...As EU environmental legislation concerning the collection and recycling of waste from electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) went into effect this past August, OEMs are looking into design changes including reducing the variety of plastics used in electrical and electronic products....

...The European Union’s Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive aims to recover 70% of e-waste, and places the financial responsibility of payment upon electronics producers. With WEEE slated to start on August 13, 2005, only a handful of EU states have ratified the laws, leading to producer and consumer confusion...

...The breadth of data required by the new Directive has led many companies to consider RFID tagging as the best means of documenting the entire life cycle of products. However, for this to be successful, waste treatment facilities must also "buy into" the technology and standardise on a particular tag type and tag frequency....

...OK International reckons it will set a new industry standard with the launch at Productronica 2005 of its MFR Series multifunction rework system....

...Enermet has been proactive in implementing the Directive in order to ensure compliant products for all customers thus protecting the environment...More detailed information about Enermet products affected by the Directive will be sent to customers in the near future....

...Choosing an environmental compliance solution is not always easy. But sometimes, it's as easy as contacting your product lifecycle management (PLM) solution provider, as was the case with Primax Electronics, a manufacturer of optical electronics and computer peripherals, in Taiwan....

...The latest amendment to the RoHS directive greatly expanded the exemptions list in the annex. But did it really have a big impact on the environment or on compliance activities?...

...The report claims that US and European manufacturers are dumping computers and other electrical goods in Africa under the guise of recycling or charity donations. The Nigerian Computer Dealers Business Association said as much as 75 percent of the imported used computer equipment is junk....

...We will use actual Intel case studies to show you the pitfalls and successes of Lead-free Implementation. We will also show you how you can resolve the business and technical issues (principles as well as practice) for an effective implementation of lead-free at lower cost and higher yield....

...Whether it is lead-free or RoHS, equipment vendors are being proactive with next-generation products because they consider demand for new equipment to be the best business opportunity in 30 years....

...About eight months before the Restriction of the use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law goes into effect, the European Union (EU) has not said what companies will have to do to show compliance to the directive. RoHS bans the use of lead and five other substances from being used in electronics equipment beginning in July 2006....

...At first glance, it would seem that the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law mainly affects OEMs whose brand name is listed on the equipment. However, the law is having a huge impact on electronics manufacturing services (EMS) providers who build systems for OEMs. EMS providers must work with suppliers to make sure their parts are RoHS compliant....

...The slowpokes are slowing down the entire shift to compliance with the upcoming environmental regulations for the electronics industry....

...More Exemptions!...Commission Decision 2005/747/EC of 21 October 2005 amending for the purposes of adapting to technical progress the Annex to Directive 2002/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (notified under document number C(2005) 4054)....

...IPFlex Inc. today announced it started shipping a lead-free version of its DAPDNA-2 Dynamically Reconfigurable Processor to addresses rapidly growing demand for lead-free products....

...Masstech EMS today announced a family of service offerings designed to help customers comply with changing environmental regulations. The firm's Lead Free Conversion Program helps OEMs prepare for and comply with the EU RoHS directive....

...Micro-Star International (MSI) will be giving a greater focus on producing environmentally safe products, even if it means higher cost of production. Announcing this strategy decision during a Media Tour, Vincent Lai, Director - Marketing Department, MSI said, "MSI was the first company in the world to come up with a RoHS compliant VGA Graphic Cards. This shows our concerns for environmental safety."...

...In addition, via the on-stand 'Lead-Free Kiosk', customers will be able to meet a number of OK International's lead-free process experts to help them resolve any hand soldering and rework application issues....

...Omnify Software, a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software for mid-market electronic, medical, mechanical, and defense OEMs, will be a featured speaker in a RoHS and WEEE seminar in Boston, MA...Tuesday, November 1, 2005 from 8:00 a.m. ET to 11:30 a.m. ET...

...Omnify Software, a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software for mid-market electronic, medical, mechanical, and defense OEMs, will be a featured speaker in a RoHS and WEEE seminar in Newark, NJ...Thursday, November 3, 2005 from 8:00 a.m. ET to 11:30 a.m. ET...

...Photonics firms are busy preparing for a suite of new environmental regulations drawn up by the European Commission. Oliver Graydon spoke to Kay Stegmann at Thorlabs about the directives and their consequences....

...Polyclad Laminates, Inc., a business of Cookson Electronics, has introduced GETEK HR high speed, low loss laminates and prepregs. The CAF resistant, lead-free assembly compatible materials deliver enhanced thermal performance and high reliability required by PWB assemblers and OEMs, while enabling PWB fabricators to experience substantially improved FR-4 processability....

...Thirteen countries have passed rules governing the disposal of electronic products...The breakdown of global electronic product disposal laws, country-by-country, is as follows:...

...Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance managers are thinking about content collection this Halloween. A spooky combination of general confusion, a lack of standards, and looming deadlines is creating the need for information. But how do you obtain detailed information from thousands of parts from suppliers across the world?...

...There has been much discussion in these columns about planning for RoHS compliance and the effects that changing to lead-free manufacture may have upon processes and equipment requirements....

...This post is a reminder that interested parties are invited to send their comments by 28 October 2005 (This Friday)...

...In the last 3 weeks I have given "Lead-Free" (Really WEEE/RoHS Compliant Assembly) workshops at Toronto, Salt Lake City, Manchester, NH, and Montreal. In addition, I have monitored the IPC's Leadfree Electronics Assembly Forum for some time. What trends do I see? Here they are:...

...If you are seeking an exemption from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, the European Union (EU) unfortunately offers no precise guidance or tidy procedures to follow, and no official will say an exemption is granted or denied. So how do you get an exemption? Build your case by getting others to agree and declare victory. Essentially that's the way it's done....

...Royal Philips Electronics has completed fabrication crossover for RoHS compliant/leadfree products, which comes into force July 1, 2006....

...Equipment and chip makers must change their mindsets and develop "design-for-environment" business practices to prepare for a new wave of green legislation affecting the global electronics industry, warned an official from Cisco Systems Inc....

...The channel is being urged to pay more attention to the Hazardous Waste Directive (HWD) after a UK reseller narrowly escaped a fine following a visit from Environment Agency (EA) enforcement officers....

...With lead-free soldering proving one of the biggest challenges currently facing the electronics industry, Farnell InOne has launched a new 'test and try' campaign to ensure electronics and electrical engineers are fully equipped to deal with the changes required by the EU Restriction of the use of Certain hazardous substances (RoHS) Directive....

...Interim results from a study funded by WRAP suggests it is commercially viable to separate and treat bromine from electrical waste rather than send the material for disposal....

...HENKEL has launched a lead-free solder paste offering outstanding resistance to humidity....

...Responding to the requirements of customers who are exempt from the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, AVX Corp. recently developed a tin-lead finish version of its conformally-coated tantalum radial leaded capacitor, which was initially introduced as the first lead-free component of its kind in January 2005....

...Indium Corporation will be exhibiting its Suite of Pb-Free Electronics Assembly Materials for WEEE and RoHS compliance at the Productronica show in Munich, Germany on November 15-18, 2006. Indium will be located in booth A3-550...

...A spin out from the University of Oxford is developing sensors based on aerial near-field effects that could be used to identify plastics in recycling plants....

...Ninety-five percent of Fairchild Semiconductor's products are RoHS compliant today, and all of the company's products will be fully compliant well ahead of the July, 2006 deadline. Fairchild's early compliance is a way to provide our customers more time to meet the RoHS directive....

...This website has reports and other information on the status of implementation, the coverage of the Directives and producer requirements and provides links to additional information resources....

...Cypress Semiconductor Corp. said it has shipped more than 200 million lead-free components that comply with the European Union’s Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) directive....

...In a Decision published on 15 October 2005[i], the EU has exempted Deca-BDE from the EU’s Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). This Decision follows an intensive review of all the available information and is the final step in the RoHS regulatory procedure for adopting exemptions....

...One of the biggest issues that passive components makers are addressing this year is the European Union's Restriction on the Use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive that bans the use of six substances including lead. The biggest challenge, they say, is transitioning their customers over to lead-free products. They also believe there could be an inventory imbalance between lead-containing and lead-free components as customers make the transition to lead-free manufacturing....

..."It's a very expensive and painful process," Harvey said. "This one is much more complex than anything else I have ever had to deal with, including military compliance programs."...

...I read with dismay this week, an advertisement in an electronic assembly trade journal touting a "drop in" solder paste. The solder paste uses a patented alloy, that has four elements (e.g. tin, copper, silver, bismuth) versus the NEMI, IPC, JEITA etal recommended tin-silver-copper (SAC) alloy....

...Many OEMs and EMS providers are struggling with RoHS compliance because they don't have the information they need to make informed choices about components, boards and other materials for finished products. ESM Magazine spoke with Tony Garramone, corporate training manager at Advanced Circuits Inc., a printed-circuit-board manufacturer in Aurora, Colo., who fields more than a dozen calls a day from customers asking about RoHS compliance....

...Coretec Inc. is pleased to announce it is now compliant with the European Union's (EU) directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) for mainstream printed circuit board (PCB) product manufactured in its Toronto operation....

...Catalyst features keynotes from HP addressing RoHS/WEEE compliance best practices, IBM with "Future Consumer-Centric Electronics Business Trends" and Plantronics on the best of both worlds in global manufacturing and SCM. The event will also include presentations from industry leaders from companies including Advanced MP Technology, Flextronics, Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, i2 Technologies, Intel, Kinaxis, Microsoft, New Momentum, RiverOne, Solectron, Spansion, UPS Supply Chain Solutions and Viewlocity...

...No Hassle Lead-Free HASL It's not a drop-in replacement for HASL. But moving to lead-free HASL can be less painful than you think....

...The Relationship of Components, Alloys and Fluxes, Part 1 Call it a love triangle - or a Bermuda Triangle. Either way, the best alloy may be determined by the end-application....

...X-ray instruments automate analysis procedures, are fully enclosed, and can be operated with basic skill levels in the factory with minimal safety requirements....

...Both the WEEE and the RoHS Directives place obligations under the concept of “producer responsibility. The 'producer' is legally responsible for ensuring that all producer obligations so it is essential for manufacturers to determine early on whether or not they are the 'producer' in any Member State....

...Kester has announced that it host a lead-free seminar titled, "Project 2005: Achieving Lead-free RoHS Assembly" on Thursday, November 10, 2005 in Tampa Bay, FL....

...Course Description: SSCE/EPE, Duration 1 day. Participants on this 1 day course, through discussion and an open forum, will understand the intentions and requirements of the WEEE legislation. Furthermore they will understand how the WEEE requirements are expected to be implemented....

...The EU has exempted the flame retardant known as Deca-BDE from the Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances, following an intensive review. The EU published its decision -- the final step in the RoHS regulatory procedure for adopting exemptions -- on Oct. 15. This means Deca-BDE can continued to be used....

...Workshop topics will include: protocols for WEEE and RoHS compliance; rework and repair of lead free solder joints; impact of RoHS on design, materials, process, and reliability of packaging and PCB assembly; best practices in implementing lead free assembly; key stages of the reflow soldering process; strategies for assuring the reliability of solder attachments, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and components in electronic product subjected to lead free soldering; key areas in production process/material options and reliability evaluation; and more....

...Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BVCPS), global leader in product testing, inspections and auditing services, is offering an innovative system to help its customers ensure compliance with the stringent new 2002/96/EC Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and 2002/95/EC Restrictions of hazardous substances (RoHS) Directives....

...The National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) has been awarded the contract to set up the UK's national RoHS enforcement body. We will be delivering RoHS enforcement when the regulations are fully implemented. We have developed this website to provide you with information and help associated with RoHS compliance and enforcement. This includes a web version of the decision tree we intend to use, an FAQ section which we are continually updating as your enquiries come to us, and a list of other useful resourses that are available to you in our links section....

...The Environmental Policy Committee (EPC) was established by Ibec's ICT division, to offer help and support to Irish businesses as they grapple to understand the implications of new and changing EU and national legislation....

...On August 13 this year, Ireland became one of the first countries in Europe to implement the Waste Electrical Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive....

...The Environment Agency has warned that the 10 categories of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) covered by the producer responsibility Directive could become 13....

...Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, one of the leading developers of analytical instrumentation in the USA, announces the availability of a complete range of analytical instruments to assist manufacturers in attaining Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive regulatory compliance....

...IPC and JEDEC have announced they will host the 11th International Conference on Lead Free Electronic Components and Assemblies, December 6-8, 2005, in Boston, MA. The goal is to help industry prepare for such issues as new alloys and materials evaluations, inspection changes, tin whiskers, reliability, and increased assembly costs....

...Who will ultimately be liable for the products that get pulled or barred from the market once the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) rules take effect next July isn’t entirely clear at the moment....

...Design Chain Associates, LLC, the leading electronics industry design chain consulting firm, is pleased to announce that the company is now supporting clients, the electronics industry, and technical inquiries on the proposed Chinese electronic-product related material restriction and labeling law called 'Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products.'...

...Europe is making progress with its Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations, but not all the countries in the European Union will be in compliance by the deadline....

...Exel has launched a WEEE advisory service to help brand owners and importers of electrical and electronic equipment to understand the likely impact of the legislation both in the UK and across Europe....

...Bureau Veritas Consumer Products Services (BVCPS) is offering an innovative system to help its customers ensure compliance with the stringent new 2002/96/EC waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and 2002/95/EC restrictions of hazardous substances (RoHS) directives....

...A "national settlement centre" has been proposed to help with producer responsibility for waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)....

...INTERTRONICS has announced the introduction of its Plato solder pots with porcelain crucibles - available as an option on new pots or for retrofitting to existing pots....

...ASPMFG RoHS/WEEE National City Tour: The Clock is Ticking - Poor planning and/or non-compliance with these directives can erode margins, cause revenue shortfalls, lead to excess inventory, affect product reliability, and result in bad publicity....

...Design News Slimebuster - Episode 3 - Farm in the Heartland - Game and RoHS quiz....

...Lecture Title: "Manufacturing Reliable Lead-free Electronics with High Yield/Low Cost---What You Should Know"...

...Europe is making progress with its WEEE and RoHS regulations, but not all the countries in the European Union will be in compliance by the deadline....

...WEEE and RoHS compliance is expected to cost electronics companies billions of dollars and non-compliant companies run the risk of acquiring high costs and exclusion from multiple markets...The North American WEEE and RoHS Compliance Forum, sponsored by Underwriter's Laboratories Inc. (UL) and i2 Technologies, Inc., will address these important issues October 26-27, 2005 at the Phoenix Marriott Mesa in Mesa, Ariz....

...Newark InOne..., announced its launch of a free Bill of Materials (BOM) Update Service to help components buyers comply with this legislation. A simple process, bills of materials for any number of lines can be submitted using the BOM Upload feature on the home page at http://www.newarkinone.com/bom....

...Newark InOne is pleased to present you with this comprehensive guide produced by Farnell InOne, our sister distributor in the UK who has been at the forefront of RoHS compliance....

...Ageus Solutions, a leader in RoHS and WEEE solutions, announces turnkey solutions for dismantling instructions and recycling materials declaration. Electronics manufacturers now have a one-stop shop for creating dismantling instructions to meet the requirements of the WEEE directive (2002/95/EC) and the Japan Green initiative....

...The EIA/ECCB-954 Standard was developed to build on the framework of the ISO 9001-2000 Quality Management System (QMS) to form a comprehensive, systematic and transparent management process for the elimination of hazardous substances....

...In the run-up to July 1st 2006 SMART Group has launched a series of 'Lead-Free Reality' Roadshows, designed to help SME's in the electronics industry make the change to lead-free soldering and also to improve their process yields in the assembly of printed circuit boards. It will also enable them to compete with competitors effectively....

...Arrow Electronics will announce the results of two new surveys on end equipment producer and component manufacturer preparedness regarding key aspects of environmental compliance....

...Statistics from Dionics Environmental Division for the third quarter reveal some unexpected results with regard to the RoHS and WEEE Directives....

...Cobar introduced the SAC4-XM7S solder paste for lead-free and nitrogen-free processing. The paste, which remains stable and active during extended heating at elevated temperatures, does not require a nitrogen blanket and is said to offer a robust printing window....

...Cobar's new SAC4-XM7S solderpaste is said to deliver excellent results in applications requiring extended heating profiles....

...Component distributors have taken up the duty of providing environmental information to their customers. All of the major distributors have developed Web-based data centers to help customers understand green directives and allow visitors to check on the compliance status of individual component manufacturers....

...The European electronics industry is entering a business-critical period with only nine months to go before the RoHS Directive deadline of July 2006. ELFNET - the European Lead-Free Soldering Network - has been working to tackle the key remaining implementation issues for this revolutionary technology and now invites the lead-free soldering community to get involved in a new set of collaborative opportunities....

...Nexlogic Technologies, Inc., a premier PCB service provider and ISO 9001:2000 certified manufacturer announced it has received Kester University certification for completing an intensive Pb-free/RoHS compliance course. By satisfactorily completing the Kester University course and meeting Pb-free assembly requirements, Nexlogic Technologies' processes and personnel are certified to perform Pb-free assembly....

...Acal Microsystems now has two RoHS-compliant CompactPCI Intel Pentium M system host single board computers available....

...Panasonic, the leading brand for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. is well known, announced that it has completed the content analysis of specific chemical substances in the components and materials used in all its products, totaling approximately 1.32 million different items....

...The test plans for two extensive lead-free cleaning studies are progressing smoothly, with the usual adjustments being made to the test plans as data are collected. Test plan leaders will be checking the above DIS carefully to ensure that their cleaning studies include the above projected high-volume lead-free alloys....

...Some OEMs and electronics manufacturing services providers are struggling with RoHS and are looking for help from catalog distributors. Catalogers often provide purchasers and design engineers easy access to the latest data on which parts are compliant and which ones aren't....

...National Physical Laboratory has announced a web cast on 12th December 2005 at 15.30 pm. This presentation will give examples of potential pitfalls during the transition to lead-free to help in preparing a plan that considers pit falls concerning supply chain issues....

...NPL has announced that it has released a report on the effect of voiding on lead-free reliability. As a result of this project, in which seven different solder pastes from three manufacturers have been evaluated through a range of reflow profiles, end-users can have a high degree of confidence that voiding levels in lead-free solder pastes can be kept below the IPC specified maximum of 25% by area....

...After receiving various inquiries and questions about the effects of Bismuth (Bi), I wanted to further my comments on the role of Bismuth in electronic solder, touching on some points not covered in Part I in June 2005....

...RoHS-compliant Surface Finish Selection...Plating Alternative...Concerns of Immersion-plated and Coated Boards...

...The SMART Group, with support from LEADOUT, a European-wide lead-free projects, developed the Lead-free Experience3 to assist small- and medium-volume producers. Download here...

...Chipmakers face a crucial deadline on July 1, 2006. And some of them aren't going to make it. So says William Mitchell, chief executive of Arrow Electronics, (ARW) the largest distributor of computer chips....

...Under the legislation stemming from Europe's Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, retailers will be responsible for their share of collecting old appliances for recycling....

...The long awaited IPC Materials Declaration Standard, IPC-1752, is in the ballot phase. Task force members are required to vote by 23 October, and any other interested party may vote as well. After a year of watching and helping, it is with a heavy heart that I plan to vote no on the ballot....

...A year ago, it was rare to find U.S. electronics company managers and executives preparing for the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, in which producers are responsible for reuse and recycling of their products sold in Europe....

...At this year's Productronica which is being held on the grounds of the New Munich Trade Fair Center from November 15th through 18th, lead-free production will be a topical thread that weaves its way through all ten exhibition halls. Nevertheless, the topic is being given special attention in the "Lead Free Interactive Forum" in Hall A6, where trade show attendees will find 180 square meters (approx. 2,000 square feet) of floor space dedicated to providing an outstanding opportunity to gain hands-on experience with all aspects of lead-free materials and production plants....

...Although it's getting late, there is still time to meet the RoHS deadline of 1 July 2006. Nonetheless, it’s a huge challenge that starts with finding out what compliance actually means....

...A surprising 82 percent of parts suppliers do not expect the RoHS transition to extend delivery times. Another 70 percent do not foresee the need to charge higher prices for compliant parts....

...In response to ever-increasing global demand for lead-free hand soldering, rework and fume extraction systems ahead of the WEEE and RoHS deadlines, OK International will launch a new range developed under the single OK International brand specifically for lead-free processes....

..."Business and the environment deserve better," says Crid land. "This sorry saga is, regrettably, yet another exam ple of hurried, last minute implementation of major European environmental directives."...

...Omnify Software, a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) software for mid-market electronic, medical, mechanical, and defense OEMs, today announced it will be a featured speaker in a multi-city seminar series produced by the Alliance of Service Providers & Manufacturers (ASPMFG) and hosted by Innov-X Systems, to educate organizations on the impact of the European Union's RoHS and WEEE Directives. Omnify executives will discuss how companies can ensure their products comply with regulations well-ahead of the impending deadline....

...Toshiba's recent announcement that it had launched the "world's first RoHS compliant PC" made headlines in much of the environmental media. In reality, it's both big news . . . and not....

...Calumet Electronics Corp. (CEC) has verified RoHS compliance of its lead-free printed circuit boards through independent lab testing....

...KEMET Corporation announced today that KEMET is first to market with new RoHS- compliant/lead-free components in the Axial Molded (T322), Radial Molded (T340) and Commercial Herm Seal (T110/T140) capacitors....

...Hitachi is getting a jump on Europe's lead-free legislation. But achieving compliance is only the first of several difficult steps manufacturers must take to safeguard their supply chains. Larry Harvey has some advice for manufacturers that have to comply with Europe's new environmental restrictions on the amount of lead a product can contain: It's harder than you think to pull it off. "It's a very expensive and painful process," Harvey said. "This one is much more complex than anything else I have ever had to deal with, including military compliance programs."...

...One long-debated issue growing out of Europe's WEEE recycling directive has been how to cover its costs. The most popular option is a "visible fee," an additional charge for a product. Resembling a tax, it would typically be displayed on the product's price tag and would go toward recycling....

...No, they’re not made of hemp or powered by wind, but Toshiba’s latest laptops are considered "green", nonetheless....

...The UK may be forced into running a "trial year" for WEEE producer responsibility, if legislation is not finalised soon. That is the warning from Electrolink, the compliance service for waste electronics run by the Wastelink Group....