|
|
 |
| Latest news from Rapid on the RoHS directive |
|
|
With less than 9 months to go before the RoHS directive is applied across the European electronics industry, Rapid has researched the subject and it is apparent that there will be no significant deviation from the existing time plan nor the directive´s contents. To assist you, we have researched and listed the salient points below:
- The directive is now likely to be translated into UK law in the autumn and will come into force as planned on the 1st July 2006.
- The substances to be banned are: Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Hexavalent Chromium and the PBB & PBDE families of flame retardents.
- The permitted maximum levels of concentration of banned substances have also been confirmed and are now added into the directive, these are 0.01% (by weight) in the case of Cadmium and 0.10% (by weight) for all of the other substances. (Note that this permitted concentration is applied across each individual “Homogenous” material, see below for a definition).
- For the purposes of the RoHS directive, a homogenous material is any single non-separable part that is used in the manufacture of equipment. For example a single core wire will comprise of a minimum of two materials, the metal wire itself and then the outer sheathing. (Note: any additional coatings that may be applied to the wire will also count as separate homogenous materials).
- In the case of a semi-conductor, this will contain at least 6 homogenous materials including: the lead frame, the lead frame coating, the die attach, the silicon chip, any bond wire and of course the plastic encapsulation.
- The banned substances can be found in a number of products, see table below for examples:
|
| Banned Material |
Where it can be found |
| Lead (0.10%) |
Solders, terminations and PCB coatings, glasses, electronic ceramics in both active and passive devices |
| Cadmium (0.01%) |
Electroplating, plastics, arcing contacts, sensors |
| Mercury (0.10%) |
Fluorescent lamps, switches, sensors, relays. |
| Hexavalent Chromium (0.10%) |
Coatings on metals, primers for coated metals, hard chrome, metallising plastics. |
| PBB and PBDE (0.10%) |
Flame retardants in a variety of plastics. |
|
- What is covered by the RoHS and WEEE directives?
The directives cover a wide range of electrical and electronic products with some exceptions.
Below we have listed details of the products and their categories:
|
|
- Large and small household appliances.
- IT and telecommunications equipment.
- Consumer equipment such as TVs, Videos and Hi-Fis.
- Lighting, electrical and electronic tools, (except large, stationary industrial tools).
- Toys, leisure and sport equipment.
- Automatic dispensers.
- Medical devices, (these are exempt from RoHS and the WEEE “re-use and recovery targets”).
- Monitoring and control instruments, (these are exempt from RoHS).
|
|
- Producers of electrical goods will need to be able to provide evidence that their products do not contain any of the listed hazardous materials above the permitted levels. The information should demonstrate “Due Diligence”, i.e. that all reasonable actions to confirm a component´s, or material´s conformance have been taken.
- Some products can be exempted from the directive, for example, large scale stationary industrial tools and specific applications of lead, mercury, Hexavalent chromium and Cadmium as set out in Schedule 2 of the regulations.
- It will be permitted to use non-compliant parts and materials in the repair of products put on the market prior to the July 1st 2006 date of RoHS implementation.
- The requirements of the directive will be enforced by the “National Weights and Measures Laboratory” who plan to provide a dedicated website by the autumn of 2005.
- The website links listed below will lead you to the directives and help you to get the latest information from the DTi and envirowise websites: www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/weee/index.htm www.envirowise.gov.uk
|
|
|
Home 
