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RIVERSIDE, Calif. – February 20, 2002 – Bourns, Inc., a leading manufacturer of electronic components and integrated solutions, today announced the expansion of the Multifuse® product line with the release of a range of lead-free Polymeric Positive Temperature Coefficient (PPTC) battery strap devices designed for the protection of all types of battery technologies.
In the past, battery strap products were manufactured using lead-based solder to attach the lead of the device to the PTC chip. Bourns’ Multifuse® product line has succeeded in replacing this solder with a lead-free product without affecting the overall performance or quality of the device. The resistance-temperature range of the new product is equivalent to that of Bourns’ previous product range.
“We are pleased to announce we can offer our customers a lead-free product that not only helps them meet environmental requirements, but offers them the lowest available resistance at a most competitive price,” said John Kelly, Battery Product Line Manager for the Multifuse® product line. “Achieving this voluntary reformulation demonstrates Bourns’ commitment to the global community.”
Recent worldwide environmental initiatives include drafted legislation directly affecting the solder, electronic component, and electronic assembly industries. For example, the recent European Commission proposal seeks to limit the use of hazardous materials to improve the ease of recycling, and outlines the targets set for electronic equipment re-use and recycling. In a similar initiative, the Japanese Ministry of Trade has drafted a recycling law that will require consumer and business users of electrical appliances to return end-of-life goods to retailers or local authorities for recycling. A key factor to this legislation will be the elimination of lead-based products. In the United States, there are a number of electronics recycling initiatives to consider. In addition, the EPA recently proposed a crackdown on lead emissions from plants, driving the industry toward lead free solder sooner than anticipated.
About Bourns, Inc.:
Bourns, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Trimming Potentiometers, Precision Potentiometers, Modular Contacts, Switches, Resistor/Capacitor Networks, and Analog Input Devices, including Panel Controls, Encoders and Point Stick Navigators. Bourns also sells Chip Resistors, Chip Arrays and Inductive Components. Meeting the circuit protection requirements of next-generation products, Bourns’ broad circuit protection offering includes an extensive line of PPTC Resettable Fuses, Thyristor-Based Overvoltage Protectors, and Line-feed Surge Networks. Bourns Communication Protection Product line includes Gas Discharge Tubes (GDT), Telephone Station Protectors, 5-Pin Protectors, Industrial Signal, Irrigation and Petroleum Protectors, CATV Coax Protectors, Signal Data Protectors, and the Indoor and Outdoor POTsplitters and Network Interface Devices (NID) product lines. Headquartered in Riverside, CA, Bourns serves a broad range of markets, including telecommunications, computer, industrial, instrumentation, automotive, consumer, medical, audio and various other market segments. Bourns’ products are manufactured according to ISO-9000 and QS-9000 standards under Six Sigma quality programs. For more information, contact Bourns’ corporate headquarters at 1200 Columbia Avenue, Riverside, Calif. 92507. Phone (909) 781-5500; Fax (909) 781-5006; URL: www.bourns.com.
Contact: Mike Bridges, Bourns, Inc.
mike.bridges@bourns.com |