Overview of RoHS and Electronic Goods:
As noted in the
main Hazardous Substance Detection section, regulations on hazardous metals are affecting a wide range of industries and product lines. The initial regulation (and most commonly referred to) was the
European Union’s (EU) RoHS (Restrictions on Hazardous Substances) initiative that affected consumer goods manufactured and sold into/throughout Europe.
Since RoHS affected products sold into the EU it only affected United States companies that were exporting goods there. However, many states are developing regulations similar to RoHS which affect goods sold into their states. California was one of the first with their Electronic Waste Recycling Act of 2003; commonly referred to as California-RoHS,
an overview can be reviewed here.
Who is affected by RoHS and similar regulations?
These directives affect any organization that manufactures, distributes and sells electrical and electronic equipment to the regulated states (EU and USA). The banned materials show up in a variety of product lines; including:
Mercury: thermostats, sensors, relays in switches and discharge lamps
Lead: Soldering of printed circuit boards (PCB’s) glass for cathode ray tubes and light bulbs
Cadmium: Switches, springs, connectors, housing for printed circuit boards
Hexavalent Chromium: metal coatings for corrosion protection and wear resistance
Polybrominated Biphenyls and Diphenyl Ethers: flame retardant in printed circuit boards, connectors and plastic covers
How to comply with regulations?
Different organizations are taking the approach that work best for them. Some manufacturers are requesting that their suppliers are proving compliance to the regulations while others take in-house control of testing during incoming or outgoing inspection. Suppliers that show their offerings meet the regulated levels either send product to outside testing laboratories, incorporate lead-free solder and designs or take in-house control of compliance testing. No matter what the method, by proving compliance to RoHS and simliar regulations a supplier can increase business by promoting compliance to users that require compliant electrical components.
Whether an organization is manufacturing a component or assembling a final product, if they want to have
total control over compliance testing then x-ray fluorescence (XRF) is a common approach. Whether it is through
Portable XRF or Desktop XRF technology; x-ray fluorescence analyzers offer a cost-effective, non-destructive testing method that can quickly confirm a product meets the standards set.
Why test in-house instead of sending components to outside laboratories?
Independent laboratories provide an excellent service to companies that test on a limited basis or require extremely detailed product analysis. However, many organizations prefer having in-house testing capabilities because they want to:
Eliminate long-term laboratory and shipping costs
Avoid the hassle of shipping components/products out
Speed up the delivery process and avoid waiting for test results
Gain full control over the testing
If your organization is interested in increasing business by showing that your electrical components are compliant to the various hazardous substance regulations and prefer to prove compliance by having in-house control; contact Skyray XRF to discuss the various testing options that we can present. Popular Skyray XRF analyzers for hazardous substance detection include:
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EDX-2800 : Benchtop XRF
The lowest detection limits are available with this high performing XRF model. Various features (camera system, sample alignment system) provide assurance that precise measurments are taken for every reading.
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The Pocket : Handheld XRF
This mobile testing instrument allows for on-line testing and has no limit to sample size, shape or location! The portable XRF is a great RoHS Screening tool for incoming/outgoing inspection.
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Information on RoHS in the USA can be found at this XRF Blog post
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