All Change! RoHS compliance - A matter of substance

27th May 2010

Just as engineers were getting used to the current rules regarding ‘RoHS-compliant’ components, the goal-posts are about to move again. Stephen Watts & Stephen Hopwood of Syfer Technology raise some serious issues that will concern all electronics designers and specifiers.

As environmentally-conscious citizens, most engineers welcome the spirit of the RoHS legislation, the WEEE directive, REACH and similar initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of man-made waste on the environment. Engineers are responsible for ensuring electronic equipment performs as required, so keeping track of new legislative requirements, and assessing the potential impact of material changes on design, adds another layer to an already complex product development process.

Now changes are being proposed to the EU RoHS Directive (dubbed RoHS2 by industry), and although not yet confirmed, a wide range of amendments are expected. The overall scope of the directive is likely to expand to include virtually all electrical and electronic equipment not covered by existing categories, adding medical, monitoring and control equipment and fixed installations, among others. Additional hazardous substances are under review for addition to the restricted list and the rules on exemptions are being tightened up. In the future, exemptions will expire after four years if alternative materials are available, unless an extension or modification to the exemption is requested and approved.

If you thought your electronic products were not covered by the scope of the RoHS directive then that might change. If you rely on an exemption for your process or product, you may need to be more active in monitoring that exemption. If you rely on component manufacturers to provide RoHS-compliant devices, then give a thought to their predicament too!

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