May 21 - Expert Q & A on EU ROHS Directive
With the Implementation of the European Union ROHS Directive just weeks away, Dr. Ron Lasky, of the Idium Corporation, and a visiting professor at Dartmouth, provides some perspectives on implementation in the May issue of SMT Magazine:
The RoHS Directive requires the “producer” to “put on the market” only products that do not contain lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, and two flame-retardants. There is no paperwork requirement. By simply putting the product on the market, you declare it is RoHS-compliant. Therefore, EU member states have little infrastructure to develop for RoHS.
Dr. Lasky believes that ROHS can be beneficial to many companies:
Let me give you a few examples. Suppose you are a small subcontract assembler and have worked hard to become a RoHS-compliant supplier. What an advantage. You have little competition. Many will seek your services. How can this be bad?
In another case, someone pointed out that they could not find a steel supplier who listed the amount of cadmium in their steel. It is not hard to measure cadmium in steel at the required RoHS level. Why not be the first company to supply “certified” RoHS-compliant steel? When there is a disruption such as RoHS within an industry, fortunes can be lost. But fortunes can also be made. Look for your opportunity.
CAW sponsored AB 2202 (Saldaña), would require electronics sold in California to meet the same toxic phase out as the EU ROHS Directive. The measure is expected to be heard in the Assembly Appropriations Committee this week.
What you can do: