in each of the power-panel incidents electrical arcing inside a circuit board ? ?a low energy arc that lasted milliseconds, very small? ? had damaged the board and shut down some of the plane?s electrical power.

He said the small spark inside the circuit boards produced no safety hazard, only a loss of function that was handled by the plane?s multiple, redundant power systems.

In January, Boeing had not yet found the root cause, but Sinnett said the problems had been traced to a batch of faulty circuit boards inside the power-distribution panels, which are located, like the batteries, inside an electronics bay.".

Faulty because they use lead-free solder and the Humiseal didn't stop the growth of the tin whiskers.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn
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The Aerospace industry is exempt from lead free solder for just this reason. Medical & Telcom are exempt, as well. That's because the Belgian bureaucrats knew it is crap and will cause failures.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Yes, that is true. We build several circuit boards for aviation oxygen systems using leaded solder.

However, both Boeing and EADS decided early on to use lead-free solder on their circuit boards. I attended a seminar in Beaverton, OR before the lead-free requirement went into effect. One session was sponsored by Boeing and a couple of their engineers and board builders told how they were using lead-free solder on boards for a new version of the 747, and it was company policy to use lead-free on all future airplane builds. Eads did the same and this is why they had so much trouble with the A380, etc.

At the time Boeing's problem wasn't tin whiskers, so much, it was mainly having the components pop off the circuit boards during the standard vibration tests.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn

Environmentally friendly. When the planes crash, no lead pollution.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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At the time Boeing's problem wasn't tin whiskers, so much, it was mainly having the components pop off the circuit boards during the standard vibration tests.

Paul

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

exactly.

Reply to
Cydrome Leader

It's for the children. No lead pollution.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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exactly.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Lead free solder is pure crap. It grows whiskers, it's brittle and it's weak.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Yabbut you can spread lead-free solder paste on your toast for breakfast and not get ill.

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

All true, but still 60%of our business and growing! The worst is the fumes from the flux needed to hand solder the through-hole components.

Paul

Reply to
Paul Drahn

I would much ather have ginger marmalade.

Reply to
grmiller

Not me. I gave up metal for breakfast. The flux would do more damage, anyway.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

We were exempt at my last job, building equipment for NASA. The only problem we had was the local fire department insisted on a vent fan near our solder pot, which made it difficult to maintain the proper temperature.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

And another poke in the eye to the anti-lead bunch

The methodology of the left has always been:

  1. Lie
  2. Repeat the lie as many times as possible
  3. Have as many people repeat the lie as often as possible
  4. Eventually, the uninformed believe the lie
  5. The lie will then be made into some form oflaw
  6. Then everyone must conform to the lie
Reply to
Gunner

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