GREEN NEWS

The deadline for RoHS compliance is approaching… This legislation represents a major challenge for the electronic industry, and many articles are released about this matter. Everyday, this page gives you a centralized access to the latest articles available on the Internet.

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>> March 9th, 2006

Five new RoHS exemptions close to approval
European Union states have approved five new exemptions to the RoHS directive on February 15. The exemptions won’t be official until they are published in the Official Journal of the European Union, but it’s very close. The new exemptions include the following: Lead in linear incandescent lamps with silicate coated tubes, 2. Lead halide as radiant agent in High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps used for professional reprography applications, 3. Lead as activator in the fluorescent powder (1 percent lead by weight or less) of discharge lamps when used as sun tanning lamps, 4. Lead with PbBiSn-Hg and PbinSg-Hg in specific compositions as main amalgam in very compact Energy Savings Lamps (ESL), 5. Lead oxide in glass used for bonding front and rear substrates of flat fluorescent lamps used for Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD). These exemptions may only last until technology permits non-toxic substances to perform as well as the leaded versions of these products. Source: Design News

Got any old fashioned – leaded – spare parts?
Say you’re in Europe and you just bought a piece of equipment that has a 20-year lifespan. The equipment is not RoHS compliant and doesn’t need to be since the deadline isn’t until July 1, 2006. Now suppose you need a replacement part for that piece of equipment five years from now, will you be able to get a non-compliant spare part? Technically yes. Suppliers and distributors can ship non-compliant replacement parts into Europe as long as the part is destined for a piece of equipment that was shipped prior to the RoHS deadline. But five years from now, can you expect that supplier to still be producing non-compliant parts? And if a compliant version of the part is all that’s available, will it work in your non-compliant equipment? As the RoHS deadline nears, there are plenty of unanswered questions regarding replacement parts. One of our readers recently asked this interesting question: “I realize you can continue to ship spare parts to help extend the life of a product already on the market after July 1, 2006, but we’ve been advised by one firm that we can no longer ship non-compliant spares that were not already placed on the market before July 1, 2006. We can’t imagine that every OEM of an electrical product is going to create new RoHS versions of old products that may be under a support contract.” The answer is that you can ship non-compliant spare parts that were not on the market before the RoHS deadline as long as they are destined to go into a product that was on the market before the deadline. In other words, suppliers can produce non-compliant inventory after the deadline only if the inventory is a spare part that goes in a product that was shipped prior to the deadline. Now here’s the difficult part. If the spare wasn’t created until after the deadline, but it extends the life of a non-compliant piece of equipment that was produced before the deadline, is it exempt? After all, some devices that can extend the life of a piece of equipment may not actually be technically considered a spare part – say a hard drive. Yet that device may need to be non-compliant if it is going to work successfully with the original piece of equipment” […]. Source: Electronics Source Book

China RoHS Law Available, Starts March 1, 2007
China has issued its version of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive; the Chinese version was promulgated on Feb. 28 and takes effect March 1, 2007.The Chinese version contains four chapters and 27 articles. The definition of interest to those in electronics design and assembly -- Electronic Information Products -- is contained in Article 3. Labeling requirements are stated in Articles 11, 13 and 14. One important distinction: The China RoHS requires certification (noted in Article 19). Source: Circuits Assembly
Click here to view a copy of the law in English.
Click here to view Chinese language edition.

Wal-Mart Takes Role in RoHS Compliance
You know you’re behind the curve when Wal-Mart says it’s on top of the European Union’s Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) program and you’re not. With less than four months to go before the July 1, 2006 deadline for RoHS compliance, Wal-Mart has partnered with Toshiba America Information Systems to develop what it calls the first RoHS-compliant laptops available in U.S. retail channels. There is no legislative requirement in the United States for manufacturers to achieve RoHS-level compliance. Yet Wal-Mart is encouraging computer suppliers to restrict the quantities of hazardous materials in their products, including lead, cadmium, mercury, and other substances identified in the RoHS directive. Toshiba’s Tecrra A6, A7, and M5 laptops and Portege M400 tablet PC are the first results of these efforts. “Collaborating with Toshiba to make [these computers] available is a direct outcome of the work of our collaborative Sustainable Value Networks, which brings together Wal-Mart, environmental organizations, suppliers, and other thought leaders from government and academia to find ways to incorporate sustainability into the supply chain,” says John Kooy, Wal-Mart’s vice president of electronics. Particularly bothersome to many executives is the lack of federal legislation covering hazardous materials used in the electronics industry. Without such legislation, the states have had to develop their own laws, most of which focus on the recycling of electronic waste. Currently, there are 19 bills in play in eight states. At least three states have passed e-waste laws. California’s law covering e-waste is the broadest, and the state has said that it would adopt further legislation if necessary to match the requirements of the EU’s RoHS directive. Meanwhile, the Consumer Electronics Association and its vendor members, facing the prospect of designing and producing products that meet the environmental requirements of 50 different states, have been actively lobbying for all-encompassing federal legislation […]. Source: Electronic Design

La directive RoHS chinoise est prête
Selon le magazine Circuits Assembly, le gouvernement chinois vient de fixer au 1er mars 2007 l’entrée en vigueur de la directive RoHS chinoise. Les entreprises devront obtenir une certification pour prouver leur conformité. Source : VIPNet

The Impact of RoHS on Military and Aerospace Applications
This year it happens. By July 1, 2006, all electrical and electronic items (as defined by RoHS) available in Europe will be required to comply with low-ppm levels for six restricted substances. The major impact is the limit of 1,000 ppm applied to lead content, as this requires a wholesale change to electronic PCB soldering processes and materials. Major OEMs worldwide have managed this change surprisingly well. There still are challenges for manufacturers of mission-critical products arising from two trends of lead-free production. First, commercial assemblies need to transition to lead-free. Second, the reflow medium will typically be based on SnAgCu (SAC); therefore, components must be compatible with this material and must retain reverse-compatibility with tin/lead systems that have not yet converted. The ideal, low-cost termination material for passive components meeting the above requirements is matte-tin. While SAC systems provided acceptable performance for many years through a range of applications, they have not yet established the years of history for stress and creep that traditional tin/lead systems have. Another issue is that tin-plated components, whether reflowed in SAC or tin/lead, will have small areas of exposed tin that can cause concern about whiskers. As studies continue, many avionic end products will be able to claim an exemption until at least 2010 for the conversion process. How and where the exemptions are applied will form a key part of manufacturers’ sourcing strategies - and all of this is being driven at the component level. Let’s consider two aerospace manufacturers: Aerospace Manufacturer “A” has adopted a green, lead-free policy to maximize usage of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products with no diminishing material supply (DMS) concerns & Aerospace Manufacturer “B” will retain usage of MIL components with tin/lead terminations […]. Source: SMT

IPC Publishes IPC-1752, Materials Declaration Management Standard
As the deadline for compliance with the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive draws near, companies across the electronics supply chain are focusing their efforts on materials declaration. Now, thanks to efforts by IPC’s 2-18 Supplier Declaration Committee, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Adobe?, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), RosettaNet and other dedicated volunteers, IPC-1752, Materials Declaration Management standard, has restored order to the chaos was multiple reporting forms and formats for materials declaration. IPC-1752 outlines a supply chain materials declaration format and process that provides a simple, effective approach to collecting, tracking and disclosing product material content information. The standard establishes electronic data formats and provides standardized forms to simplify the exchange of materials declaration information while improving efficiency and reducing costs. The forms, based on Adobe? PDF forms technology, use a UML data model developed with the assistance of NIST. The forms can be printed or can be exchanged via electronic means from e-mail to Web interfaces to advanced and secure business-to business methods. Data captured by these forms can also be extracted and exchanged in a standard XML format that will conform to the related RosettaNet Partner Interface Process? (PIPs). The machine readable (XML) structure will establish and implement specific data constraints and restrictions to ensure uniformity. Suppliers and their customers can use IPC-1752 to exchange data at their choice of three reporting levels which are organized into six reporting classes […]. Source: IPC

Orgalime Publishes Guide to RoHS & WEEE
Orgalime, Europe's engineering industry association, has published a practical guide to RoHS and WEEE implementation. RoHS & WEEE decision trees are illustrated, along with detailed guidance on interpretations. The guide addresses many of the 'grey' areas in WEEE and RoHS scope, with specific examples of what is and what is not included in both. It is demonstrated that some products may be outside of RoHS but within WEEE, for example. Orgalime plans to produce a further guide on understanding the specific obligations of RoHS. The document is available for free download after registration on the reference link below. Click here to learn more. Source: Elfnet

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>> March 7th, 2006

iNEMI High-Reliability Group Makes Recommendations for Pb-Free Manufacturing Requirements
iNEMI’s High-Reliability RoHS Task Force has published recommendations for Pb-free manufacturing of complex, thermally challenging electronic assemblies. These recommendations, which focus primarily on thermal requirements for components, laminate and PWB materials, and equipment, are intended to help ensure product reliability. Most high-reliability products have a Pb solder exemption or are out of scope under the RoHS Directive, and the companies that manufacture these products are evaluating the impact of Pb-free SAC solder assembly on the reliability of these more demanding applications. The complex assemblies found in high-reliability products often feature broad component mixes and pose many thermal challenges as a result of board thermal properties and the resulting thermal gradients across the assembly. Pb-free assembly is already challenging for manufacturers due to the higher temperatures required and the resulting tighter processing windows. When assembling complex assemblies, these challenges are exacerbated by the variability of component mass, large size and high layer count of PWBs, the need to rework, and the high likelihood of mixed through-hole, surface mount and back side assembly. “New soldering materials, maximum qualified component temperatures and primary attach and/or rework equipment all need to be addressed relative to reliability in the face of Pb-free assembly requirements,” said Joe Smetana, principal engineer, advanced technology, for Alcatel and co-chair of the iNEMI High-Reliability RoHS Task Force. “These recommendations were developed to communicate the needs of the high reliability segment to the supply chain and the relevant standards groups that must address these needs.” The recommendations are available on the iNEMI website. Source: CircuitNet

The countdown begins
A key European Union environmental-waste regulation comes into force in four months. For late starters, there's still time to accelerate RoHS compliance. Here's how. With the evolution of economics into a global endeavor, large manufacturers have been able to take advantage of the ability to build and sell their wares at multiple locations worldwide, achieving higher productivity and higher sales at a lower over- all cost. One consequence of the global economy, however, is that companies must also ensure that their products are in line with the regulations set forth by the nations in which they build or sell. The European Union (EU) has set forth a number of environmental regulations, most notability the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) directives. These directives are aimed at reducing levels of hazardous substances in new products and ensuring that materials and products are recyclable at the end of their life cycle, thereby also reducing the amount of landfill waste. In fact, by July, manufacturers of electronic and electrical equipment must comply with the environmental regulations--or pay significant penalties if it is discovered that they have not. Some of these standards are already in effect. Others are set to be activated within the next two years, with requirements steadily increasing over the next 10 years. The following are some key questions company executives need to keep in mind as they embark upon the compliance journey. RoHS compliance: The RoHS directive requires OEMs to certify that their products meet all regulatory requirements and do not exceed certain levels of hazardous substances, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium and certain types of brominated flame retardants. Many manufacturers of electronic and electrical equipment do not know, however, that the RoHS directive is aimed at all levels of the product structure and not just the finished product. Source: My ESM

Le sans-plomb, un thème majeur à Semicon Europa du 4 au 6 avril prochains à Munich
Le réseau européen Elfnet (European lead-free soldering network) sera présent sur l'exposition Semicon Europa du 4 au 6 avril prochain à Munich pour y présenter un ensemble de solutions ''sans plomb'' pour le packaging de composants et l'assemblage. Ces solutions seront visibles dans une zone intitulée ''village sans plomb'' sur la manifestation. Des experts européens et américains seront disponibles pour répondre aux questions des utilisateurs. A l'approche de la date d'entrée en vigueur de la directive RoHS, l'intérêt se focalise en effet sur la cha?ne d'approvisionnement et la conformité des composants, mais aussi sur le marquage, la déclaration des matériaux, etc. L'obsolescence est également une question clé pour les secteurs actuellement exemptés tels que l'aéronautique, l'espace et la défense. Selon Elfnet, la fiabilité sera encore pendant un certain temps un important sujet de préoccupation pour l'industrie. Informations complémentaires. Source: Electronique International

New Japanese Marking Standard - English Version Published
An English version of the new Japanese marking standard - JIS C 0950 - has been published. The standard, published in Japanese in December 2005, covers marking of the content of six restricted substances (Pb, Hg, Cd, Cr6+, PBB, PBDE) in electrical and electronic equipment. It is one of two new Japanese standards. The document introduces new marking symbols and is not harmonized with the US JEDEC JESD97 standard. IEC are working on a Technical Specification based on a Japanese proposal, with a draft scheduled for Committee discussion in April 2006. Follow the reference link below for the JSA webstore. Click here for more information on Marking & Labeling. Click here for Reference. Source: Elfnet

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>> March 6th, 2006

Omron completes RoHS compliance process
Omron Electronic Components Business - Europe today announced that, with effect from 1 March 2006, it is fully RoHS compliant, and that it has removed all remaining non-compliant stock from its European warehouse in the Netherlands. The company has eliminated Cadmium as well as Lead from all of its devices - and does not require the benefit of the period of grace that the EU has granted the industry on the use of Cadmium in switch contacts. Omron ECB Europe Chief Operating Officer Nigel Blakeway commented, "From today, all ECB components shipped by Omron in Europe to its customers and distributors fully comply with the RoHS directive. On the issue of Cadmium, Omron made a global, company-wide commitment to become a Cadmium free company, and all OCB products designed in the last 10 years are Cadmium free as a standard. We have been eliminating Cadmium from our remaining switch and relay ranges since April 2005, and have not encountered significant issues in matching the existing performance. As a result, our customers are assured that there are no further changes required to our components to comply with the current directive." Commenting on the status of the supply chain, Victor Viveen, Product Marketing Manger at Omron ECB Europe added, "We have been shipping only compliant products to our distributors since October 2005, and over 90% of our products have been fully compliant since April 2005. Although Omron's distribution customers should check the exact status of their product with their supplier, almost all distribution shipments now also comply with the directive." He continued, "For direct customers, we have only shipped compliant products since January. There are some very minor exceptions, where customers receive non-ECB devices as specials, and these customers have been contacted in writing and notified of the status of these products." According to Blakeway, the European RoHS directive is only the first stage in an on-going global process. "California's laws, mirroring RoHS legislation, take effect in early 2007, while China and Japan are also imposing restrictions," he explained. "There are signs that the directives will be extended to cover other toxic substances. As part of its commitment to building a sustainable business, Omron is keeping production and operating practices under continuous review. This will help ensure minimum disruption to our and our customers businesses as new regulations are implemented." Source: Evertiq

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>> March 5th, 2006

Is Asia Ready for RoHS?
With less than four months to go before the July 1, 2006 deadline for RoHS compliance, Asia’s ability to meet the directive’s demands is still largely unknown. RoHS affects a mammoth number of companies across Asia. In Taiwan alone, the Ministry of Economic Affairs estimates RoHS will affect 35,000 export-oriented companies. Some areas of Asia are well equipped to meet RoHS regulations, while others are still struggling toward compliance. Those regions with the longest experience in selling to Europe have the highest RoHS compliance rates. Japan has been RoHS-ready for years. The country has had strict environmental regulations in place for many years, so complying with RoHS was little burden to Japanese electronics manufacturers. A recent study by Global Sources Ltd. shows that electronics manufacturers in South Korea and Hong Kong are leading compliance among the Chinese and Korean regions. The study puts South Korea at 91 percent compliant, while Hong Kong is at 84 percent. Taiwan is estimated to be 65 percent compliant, while mainland China is at 50 percent. Not surprisingly, the laggards in all regions tend to be smaller companies. While the Global Sources study has been widely reported recently in the trade media, it has come under scrutiny, as well. Michael Kirschner, president of San Francisco-based consulting firm Design Chain Associates, noted that the study includes categories that are not covered by the RoHS directive. “Global Sources cherry picked the suppliers they featured in the report, so there are problems with the survey,” said Kirschner. “For one thing, the report covers batteries and auto electronics, and neither of those segments is covered in RoHS – they’re both exempt.” Kirschner believes that among Chinese territories, Hong Kong companies are doing best in reaching compliance. “The manufacturers are quite savvy in Hong Kong,” said Kirschner. “They’ve been doing quite a bit of training on RoHS, plus they read and understand English.” Kirschner believes the language barrier in mainland China has been an impediment to compliance. Source: Electronic News

Lead: One Problem, Many Solutions
By definition, the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive aims to help alleviate one problem, environmental pollution, with its biggest focus on the harmful affects of lead. But how a company reaches RoHS compliance is as varied as the number and diversity of companies in the supply chain itself. France’s Atmel Roussat, an arm of San Jose-based Atmel Corp., started to work, "on lead-free components with Japanese end customers in 2001, and as of today can say that 90 percent of our volume is RoHS compliant,” said Didier Samson, assembly and packaging engineering manager for the ASIC business unit of Atmel Corp. “The remaining 10 percent,” Samson said, “are for special customers exempt from using RoHS-forbidden components, such as the medical instrument and automotive industries, or customers late for lead-free PCB assembly. We can therefore say we are 100 percent RoHS compliant. In fact, by 2003 we had converted all our packaging offerings to green, RoHS-compliant.” Europe's Atmel Rousset and California's Atmel Corp. have worked independently on becoming compliant, checking progress with each other on a monthly basis and exchanging tips on certain techniques, Samson said. A problem with the definition of the bill of materials (BOM) was identified and resulted in several changes within the last three years. For packages with a lead-frame (QFP, LQFP, SOIC, SSOP, and others), Atmel started with both the plating option 98Sn2Cu (tin and copper) and Matte Sn (tin). “We have had no complaints in the three years we used lead-free plating. Now, we are moving to 100 percent Matte Sn, which is becoming the worldwide standard. But Matte Sn still has the well known ‘whisker’ risk to long term reliability,” Samson said, noting that happens roughly over three years. “Several end customers are pushing for PPF [pre-plated frame], which replaces the tin Matte with NiPdAu [nickel-palladium-gold] metal finishing. For BGA [ball grid array] packages, we have replaced the SnPb [tin-lead] solder balls with an SnAgCu [tin-silver-copper] alloy. By July 1, 2006 we will be ready to deliver 100 percent RoHS compliant products, depending on end customer needs.” […]. Source: Electronic News

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>> March 3rd, 2006

Lead-free seminar attendees to miss deadline
Attendees at the SMART Group 8th Annual Lead-Free Seminar admitted their companies will not be compliant by the July 1 deadline. The majority of questionnaires returned at the event showed that industry will either not be ready or is uncertain that it will meet the looming compliance date. Also a high number of companies believe they are exempt from the Directive. The greatest challenges cited by the attendees (pictured below) for being non-compliant by July 1 were non availability of lead-free components, compliance issues, cost of stock to support spares, reliability, moisture sensitive devices, and rework & repair. There were over 160 delegates at the event the most intriguing paper of the day was from Steve Brown, Global Product Manager-Wave Chemistry, Cookson Electronics, who accepted the poison chalice of speaking on the solder patent issue, the subject that many other speakers had refused. Brown covered intellectual property considerations, lead-free alloy patents and the typical cost of the royalty payment. Steve Dowds, Global Product Manager, Multicore Solder Products - Henkel, presented ‘IPC-SPVC: Comparison of SAC Solder Compositions’ on behalf of the IPC Solder Product Value Council, whose goal was to reduce the confusion regarding alloy choice and is devoted to achieving a worldwide consensus on the issue. This three year, $1 million Reliability Test Program looked at the impact of lead-free implementation on solder selection […]. Source: EETUK.com

WEEE and RoHS -- transposition update
Business Alert-EU has been reporting on the status of implementation of the WEEE and RoHS Directives in the national law of the 25 EU Member States. In the final report on this topic, Business Alert-EU covers below Belgium, Luxembourg, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Malta […]. Source: TDCTrade

February 2006 TAC Meeting Report
The UK DTI has published unofficial notes from the latest Commission TAC Meeting on 15th February 2006. Exemptions are discussed, along with the news that the Oko-Institut has been engaged to review the remaining exemptions. Categories 8&9 are still under review, though realistically it would be 2010 before any new rulings came into force. 6 exemptions were proposed - 5 were accepted and 1 rejected. An informal network for RoHS enforcement bodies has been launched. A Guidance document will be prepared to achieve a harmonised approach.The debate on definition of a 'Fixed Installation' was still not resolved and the Commission was asked to clarify the issue in a revised version of its FAQ document. View the Unofficial note of the Technical Adaptation Committee Feb 2006. Source: Elfnet

Hazard warning
The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive comes into force this summer. Purchasers of electrical equipment will have to be switched on to the requirements, says Ben Cook. This will have the "biggest impact since the invention of the microchip," says Gary Nevison, head of product market strategy at electrical distributor Premier Farnell. A bold claim indeed. Especially as it refers not to an innovation but a restriction - the EU Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, to be implemented on 1 July. Electrical and electronics supply chains are preparing for the change and purchasers need to be thinking about it, too. "It will have a huge effect right through the supply chain, to end-users and distributors," Nevison says. The directive places severe restrictions on the use of six substances - lead, cadmium, mercury, polybrominated biphenyls, hexavalent chromium and polybrominated diphenyl ethers - in electrical and electronic equipment. The restriction aims to protect health and the environment by cutting pollutants in air and water caused by the six million tonnes of electrical waste produced in the EU each year. The RoHS dovetails with another piece of EU legislation, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive, which aims to increase the amount of WEEE recycled by making manufacturers and importers responsible for the costs of its collection, treatment and recovery. The EU believes the WEEE directive will encourage manufacturers to design products with recycling and recovery in mind […] Source: SuppyManagement.com

Lead free - are you compliant, or merely capable?
Jaltek Systems Director of Technology Leon Dixon is put under spotlight to reveal his thoughts about the RoHS compliance work. As the clock ticks on, any electronics company worth its salt is doing all it can to ensure that its products, processes and business activity are ready for July 1 2006, when RoHS legislation transforms lead-free in Europe from a nice marketing message to a legal obligation. Naturally, the UK's EMS companies, who, like their fellows the world over have broad manufacturing portfolios and thousands of components and products to approve for their lead-free processes, are doing as much as anybody to prepare for the big day. But are they really RoHS compliant? Five steps to compliancy: Jaltek's compliancy for ARM, which started in earnest in May 2005, consists of five phases:
1) Analysis of target product design - completion July 2005: Jaltek examined ARM's new products from the point of view of their electronic, electrical, mechanical and packaging characteristics and checked for Bill of Materials compliancy to RoHS. Involving hours on the telephone to suppliers of components, electrical materials and cables, this is the root cause of Dixon's conviction that RoHS compliancy is more fiction than fact. "Forget the chat - with the level of noncompliancy in the suppliers we talked to, and we talked to a lot of them, it's incredibly difficult for electronics manufacture to be compliant". In many cases, Jaltek remained unconvinced that sourced materials were as compliant as their suppliers declared. Dixon's team found an astounding 46% of part numbers that had not changed although suppliers declared that the parts themselves had been changed for RoHS compliancy. "For us, that message is ambiguous", says Dixon. "It's possible that the items in question have indeed been changed, but we can't always be sure enough to recommend that our clients use them in their products, which they must legally warrant to be RoHS compliant". Furthermore, and more worrying, was the fact that many suppliers of mechanical parts and cables had never even heard of RoHS, and a lead-free standard for cables has yet to be defined. This begs a question: If this is the true state of parts supply, how can electronics manufacture possibly be compliant? At the closure of this phase the data collected indicated the level of RoHS compliancy across the products.
2) Redesign of PCBs - completion December 2005: The boards that are to go forward are re-engineered for lead-free componentry and parts. Dixon: "Where clients do not have the resources to do this in-house, Jaltek takes this on through their design house, Abra Cad, redesigning boards to the IPC7351 standard. In this case, ARM took this phase in-house, but also had the option to leverage our support" […]. Source: Evertiq

Post-RoHS Measures to Cut Volatile Organic Compounds
Some volatile organic compounds, likely to cause problems for electronics manufacturers after implementation of the RoHS, have been identified, and measures are being introduced to reduce their emissions. Manufacturing facilities are in the final stages of preparing for the implementation of the European Union directive, Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), in July 2006, which requires the elimination of hazardous substances from electronic components and other products. Already some substances have been identified which are likely to cause problems for electronics manufacturers after implementation of the RoHS, namely volatile organic compounds (VOC) (Fig 1). The term VOC is used for a range of organic compounds that volatilize easily at room temperatures, including substances like formaldehyde and xylene. VOCs have been cited as the main cause of the so-called "sick building syndrome", where people occupying a particular building for a portion of their day - e.g. home, office, school, etc - commonly suffer from problems such as headaches and dizziness. In electronic equipment, the high temperatures inside the case can volatilize the VOCs in plastic, adhesives and other materials, with possible adverse health effects. Move toward Standard: Until now, electronics manufacturers have taken a variety of approaches to VOC issues, ranging from aggressive measures to adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Many manufacturers began implementing VOC measures a decade or more ago, such as IBM Corp of the US. The firm established its own in-house VOC evaluation method at the end of 1993 to comply with Proposition 65 (Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act), a California state law, and began product testing in 1994. There were also many manufacturers, however, who seemed unaware of VOC issues, or took no action even if they did recognize the problem. Source: NE Asia Online

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>> March 2nd, 2006

Report of the SMART Group 8th Annual Lead-Free Seminar, ‘Question Time' & Exhibition
SMART Group has announced that the event was well attended with 160 delegates who appreciated a wide ranging seminar of lead-free topics, a lively debate and surprising results from a survey conducted on the day. The most intriguing paper of the day was from Steve Brown, Global Product Manager-Wave Chemistry, Cookson Electronics, who spoke on the solder patent issue, a subject that many other speakers had refused. Steve talked about patent protected lead-free alloys and the impact on the user. The paper entitled ‘Complying With International Patent Obligations' covered intellectual property considerations, lead-free alloy patents and the typical cost of the royalty payment. Fitting in very nicely was another materials presentation ‘IPC-SPVC: Comparison of SAC Solder Compositions'. Steve Dowds, Global Product Manager, Multicore Solder Products - Henkel, presented this on behalf of the IPC Solder Product Value Council, whose goal was to reduce the confusion regarding alloy choice and is devoted to achieving a worldwide consensus on the issue.? This 3 year, $1 million Reliability Test Programme looked at the impact of lead-free implementation on solder selection. The day kicked off with? ‘Routes to RoHS Compliance' with Neil Stanton, BSI Product Services, who summarised that companies should establish policy and processing, communicate with suppliers, find evidence and keep on file, only use suppliers that you have confidence in, test where appropriate, communicate with customers, review your process frequently and keep up-to-date with new RoHS information. Abigail Cottrell , Eco-Design & Product Policy at the Department of Trade & Industry gave the latest update on legislation in her presentation ‘RoHS – 5 Months to Implementation'. The day concluded with Dr Paul Cusack's, (Soldertec Global-Tin Technology) practical look at ‘Analytical Test Protocols for Ensuring Compliance with the EU RoHS Directive'. Source: EMSNow

Lead and other hazardous materials are coming out of electronic products. Test equipment has an exemption, but it still must be recycled
First unleaded gasoline debuted, then it was unleaded paint, and now electronics is losing its lead. As new European Union (EU) regulations governing the use of lead in electronics and the disposal of electronic products go into effect, many manufacturers are scrambling to redesign their products and devise new recycling policies. Complying with the EU requirements can be difficult, but similar regulations are also being devised in countries such as China and Japan, so it's becoming mandatory for manufacturers to "get the lead out." As of August 13, 2005, electronic products sold into the EU had to comply with Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), which requires manufacturers to provide a means for recycling the materials in their products (Ref. 1). In addition, by July 1, 2006, many electronic products sold into the EU must be free of hazardous substances, as dictated by Directive 2002/95/EC (Ref. 2), which covers the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS). Of the six substances restricted by the RoHS directive, lead is the most prominent in electronic products (Ref. 3). Because of its "mission-critical" nature, test-and-measurement equipment is currently exempt from RoHS but not from WEEE (see "Why exempt?" below). To learn about the difficulties manufacturers face in complying with the directives, I spoke with representatives of two North American companies that have taken the first steps toward compliance. On November 18, 2005, Sealevel Systems (Liberty, SC) announced an RoHS-compliant PCI board that adds serial ports to computers. On December 7, Exfo (Vanier, QC, Canada) announced that its telecom-test products were in compliance with the WEEE directive when it went into effect in August. Source: Test & Measurement World

It's tough to be green - Celestica CEO Steve Delaney: The complexity and impact of RoHS has been shocking
If you've determined that your products must adhere to Europe's Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) but you're not quite there yet, you have two choices: pray for an extension on the July 1, 2006, compliance deadline or break out your checkbook."The industry wide effects of RoHS include the increased cost of equipment, training, component unit cost, materials pricing, inventory and write-offs and the risk of poor execution due to complex product transitions," says Steve Delaney, CEO of EMS provider Celestica. Delaney says the biggest impact will be on companies whose products must comply with RoHS but are either doing nothing, hoping for a change in the legislation or planning to abandon the European market. When an industry is required by legislation to turn over every component, assembly, product and process, the effects are going to be huge, he adds. "At least one source has said this transition will cost the industry $20 billion over the next decade. Others say this estimate might even be a little conservative." As major providers of outsourcing services to the global electronics industry, EMS vendors such as Celestica, distributors and other supply chain companies will handle the bulk of RoHS-compliant components and materials channeled around the world. These companies must also provide documented assurance that no banned substances—including lead, cadmium or mercury—were used in manufacturing, assembly or production. If something gets by them, it's their OEM customers who will take the heat. Like many others in the supply chain, Celestica has shelled out millions of dollars to comply with the edict, which currently affects only Europe-bound electronics. Few of the companies interviewed for this article would be specific about actual costs—most don't talk about environmental and similar investments, for competitive reasons. But research and consultancy group Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI) estimates that individually, RoHS compliance will cost OEMs 2.5 percent to 3 percent of their cost of goods sold (COGS). (See below, "Costs to OEMs"). Geoffrey Bock, an engineer with compliance testing/certification group TUV Rheinland of North America, believes that the cost is even higher: 3 to 5 percent of COGS. ?RoHS has generated a fair amount of grumbling as the industry prepares for the July 1 deadline: even though many companies don't sell into the European Union, they are feeling the effect of the transition […]. Source: Electronic Business

U.K.-based Lead-free Seminar Covers the Bases
The SMART Group's 8th Annual Lead-free Seminar and Exhibition held in February was well-attended with 160 delegates, and included wide-ranging lead-free topics, a lively debate, and surprising results from a survey. Steve Brown, global product manager – wave chemistry for Cookson Electronics, spoke on the solder patent issue, covering patent-protected lead-free alloys and the impact on the user. His paper, entitled "Complying with International Patent Obligations," covered intellectual property considerations, lead-free alloy patents, and the typical cost of the royalty payment. Another materials presentation, titled "IPC-SPVC: Comparison of SAC Solder Compositions," by Steve Dowds, global product manager for Multicore solder products at Henkel, was presented on behalf of the IPC Solder Products Value Council (SPVC), who aims to reduce the confusion regarding alloy choice and achieve a worldwide consensus on the issue. This three-year, $1 million reliability test program looked at the impact of lead-free implementation on solder selection. The SAC alloy types tested were 96.5/3.0/0.5 Sn/Ag/Cu, 95.5/3.8/0.7 Sn/Ag/Cu, and 95.5/4.0/0.5 Sn/Ag/Cu, and the project involved Solectron and Flextronics. The SPVC 96.5/3.0/0.5 Sn/Ag/Cu recommendation became the commodity alloy for lead-free applications. The study also concludes that standard FR4 laminate can be used, and that voiding had no impact on reliability. The day kicked off with "Routes to RoHS Compliance," with Neil Stanton of BSI Product Services, who summarized that companies should establish policy and processing, communicate with suppliers, find evidence and keep on file, only use suppliers that you have confidence in, test where appropriate, communicate with customers, review your process frequently, and keep up-to-date with new RoHS information. "RoHS Readiness – Progress Report on Suppliers & Customers," by Alan Lund, product compliance manager at RS Components, outlined why RoHS is as much a logistical issue as a technical one, and concluded that component availability is key to achieving RoHs compliance. Source: SMT

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>> March 1st, 2006

EU, UK, France to block Swedish attempt to ban Deca-BDE
European Commission, UK and France block Swedish attempt to ban Deca-BDE. Swedish proposal did not respect the conclusions of the EU risk assessment. The European Commission and the UK government have submitted Detailed Opinions against the government of Sweden's attempt to adopt a partial ban on the flame retardant Deca-BDE (excluding automotive and electrical & electronics applications). France has also issued Comments supporting these Opinions. The UK and France are the lead EU Member States which carried out a ten-year EU risk assessment on Deca-BDE. This comprehensive risk assessment concluded in 2004 that there was no need for further risk reduction measures for this brominated flame retardant for all uses, including those targeted by the Swedish proposal. The proposed Swedish restrictions on Deca-BDE contradict the conclusions of the EU risk assessment and would undermine agreed monitoring and emission reduction programmes. The Swedish proposal would also place an unjustified barrier on the free movement of goods within the European single market. Furthermore, in proposing such an action, Sweden seriously undermines the credibility of the new EU Chemicals Legislation, REACH, which bases chemicals regulatory policy firmly on scientific testing. The Commission and Member State Detailed Opinions obligate Sweden to take the opposing position into account. After a period of three months, Sweden will have either to abandon the proposed legislation, amend it or risk the European Commission launching European Court proceedings. Source: Evertiq

Cadmium prices in steep decline
With demand weakening and supplies growing, cadmium prices are in a freefall. Purchasingdata.com buyer surveys finds the bluish-white metal down to an average $1/lb in February from a cyclical high of $2.29 last August. "Prices are coming down quickly," according to a merchant interviewed by Platts Metals Week. "There is plenty of material around; buying cadmium is not a problem, but there are no buyers." Analysts now expect the metal to trade around $1/lb or lower for some time ahead despite the fact that demand from battery builders is reported to be healthy. The use of nickel-cadmium batteries for power tools is strong, says Peter Goudie, executive vice-president of marketing at Canadian supplier Inco. He tells analysts recently that the power tool market is growing and research shows that nickel-cadmium batteries have technical advances in the power tool market compared with other battery types. However, cadmium is used extensively for electroplating, and there is no buying activity for that market these days. Some semiconductors contain cadmium but the metal is toxic and electronics use is shrinking because of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive from the European Union. Compounds based on cadmium are used as stabilizers for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) resins, but that market is weak due to environmental concerns. Source: Purchasing.com

Assess Pb-free Reliability workshops by Dr. Jennie Hwang in Chicago on March 29, 2006
What it takes to reach a conclusion. This two-session seminar culminates in the principles and practices of what constitutes lead-free reliability, what tests to perform, how to assess reliability, how to draw conclusions coupled with the observation of the Trace Labs' testing capabilities and facilities. The course are divided into two sessions: the morning session covers all relevant topics on lead-free reliability including 1.Factors; 2.Tests; 3.Integrated test results & interpretation; 4. Fundamentals; 5. Final assessment. The key factors affecting the Pb-free solder joint reliability as well as the component and assembly will be summarized. The question on "how many and which tests should be performed" will be rationalized. The validity of selected test parameters and test results will be outlined. The afternoon session discusses the prevalent phenomena, the likely causes and why they are related to reliability and how to mitigate their probability of occurrence, such as tin whisker, BGA black-pad failure, solder joint surface crack, solder joint voids, and high process temperature effects. The afternoon session also includes a tour of Trace Labs and the illustration of specific testing devices/apparatus and programs. The underlying distinction between Pb-free and SnPb in relation to reliability will be discussed. Relevant industry standards will also be outlined. Ultimately the combined topics address the question of "How to Assess Pb-free Reliability?" and "What are the crucial criteria to be considered?" Click here to register. Source: EMSNow

Makers Gear Up for RoHS Initiative
Over the last few years, electronics manufacturers and their suppliers have been preparing to meet the requirements of the July 1, 2006 deadline for compliance with the European Union Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. The directive not only limits hazardous materials but also requires proving compliance to governmental organizations by finished goods manufacturers. In particular, the new lead-free solder processes and materials used in IC packaging and board attach methods, and the higher temperatures they require, have necessitated changes all the way down the manufacturing and assembly line. Manufacturers can expect some upheaval as they attempt to keep their lead-free product lines, including components and packaging, separate from systems and parts that still include lead and the other restricted materials. Aside from lead, the RoHS directive restricts cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ether. Finding Alternatives: Several alternative lead-free materials have been proposed and tested, including several alternatives to the traditional tin/lead alloys. However, none is a complete drop-in replacement for tin/lead, and all have downsides. The type of solder material used determines the soldering process temperature, which has an impact on the reliability of the materials used in component lead finishes, printed circuit boards, chip attachments, and packaging. The temperatures used for tin/lead soldering of IC packaging and assembly are 180-200*C. Moreover, electronics manufacturing materials have all been selected for their compatibility with this range. But the temperatures used with the most common lead-free alloys - tin/copper for wave soldering and tin/silver/copper for reflow soldering - are much higher, at 200-260*C. Source: NE Asia Online

Japan Set To Enforce New Game-Related Electronics Restrictions
According to online reports, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry will begin enforcing a law concerning the sale of used electronic devices, beginning April 1st, in a move that is said by some to have significant effects on second-hand sales of older video game consoles or software. The Electrical Appliance and Materials Safety Law, passed in 2001, already requires manufacturers to place "product safety of electrical appliance and materials" (PSE) safety certifications on new electronic goods, and beginning in April, retailers will be prohibited from selling pre-2001 electrical items without the PSE mark. Though some have interpreted the law as signaling the end of, among other secondhand industries, the Japanese used game market, the law is less draconian than it might initially appear. Pre-2001 consoles such as the Dreamcast and original PlayStation would fall under the law, but as Japanese newspaper the Asahi Shimbun explains, there are several ways of getting around the regulation. One way is to export the affected systems, an activity exempt from the PSE law, while other retailers are seeking to lease rather than sell pre-2001 electronics. Even for those wanting to continue domestic sales, though, there is an option: retailers can register as manufacturers and affix their own PSE seals after testing to make sure the product appears to function, it successfully powers on, and it does not leak electricity at 1,000 volts. In those cases, the retailer would be responsible should any accidents occur, as the Ministry made clear to one inquiring merchant: "The official said, 'You will be able to sell (used products) if you attach PSE marks after making voluntary inspections," said a retailer to the Asahi Shimbun. "'But you should take full responsibility in case of an accident.'" However, such a danger would likely apply more to secondhand home appliance retailers, rather than relatively risk-free game system merchants. Source: Gamasutra