...As component suppliers shift their production to RoHS-complaint parts in anticipation of the July 1, 2006 deadline, the electronics industry may experience parts shortages. While it seems logical there would be supply interruptions of newly compliant parts as OEMs rush to stock up, there is also concern there will be shortfalls in non-compliant parts needed by industries such as defense, medial and telecommunications that are at least partly exempted from RoHS compliance....

...Many electronics companies are trying to figure out what will be the cost of complying with the European Union’s Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances law which bans the use of lead and other hazardous substances in equipment....

...The industry must avoid confusion between the two separate European Directives for hazardous substances and waste disposal, according to the standards agency the BSI....

...The British Retail Consortium (BRC) is holding a conference entitled "Understanding your WEEE obligations" to outline retailers' WEEE obligations and to introduce Valpak who will run the Retail Compliance Scheme (RCS) over the next three years....

...KIC announces that it will co-sponsor and participate in the Lead-free Interactive Forum in booth A6.105 at the upcoming Productronica trade show and exhibition, scheduled to take place November 15 to 18, 2005, at the New Munich Trade Fair Center in Munich, Germany....

...Farnell InOne, international distributor of electronic and industrial components, has issued a warning, at the launch of its new catalogue of RoHS compliant products, alerting the electronics industry to possible mayhem if distributors don't take the lead in issuing new part numbers for compliant stock....

...The Eu’s RoHS Directive is driving major changes in the manufacture of electrical and electronics equipment. The most significant change is the elimination of lead From solder joints. This article details the process that one consumer electronics company used to make their lead-free alloy selection....

...RoHS demands a phase out of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE). Bodycote Materials Testing can certify your materials for RoHS requirements. http://mt.bodycote.com...

...LONDON - Interconnect manufacturer Harwin has appointed Wendy Bourne as RoHS Compliance Project Manager to oversee the company’s transition to full RoHS compliance....

...Recognizing that the issue is more complicated than just finding a solder solution, IPC has revamped its website http://leadfree.ipc.org, to better reflect the growing amount of information on lead free and RoHS compliance. The website is divided into three sections: "Compliance," "Implementation," and "Environment." In the Compliance section, visitors to the site will find all the latest information including products covered under RoHS, definitions, test methods, and standards. This section also covers IPC's efforts to help the industry prepare for RoHS including training, conferences and compliance tools....

...The SMTA launched an extremely popular new mini-conference in 2005 entitled Complying with RoHS: Real-World Examples of What Companies Are Doing Today. This one-day event is moderated by Harvey Stone, The Goodbye Chain Group, and will be held again on December 7, 2005, at the Richardson Hotel in Richardson, TX. The technical agenda focuses on actual experiences that companies are having in solving the many difficult challenges of environmental legislative compliance....

...While large companies are mostly ready to comply with environmental imperatives such as the European Union’s RoHS directive, small- and medium-size companies are lagging, even though the July 1, 2006 deadline is less than 10 months away....

...The rising number of participants and falling brand loyalty in the semiconductor marketplace are intensifying competition, thereby compelling participants to offer maximum differentiation with unique value-added products and services, according to the latest data from London-based Frost & Sullivan....

...ADVANTECH has recently made a small yet significant contribution to environmental protection, by releasing the PCM-9371 single board computer that is Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant....

...The rising number of participants and falling brand loyalty in the semiconductor marketplace are intensifying competition, thereby compelling participants to offer maximum differentiation with unique value-added products and services....

...European requirements for lead-free wafer bumping and packaging are hitting manufacturing yields and also hitting assembly companies in Europe as the far-east copes better with changes, according to research company Frost & Sullivan....

...The cost of environmental compliance is growing. Already, billions of dollars have been spent on getting parts ready to meet the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. But there’s more - much more - as it turns out, and those costs are going to end up being passed along to consumers in slightly higher retail prices. (Duh, who did they think was going to pay for this thing?)...

...RFI Global Services has launched a website dedicated to the RoHS and WEEE directives. The UK test house has developed a range of tutorials and guides aimed especially at smaller companies. These can be found at www.rohs-weee.uk.com....

...Dr. Jennie Hwang will share her 15-year Pb-free development knowledge and the real-world production know-how in a five-part lead-free tutorial in Dallas, TX on November 2-4, 2005 -- complete coverage from preparation to production to reliability....

...Electronics companies will need engineers to seek out new and cleaner technologies for batteries, circuit boards, solderless terminals and connectors, and semiconductors. With both design and manufacturing moving to Asia, it is now up to you to implement Design for Environment to consider during product design the issues that are related to the environment over the entire life cycle of a product....

...Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) and Electronic Manufacturing (and design) Service (EMS) providers must partner to develop product-based strategies. Tactics utilized should be customized depending on customer requirements. There will be three product categories introduced for this discussion....

...Interface Sciences Corporation (www.interfacesciences.com) today announced the launch of its RoHS-compliant, cost-effective solution to printed circuit board failure....

...Electronics Design and Manufacturing Service (EMS) provider Sparton Corporation announced its engineering and electronics manufacturing operations are in full compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive...

...The Board Authority Live (TBA Live), produced by CircuiTree Magazine, will be held September 26, 2005 at the Rosemont Convention Center in Chicago, IL. This is the first international conference series, addressing the greening of the PCB industry. Presenters will address the impact of environmental legislation like RoHS and the WEEE Directive on printed circuit manufacture. Topics will cover everything from laminate selection to ensuring PCB reliability....

...CTX Technology Corp today announced the shipment of the first RoHS-compliant 17-inch S791A and S792A monitors....

...U.K.-based distributor Farnell InOne has issued a stern warning to the electronics industry: renumber RoHS-compliant parts or face chaos with leaded and lead-free components in the supply chain....

...To help the American Manufacturer mitigate risks associated with the European Union's RoHS - WEEE Directives*, the Alliance of Service Providers & Manufacturers and Innov-X are launching a six-city series of meetings to build awareness and provide information and knowledge on RoHS/WEEE Directives. They are intended to build on the success of ASPMFG's recent Panel Discussions held in Silicon Valley....

...Experts from Speedline Technologies will address the issues involved in a free, live, Web seminar, titled "Lead-Free Reflow Soldering," on Thursday, October 20th, from 11 AM to 12 Noon, U.S. Eastern time. Topics will include: Reflow equipment configurations and differences, Producing lead-free assemblies, Nitrogen process variables, Cooling considerations, Cost of operation...

...A new wave-soldering alloy is claimed to outperform the standard lead free solder bars currently available and so ease the trauma of transition to lead-free assembly....

...According to analysts at Boston-based AMR Research Inc., small- to medium-size enterprises (SMEs) have not been able to keep up in the shift to environmental compliance. With less little more than nine months left until the RoHS deadline of July 1, 2006, lagging companies present much of the electronics industry with a real problem....

...High-temperature, lead-free Type SN89/SB10.5/CU0.5 features solidus temperature of 242C, 22C delta above SAC....

...Toshiba of Canada Information Systems Group today introduced the Tecra S3 and Tecra M3, the latest additions to the powerful Tecra line of commercial notebook computers. The Tecra S3 is believed to be the first PC in the world to fully comply with the new environmental RoHS regulations....

...The programme for the Designing and Recycling Electrical and Electronic Equipment Conference is now available. The early booking rate will apply until 30 September 2005. The conference will give an overview of what is happening with both the WEEE and RoHS directives, both legislatively and the practicalities in implementing them; the EuP Directive is also covered with information on minimising environmental impact. With speakers from the US as well as across Europe both the legal, distributors and manufacturers perspectives worldwide are well catered for....

...The European court of justice has delivered a stinging rebuke to EU governments over environmental crime, clearing the way for the European commission and parliament to get involved in the field....

...Kester announces that it will showcase EnviroMark 907 (EM907) - a new no-clean, lead-free solder paste to the electronics industry in booth 5636 at the upcoming Assembly Technology Expo...

...KIC has announced that Professor S. Manian Ramkumar, Rochester Institute of Technology, will present a joint paper on the effects of deviating from the thermal process window for lead-free assembly at the upcoming Assembly Technology Expo/SMTA International....

...The "train wreck" now facing the electronics industry -- owing to many companies' failure to keep up with increasing global requirements for environmental performance -- was completely avoidable....

...Cookson Electronics has focused on developing products with a greater process tolerance than previous generations of lead-free solder paste, wave solder flux, cored wire and wave solder bar....

...ULi Electronics Inc. (ULi), a leading core logic chipset manufacturer, today announces the availability of "Green" and lead-free solutions for all lines of products including core logic chipset, PC peripheral host controller and video/audio device controller....

...Recent surveys indicate that large numbers of businesses are still not taking EU environmental laws seriously. Though the percentage of companies not compliant is small at only 20%, that still works out to thousands of businesses at risk....

...Several specs have already been updated, and others are undergoing revisions. Including J-STD-020, J-STD-002, JESD22A121, JESD 201, IPC-7351, IPC-4552, IPC-4553, IPC-4554, IPC-4555, J-STD-003A, IPC-TM-650, IPC-4101, J-STD-004, IPC-HDBK-005, JSTD- 006, IPC-A-610D and IPC J-STD-001D....

...Retailers are being urged to join up with the British Retail Consortium-backed compliance scheme to take care of their obligations to collect and recycle waste electronics....

...Symphony Consulting, a strategic supply chain consulting firm to high technology companies, announced that it will deliver a series of one-day educational workshops on the European Union's RoHS/WEEE directives. These workshops, which will be held across North America from October through November, will focus on the impact of these directives on the supply chain, as well as the solutions that companies can utilize to mitigate revenue and inventory risk....

...If your business is in the affected industries, you will likely face compliance requirements. Even if you do not sell directly into European markets, some of your customers might do so....

...ROCHESTER, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 13, 2005--EMA Design Automation(TM), a full-service provider of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions, today announced that it has added PTC(R) InterComm(TM), a suite of electronic design communication and collaboration products, to its set of design tools....

...The European Court of Justice ruled Tuesday that the European Union can require member states to criminally prosecute companies that violate EU environmental laws....

...Tokyo, Japan, Sep 13, 2005 (JCN Newswire via COMTEX) -- OMRON Corporation (OMRNY), a global leader in automation, sensing and control technologies, announced today it will release its RFID reader/writer which is compatible with UHF frequency bands. This unit, to be released at the end of September 2005, conforms to European RoHS directive...

...NetRegs contains simplified guidance based on complex and changing legislation....

...New process for informing both direct and indirect customers of product changes and scheduled product discontinuations improves communication and aids customer productivity....

...PEMSTAR Inc., a leading provider of global engineering and electronics manufacturing services (EMS), today announced that it has received full qualification status for lead-free SMT processing....

...BergStik unshrouded headers with selective plated contacts meet environmental requirements for lead-free and RoHS-compatible components....

...The WEEE Recycling Network (WRN) is an information service for small businesses covering all aspects of the WEEE Directive. WRN aims to provide news, comment and information on the effects and opportunities that the Directive will deliver....

...Your Source for Lead-free. This year's event is your best resource ever on lead-free. 13 short courses and close to 60 technical papers will help you prepare for the 2006 deadline!...

...MENTOR Graphics Corporation, represented in Australia by In-Circuit Design, has announced PCB tool support that enables original equipment manufacture (OEM) customers to achieve Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance....

...Calumet Electronics Corp. (CEC) has released the first in a series of informational videos entitled "Lead-Free with CEC". This video focuses on Lead-Free Finishes and related manufacturing process considerations and addresses specific printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing solutions introduced by CEC in response to the upcoming European RoHS Directive....

...Huge numbers of small businesses are still ignorant of the RoHS and WEEE Directives, claims the U.K.'s National Physical Laboratory (NPL)....

...To help the American Manufacturer mitigate the risks associated with the European Union's RoHS - WEEE Directives, the Alliance of Service Providers and Manufacturers and Innov-X are launching a six-city series of seminars to build awareness and provide information and knowledge on RoHS/WEEE Directives. The seminars are intended to build on the success of ASPMFG's recent RoHS / WEEE Panel Discussions held in Silicon Valley....

...As part of its transition to lead-free manufacturing, Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. (TAEC, Irvine, Calif.) announced the availability of its Lead(Pb)-Free Memory Products Plan, developed by Toshiba Corp. for designers, engineers and developers of electronic components worldwide....

...A live keynote interview on RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) will air Sept. 14, 2005, 11 a.m. EST, part of "ECN’S EOEM Design Conference & Exhibition Online." ECN, a Reed Business Information publication, says the webcast will be available for archive viewing after-ward, as well. Participants are Aimee Kalnoskas, editor-in-chief, ECN Magazine, and Paul Tallentire, president, Newark inOne....

...Gigabyte Technology recently introduced an AMD Opteron-based GA-2CEWH motherboard, its first product that follows the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation....

...Following its 200-delegate sell-out event in February, the SMART Group is holding another lead-free seminar on November 1 at Wycombe Football Club....

...Step by step implementation of a design process to meet RoHS directives: Library creation and component selection, Producing work-in-process documentation, The impact on signal integrity, Layout for lead-free manufacture, Component tracking and replacement, Integration with corporate PLM system. Wednesday, September 21, 2005 at 1:00 PM EDT...

...Presented by Ken Stanvick, Senior Vice President of Design Chain Associates, renowned industry expert on RoHS. Wednesday, September 14, 2005 at 1:00 PM EDT...

...ZESTRON America will showcase the latest lead-free cleaning process solutions during the Assembly Technology Expo (ATExpo) from Sept. 27-29 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont (Chicago), IL. ZESTRON will also feature the most recent advances in PCB, stencil/misprint and maintenance cleaning applications....

...When it comes to replacement parts, you don’t have to worry about using lead-free components because the maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) segment is exempt, right?...

...BLT Circuit Services reports that to date 48 machines in the UK have been converted to use its nonpatented SACP0307 lead free solder paste....

...Comments are being sought from companies whose designs would either be rendered impracticable with RoHS-free substances or where the negative environmental and consumer safety impacts caused by switching would outweigh the benefits....

...China is gearing up for a January implementation of its version of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive....

...The latest Indirect LeadCheck kit includes fine tipped Q-tips, alcohol wipes, sample trays and 24 LeadCheck swabs all in one convenient kit....

...Thousands of small businesses could fall foul of new rules that impose strict limits on the amount of lead in products....

...Meeting RoHS requirements requires a one-time investment of 2% to 3% of cost of goods sold, a top research firm said today. The firm released its findings to counter what it called "false information and speculation" about the cost of compliance....

...Producer responsibility organisation Valpak has been named as preferred bidder to run the British Retail Consortium's Retail Compliance Scheme for waste electronics....

...Think WEEE and RoHS compliance is a challenge? A new directive emerging from the European Union could make them seem easy....

...One of the thorniest issues in the conversion to lead-free electronics is compliance information. The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) worked with the IPC, the electronic industry’s packaging group, to offer a standard for collecting, tracking, and disclosing information on the material content of components, but so far the standard has done little to alleviate the confusion about RoHS certification and material content information....

...Tony Garramone, corporate training manager at Advanced Circuits Inc., a printed-circuit-board manufacturer in Aurora, Colo., fields more than a dozen calls a day from customers asking about RoHS compliance. He suggests manufacturers ask the following questions about their suppliers' operations and explains why these questions are critical....