...Dell will begin providing recycling services to business customers in mainland China and Hong Kong immediately, the company's CEO Kevin Rollins announced here today. The company will provide consumers no-charge recycling by the end of November... more...

...A third of UK office workers make no attempt to reduce the amount of resources they use in the office, according to a survey of 1,800 staff by government advisory group Envirowise. As part of our Green Computing campaign, Computing is striving to raise awareness and to make IT departments more environmentally friendly, while at the same time reducing costs and improving efficiency.... more...

...The SMART Group is organizing a meeting on Nov 7 to update members on how industry is coping with the implementation of the RoHS Directive and also cover other pending legislation.... more...

...In March 2007, the Chinese government will begin enforcing its version of the RoHS environmental regulation. Termed the "Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products," China’s RoHS mandate represents more than just another administrative challenge to members of the electronics supply chain, according to Robin Gray, executive director of the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA), Alpharetta, Ga. In fact, Gray cautions that compliance with the China RoHS directive could put manufacturers’ and suppliers’ intellectual property (IP) at even more risk for piracy than it already is.... more...

...Eleven senior officials from the Chinese Ministry of Information Industries (MII) today addressed over 250 high-tech attendees in Silicon Valley on the new China Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) regulations, which go into effect March 1, 2007. The Silicon Valley program was the culmination of a 10-day visit by these senior officials under the sponsorship of AeA.... more...

...Businesses in the north seem oblivious to the impending waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive which will require that all such equipment is disposed of responsibly, according to northern-based waste management company Jade Care... more...

...Many manufacturers are still at risk of non-compliance despite investing considerable time, money, and staff in complying with various product content regulations worldwide, according to a new Aberdeen report.... more...

...For the very first time, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment struggling with EU and China RoHS data collection have a comprehensive, yet affordable solution that fully supports the IPC Standard 1752 format... more...

...As manufacturers in the electronics industry continue along the road to environmental compliance, the next item up is China's RoHS regulations. Most manufacturers that ship products globally are in the last phases of complying with the European Union’s RoHS laws, but China’s laws don’t come into affect until March 1, 2007.... more...

...The idea behind these exemptions was to ensure continuity of highly critical equipment. But in practice, the opposite is starting to happen. Those outside the scope have found they can't remain isolated and are faced with some critical issues, most notably obsolescence of the leaded parts they require.... more...

...The effective date didn't pass unnoticed. Press reports pointed out that a handful of high-tech manufacturers, including Apple and Palm, withdrew some of their products from the European market because of compliance issues. Overall, however, widespread or withheld accounts of non-compliance issues have not ensued... more...

...At the end of February 2006, China promulgated a law entitled "Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products." The purpose of this law is similar to that of the European Union’s so-called RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC, "restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment"). In fact, the Chinese law is simply called "China RoHS" in the industry. While there is some commonality between the RoHS requirements in the EU and those in China, there are also significant differences that must be recognized and dealt with, some in very short order.... more...

...The past decade has seen a huge increase in compliance, regulations and mandates, much of which is aimed at the manufacturing community. While manufacturers focus simultaneously on running their businesses and on trying to meet Sarbanes-Oxley requirements, for example, are important revenue drivers such as "product innovation" getting the attention they deserve?... more...

...Ageus Solutions, a leader in end-to-end EU RoHS and WEEE, Japan Green and China RoHS compliance services, unveils comprehensive and step-wise approach to China RoHS compliance. Building upon China RoHS solutions provided to over 30 companies, Ageus Solutions has standardized their approach to meet the specific requirements of China RoHS compliance.... more...

...It's not always an easy task to determine if your products fall in or out of RoHS scope. Despite the sometimes hazy guidance, particularly in the area of Fixed Installation, a logical argument can generally be made to show if a product is out of scope if you have the time and knowledge of specific industry documents.... more...

...Can you imagine getting stuck behind a queue of 13,000 double-decker buses? That's how much electrical waste the UK produces every year, and three-quarters of it ends up in landfill sites, much of it overseas, where toxins put communities at risk... more...

... Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances(RoHS) by EU has been announced for 100 days. There is no actual case against it, but recently it is taking concrete shape in the formation of guidelines by members of EU. The industry is stretching tensions forecasting that regulations start operation from early next year at earliest.... more...

...Electronics manufacturer Sony UK has suggested that retailers could be forced to state how much of the price of new goods relates to recycling costs. The company has suggested retailers who do not set the fees risk legal action from producers that want the sale of their products to include a recycling fee.... more...

...Plasma displays currently on sale in Europe are illegal because they contravene the EC's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, a UK analyst has warned. Pete Gamby, of display specialist Meko, said Panasonic has RoHS-compliant screens but they are not on sale yet and the company has not said how it has been done.... more...

...Last week, I presented at the SMT/RIT's Implementing Lead-Free: A Hands on Workshop . The keynote speech at this event was by Dan Shea, chief technology officer (CTO) of Celestica. The title of his talk said it all: "Cradle to Rebirth -The Electronics Industry Goes Green." Other speakers solidified this perspective.....there is no turning back, get with the WEEE/RoHS programs (EU and the world) or expect difficulties.... more...

...Finally, the electronics industry in North America is going to get a peek into the details of China’s RoHS legislation. The Chinese laws are due to hit on March 1 of next year, but so far the details of the legislation have been murky at best.... more...

...Dr. Jennie Hwang will share her years Pb-free development knowledge and the real-world production know-how (based on more than 90,000,000 Pb-free PCBs produced in service) through these seven (7) half-day tutorials---the only complete coverage from Preparation to Production to Reliability to Rework.... more...

...Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC) has blamed the introduction of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive (RoHS) for its latest weakened financial results. . . Manufacturers warned that the industry is only just starting to address environmental concerns... more...

...Research conducted by HP indicates that following the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, or WEEE, directive in Europe, recycling costs in relation to the end product price for customers are lower than initially feared.... more...

...While there are conflicting opinions on the effect of voiding in lead-free solder joints in relation to how much is too much and whether or not voiding causes any long-term reliability issues, one thing remains clear: Pb-free solder joints are more prone to voiding than tin-lead joints and there are a variety of contributing factors.... more...

...NEMA is a trade association in the U.S. representing the interests of electroindustry manufacturers of products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. One area that NEMA members are struggling with is how to manage compliance with the EC Directive on Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE). The complications arise because WEEE compliance requirements are different in each EU Member State.... more...

...The European Union (EU) released a RoHS Enforcement Guidance Document in May 2006, providing assistance on how the EU will monitor and enforce the RoHS Directive.... more...

...Catalog distributor Newark InOne is calling for a U.S. law that is similar to the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances legislation. The Chicago-based distributor notes that California has enacted its own RoHS-like law, which takes effect January 1. While not as comprehensive as the EU's RoHS, its scope is expected to expand.... more...

...RoHS compliance is a major challenge for all companies in the electronics industry. But midmarket players are perhaps the hardest hit because they have less resources and less buying power to work with suppliers on getting compliant (or noncompliant) parts as needed.... more...

...NEMA is a trade association in the U.S. representing the interests of electroindustry manufacturers of products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity. One area that NEMA members are struggling with is how to manage compliance with the EC Directive on Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment (WEEE). The complications arise because WEEE compliance requirements are different in each EU Member State.... more...

...Reliability: there is no higher calling for today's electronics assemblies. The newest generation of portable gaming devices, PDAs, mobile phones, laptops, and MP3 players are just a few of the products that consumers are clamouring for, and with that comes an ever-higher demand for product reliability.... more...

...The European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law, which took effect July 1, puts the legal responsibility for demonstrating compliance on the producers of finished electrical or electronic devices. But component distributors should be prepared to demonstrate the same standards if they are to provide their customers with the assurance they need to meet the legal requirements, according to North American electronic components distributor Newark InOne.... more...

...When it comes to lead-free readiness, North American OEMs trail their counterparts in Asia and Europe. However, barely half the Asian OEMs declared themselves "fully engaged" in lead-free assembly.... more...

...RoHS restrictions are contributing to a slowdown in semiconductor demand in China, according to iSuppli. . . RoHS considerations slowed the growth of China’s electronics exports in Q3 in telecoms, mobile phones, white goods, televisions and DVD players, said iSuppli.... more...

...Environmental seminar in Santa Clara was well attended by many local and out of state electronics manufacture representatives.... more...

...Plasma displays currently on sale in Europe are illegal because they contravene the EC's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, a UK analyst has warned.... more...

...Sales of new electronic equipment are rocketing - which could affect how much waste equipment must be recycled under next year's new WEEE regulations.... more...

...Also making an unwelcome entrance into the report was a note about Tin Whiskers, although the specific issue is not deemed serious. 'On tin whiskers, ASA (Aerosurface Survo Amplifier) boxes 1 and 3 removed. Will install new boxes. Scratches found on cold plate. Under engineering evaluation. First report is will be acceptable as is.'... more...

...IPC has announced the release of - Report on IPC Lead Free Preparedness Study, - which provides insight on the current level of preparedness of 196 electronic end-product manufacturers (OEMs) and 94 electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies worldwide and perhaps most strikingly, identifies major manufacturing issues and processes impacting lead free implementation.... more...

...Manufacturing companies today are spending a significant amount of their scarce money, labor, and time addressing compliance mandates. A recent Aberdeen Group benchmark study, however, indicates an alarming number of these companies are still faced with low levels of compliance and high risk.... more...

...At the end of February 2006, China promulgated a law entitled "Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products." The purpose of this law is similar to that of the European Union’s so-called RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC, "restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment"). In fact, the Chinese law is simply called "China RoHS" in the industry.... more...

...In an interview with the FT EU Enterprise Commissioner and Commission Vice-President Gunter Verheugen says that EU legislation costs European business e600bn (405bn pounds sterling) a year, on the basis of a new evaluation methodology of the administrative costs of red tape.... more...

...Lindy Li, overseas sales engineer of Shenzhen-based Success Electronic Co Ltd, thought it was the fast response from her company that saved it from the possible loss of its overseas markets. Faced with the prospect of a number of important markets imposing stricter environmental controls on imports, Li's company took steps to improve its production processes and quality control.... more...

...The conference 'Going Green - CARE INNOVATION 2006: From WEEE/RoHS Implementation to Future Sustainable Electronics' will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 13 to16 November.... more...

...Kester will provide lead-free resources, technologies and products in booth F28 at the upcoming GlobalTronics exhibition, scheduled to take place October 10-13, in Suntec Singapore.... more...

... In a recent EE Times letter to the editor titled RoHS isn't just inconvenient; it's potentially deadly, one CEO makes it perfectly clear that implementing RoHS is a time-consuming, expensive and ill-conceived environmental law.... more...

...Environmental Regulation of the electronics industry is not over with the passing of July 1, 2006. Design Chain Associates, LLC and EPTAC Corporation are recognized as the industry leaders in no-nonsense, agenda-free RoHS/WEEE consulting and training services. DCA/EPTAC have developed a series of six (6) monthly one-hour webcasts, each on a unique topic starting October 18, 2006. The webcasts will be FREE to all attendees.... more...

...Implementing mitigation steps into your PCB assembly process will help your company significantly reduce or eliminate RoHS-related failures by reducing soldering defects, increasing lead-free assembly yields and maintaining long-life reliability.... more...

...Manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment have a new tool in helping them comply with EU and China RoHS regulations via data collection. The GoodBye Chain Group's (GCG) Material Declaration Wizard Software Tool MDW/1752 contains XML import and export functionality for all six classes of IPC 1752 reporting.... more...

...Review of Directive 2002/95/EC (RoHS) Categories 8 and 9 - Final Report... more...

...The EU-commissioned ERA Report on Categories 8 & 9 has been published, with a qualified recommendation that they be included in the scope of RoHS from 2012.... more...

...With the European Union's (EU) Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive taking effect, manufacturers who ship to Europe must ensure that their products are compliant with the legislation and don't exceed maximum concentration levels of six controlled substances. While most manufacturers are well on their way with assessing BOMs and collecting evidential documentation, many do not have robust data management capabilities in place.... more...

...This article presents results of an eight-month assessment of whisker growth on matte-tin-plated copper in the presence of a constant electrical current. Results show a reduction in whisker density due to the application of an electrical current, but a slight increase in whisker length.... more...

...There is significant support for a U.S. law that would be similar to the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation, according to an online poll conducted by catalog distributor Newark InOne.... more...

...Only 38% of electronics companies in the United States have begun production of equipment that complies with the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation although the law went into effect July 1, according to a new survey.... more...

...Producers of consumer electronics and those expecting to be involved in the management of compliance schemes once the WEEE regulations kick in are being asked to raise any concerns as soon as possible.... more...

...I imagine few of us are surprised to see "repeal RoHS" movements occurring. These movements continue to miss or misunderstand a few points, which I think are worth clarifying.... more...

...As the reflow process window closes, a number of enabling technologies are opening doors in a brave new lead-free world. This article focuses on several factors of a successful lead-free reflow soldering process.... more...

...For the very first time, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment struggling with EU and China RoHS data collection have a comprehensive, yet affordable solution that fully supports the IPC Standard 1752 format.... more...

...In addition to having a high melting point, lead-free solders are very aggressive towards metallic materials. Adapting the soldering parameters to the new process conditions required for lead-free soldering often results in degradation of the tools that come directly into contact with the solder... more...

...New research co-conducted by Premier Farnell plc subsidiary Newark InOne, the leading small quantity distributor of RoHS compliant electronic components, information and services in North America, and Reed Business, discloses that 30% of the design engineers and component buyers sampled do not expect that the European Union's recently enacted Restriction of azardous Substances (RoHS) law will have any real impact on their company over the next 12 months.... more...

...The European RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) regulation is forcing the electronics industry to transition to lead-free soldering. Electronic production and rework facilities are currently reviewing all aspects of their processes to ensure compliance and continued reliability of their products.... more...

...Of all the RoHS directive exemption categories, the most sensitive is perhaps Category 9, monitoring and control instruments, which the European Commission is looking at for possible inclusion in the directive. While medical, aerospace and military are critical sectors with human life often depending on their equipment, these products are only as good as the testers that verify they perform to spec and permit them to leave the lab for the field.... more...

...The major OEMs are taking leadership positions in the electronics industry as they form compliance teams to deal with environmental legislation such as RoHS, EuP and REACH. At some OEMs, these groups are forming in the product engineering area, while other large manufacturers are creating corporate sustainability teams that reside closer to the company’s business functions.... more...

...You would think the deadline for compliance with the European Union environmental directive RoHS is still months away, given the heated discussions in the electronics industry. A flurry of e-mails received by Electronics Supply & Manufacturing magazine in response to an editorial in the August issue ("Listen to the anti-RoHS") shows opposition to the directive mounting in some quarters, even as companies race to demonstrate compliance.... more...

...Producers and distributors are beginning to enter the final stage of the WEEE consultation process, with many groups encouraging companies to deliver final suggestions. Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) officials began the final consultation in July and it is due to finish on October 17th.... more...

...Months after the enforcement of the European Union's ban on the use of six environmentally unfriendly materials, designers have clear evidence that failure to meet the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive means lost sales.... more...

...The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative and IPC will produce a half-day forum on emerging environmental regulations around the globe on Sept. 28, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center here in suburban Chicago.... more...

...While the SAC alloys used in today's lead-free manufacturing environments have been deemed the best price/performance materials, they do come with some drawbacks.... more...