Wimpie said:
I am in the US so we don't have to deal with RoHS much. Probably they
would go after the one they could get. For a company that does not have
a subsidiary in Europe that might mean the distributor.
Don't forget one seriously motivated group: You competitors. If they
suspected that something wasn't ok they might quietly buy some of your
systems and run them through some lab tests, then report it if they find
something wrong.
Hello Joerg,
Yes you are right, competitors are an important group. I am working
as a designer/consultant for 7 years now and had 4 events where
competitors where involved.
I advised to change a design because of far to high near field H-field
strength for a low frequency RFID design. The client wouldn't do it
(they said "you with your regulations, we are doing this for years").
Almost one year later, a received a phone call from the client that
they received an unpleasant phone call from a competitor.
Other 2 cases had to deal with electrical safety (EN60950). I advised
a client to not use some components because of safety issues. My
client disputed my advise because of 2 major manufacturers did use the
same components, "so who are you to say we cannot use this
components!". My client contacted one of the major manufacturers and
discussed my statement. The major manufacturer is now changing his
design, because they admitted they were wrong.
Another case had to do with Variable Frequency Controllers (3 phase)
with 125 kHz RFID. They VFCs interfered with a circuit that I partly
designed. Fortunately I could solve it by adding bulky common mode
chokes and the VFC is still radiating... However, when more RFID units
will be installed, the VFC installer will probably has to install the
(costly) RFI filters (that he left out to be able to present a more
attractive quotation).
Although this are no ROHS issue, I am sure someone doesn't like to
miss turnover because of a competitor that is selling (cheaper) non-
ROHS compliant goods.
[/QUOTE]
Luckily my clients usually listen. Saves them lots of grief later,
mostly the kind you just described. Occasionally they go back to stuff I
had designed out like anodized aluminum which can be followed by an "oh
s..t!" experience when deploying such equipment near a transmitter.
For your information, Maarssen is 3 miles N of Utrecht (or about 22
miles SSE of Amsterdam). Although I do not advertise myself as an EMI
specialist only, I do solve EMI problems.
Thanks. Yes, I remember Utrecht as pretty much "the" relay point for
your railways. No matter where I went the journey inevitably touched
Utrecht or I had to change trains there.
I checked your site also, it is very difficult to resist clicking on
"analogconsultants" when being an analog minded person myself.
Not much of a web site yet but so far serves the purpose. Clients just
want a brief summary of what I do and did. But usually not even that
because by the time 50% of them call their situation has percolated to
emergency level, line stop or something like that. It's human, just like
most of us easily procrastinate on a dentist visit until something hurts.