The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, a European project intended to decrease the environmental impact on electronic or electrical products in the waste stream and improve the recyclability of waste.
Its initiative is to create electronic and electrical products that are sold in Europe to free of hazardous substances as of July 1, 2006.
This means all companies that manufacture, import or rebrand electronic equipment destined for Europe must ensure their products comply with RoHS guidelines.
Some manufacturers may find complying with RoHS costly and complex, but it will ultimately help them in the long run since there certain US states are passing their own ROHS regulations such as SB20 and SB40 in California.
The Waste and Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, the catalyst behind RoHS, requires those who produce electronic equipment to take on the responsibility of recycling and/or recovering their products.
Overview of the RoHS Directive and Its Requirements Sometimes confused with the movement for "lead-free" electronic production, the RoHS command focuses on six substances.
Lead, a vital issue, and five other substances covered by the directive.
The others include Hexavalent Chromium, Cadmium, Mercury, PBBs and PBDEs.
Banned/Restricted Substance Use/Where Found in Electronics •Yellow pigments, phosphorescent coatings, paints, cadmium batteries, plastic additives, especially PVC and LEDs/detectors/devices.
•Lamps, lighting/bulbs (scanners, displays, projectors), pigments, Mercury Switches, paints and polyurethane materials (high gloss windows) •Alloys, Hexavalent Chromium Metal finishes for deterioration protection- Chasses fastener- aluminum conversion coatings •Flame retardants such as cables, housings, plastics, connectors and paints, (PBBs) Polybrominated Byphenyls •(PBDE) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers •PVC cables- UV/heat stabilizers, chasses, washers, metal parts- Lead solder and interconnect paints, pigments, batteries, discrete components, sealing glasses, CRT glass, and piezoelectric devices Who Must Comply and What Products Does It Cover? RoHS regulations include a wide class of products, including toys, sports, leisure, medical equipment, monitoring and control instruments, electrical/electronic instruments and IT/Telecom and consumer equipment.
Producers may need to make changes to product design stipulations and command different production processes for the subassemblies and components they use in their products.
The burden to comply lies with the producers, so they must direct the actions of PCB fabrication, materials, assembly, component and other supplies to make sure everything contributes properly to end-product compliance.
Product Exceptions Production exceptions include industrial tools, medical equipment and replacement parts.
Producers can supply "original equipment" or non-conforming replacement parts to repair a product sold into the market before the RoHS took effect.
However, they cannot use non-conforming replacement parts to repair conforming parts.
Typical Producer Compliance Sequence Producers must revisit all existing product designs and specifications and take the necessary steps to bring the products into compliance.
Meanwhile, you may prepare specifications for new products early in the product development stage to ensure they comply with RoHS.
This process may take weeks or months of work.
The Impact on PCBs Even though lead stands among the six substances restricted, it is a main concern in Printed Circuit Board assembly.
To comply with RoHS, PCBs need to make the transition to lead-free solders materials.
Other materials used in PCBs will require replacement to comply with RoHS.
For many years the electronic industries have used tin/lead solder to join the components to the printed circuit boards.
The board fabricators have also used tin/lead solders as a surface finish to protect the copper from corrosion.
The 63/37 tin lead ratio of solder fit well within the assembly thermal parameters and the physical limitations of the base materials.
RoHS requirements have changed the rules! With the new directive, tin lead solders are not allowed and therefore major changes are required in the printed circuit board fabrication and assembly arenas to adapt to this.
Companies have addressed these concerns in a manner that is beneficial to both the assembler and the end user of the printed circuit boards that we manufacture.
Our lead free boards are made with laminate that have a higher Td (decomposition temperature) to withstand the increased temperature and dwell times required during assembly.
The plating finishes that we can offer are also RoHS compatible.
Currently the most commonly used lead free material is Isola IS410 and the lead-free finishes like immersion gold, immersion silver, immersion white tin or Lead free HASL (using SN100CL lead free solder from Florida CirTech).
Its initiative is to create electronic and electrical products that are sold in Europe to free of hazardous substances as of July 1, 2006.
This means all companies that manufacture, import or rebrand electronic equipment destined for Europe must ensure their products comply with RoHS guidelines.
Some manufacturers may find complying with RoHS costly and complex, but it will ultimately help them in the long run since there certain US states are passing their own ROHS regulations such as SB20 and SB40 in California.
The Waste and Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, the catalyst behind RoHS, requires those who produce electronic equipment to take on the responsibility of recycling and/or recovering their products.
Overview of the RoHS Directive and Its Requirements Sometimes confused with the movement for "lead-free" electronic production, the RoHS command focuses on six substances.
Lead, a vital issue, and five other substances covered by the directive.
The others include Hexavalent Chromium, Cadmium, Mercury, PBBs and PBDEs.
Banned/Restricted Substance Use/Where Found in Electronics •Yellow pigments, phosphorescent coatings, paints, cadmium batteries, plastic additives, especially PVC and LEDs/detectors/devices.
•Lamps, lighting/bulbs (scanners, displays, projectors), pigments, Mercury Switches, paints and polyurethane materials (high gloss windows) •Alloys, Hexavalent Chromium Metal finishes for deterioration protection- Chasses fastener- aluminum conversion coatings •Flame retardants such as cables, housings, plastics, connectors and paints, (PBBs) Polybrominated Byphenyls •(PBDE) Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers •PVC cables- UV/heat stabilizers, chasses, washers, metal parts- Lead solder and interconnect paints, pigments, batteries, discrete components, sealing glasses, CRT glass, and piezoelectric devices Who Must Comply and What Products Does It Cover? RoHS regulations include a wide class of products, including toys, sports, leisure, medical equipment, monitoring and control instruments, electrical/electronic instruments and IT/Telecom and consumer equipment.
Producers may need to make changes to product design stipulations and command different production processes for the subassemblies and components they use in their products.
The burden to comply lies with the producers, so they must direct the actions of PCB fabrication, materials, assembly, component and other supplies to make sure everything contributes properly to end-product compliance.
Product Exceptions Production exceptions include industrial tools, medical equipment and replacement parts.
Producers can supply "original equipment" or non-conforming replacement parts to repair a product sold into the market before the RoHS took effect.
However, they cannot use non-conforming replacement parts to repair conforming parts.
Typical Producer Compliance Sequence Producers must revisit all existing product designs and specifications and take the necessary steps to bring the products into compliance.
Meanwhile, you may prepare specifications for new products early in the product development stage to ensure they comply with RoHS.
This process may take weeks or months of work.
The Impact on PCBs Even though lead stands among the six substances restricted, it is a main concern in Printed Circuit Board assembly.
To comply with RoHS, PCBs need to make the transition to lead-free solders materials.
Other materials used in PCBs will require replacement to comply with RoHS.
For many years the electronic industries have used tin/lead solder to join the components to the printed circuit boards.
The board fabricators have also used tin/lead solders as a surface finish to protect the copper from corrosion.
The 63/37 tin lead ratio of solder fit well within the assembly thermal parameters and the physical limitations of the base materials.
RoHS requirements have changed the rules! With the new directive, tin lead solders are not allowed and therefore major changes are required in the printed circuit board fabrication and assembly arenas to adapt to this.
Companies have addressed these concerns in a manner that is beneficial to both the assembler and the end user of the printed circuit boards that we manufacture.
Our lead free boards are made with laminate that have a higher Td (decomposition temperature) to withstand the increased temperature and dwell times required during assembly.
The plating finishes that we can offer are also RoHS compatible.
Currently the most commonly used lead free material is Isola IS410 and the lead-free finishes like immersion gold, immersion silver, immersion white tin or Lead free HASL (using SN100CL lead free solder from Florida CirTech).
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