ROHS Consultants

The Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive is a set of criteria formulated by the European Union (EU) to regulate the use of toxic materials in electrical and electronic devices, systems, and toys. The Directive, also known as 2002/95/EC, is effective July 1, 2006.

The RoHS Directive applies to six specific substances:

• Lead

• Mercury

• Cadmium

• Hexavalent chromium

• Polybrominated Biphenyls 

• Polybrominated  Diphenyl Ethers 

Lead is found in solder, in the Plating for electronic component wires and printed-circuit foil, and in lead-acid rechargeable cells and batteries. Mercury is found in some high-intensity light bulbs and ultraviolet (UV) lamps, and was once common in cells, batteries and high-voltage rectifier tubes. Cadmium is found in older rechargeable batteries for small appliances and devices such as electric razors, cell phones and handheld radio transceivers. Hexavalent chromium exists in a wide variety of electronic components. PBBs and PBDEs are flame retardants used in plastics and in the manufacture of fabric coatings.

The Directive on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment 2002/95/EC (commonly referred to as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive or RoHS) was adopted in February 2003 by the European Union.[1] The RoHS directive took effect on 1 July 2006, and is required to be enforced and become law in each member state. This directive restricts (with exceptions) the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment. It is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC which sets collection, recycling and recovery targets for electrical goods

RoHS (Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances) regulations limit or ban specific substances -- lead, cadmium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), mercury, hexavalent chromium, and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame

retardants – in new electronic and electric equipment.

RoHS (Restriction of Use of Hazardous Substances) is an EU Directive which requires all businesses to comply with regulations concerning specific environmentally hazardous substances in electronic and electric equipment. Every business in the supply chain – including manufacturers, importers and exporters, and some retailers – are responsible for understanding the RoHS compliance definition and adhering to the regulations.

All businesses are responsible for developing a working RoHS compliant definition and testing system to ensure that all products are fully RoHS compliant. All companies are also responsible for RoHS training to ensure that all employees understand RoHS and testing procedures. There are very specific regulations government RoHS compliance and the penalties for ignoring regulations are severe. Lack of understanding and lack of knowledge are not considered an excuse for lack of RoHS compliance, so it is essential that your business get familiar with RoHS regulations and carefully follow every rule concerning testing and documentation.Most businesses today ensure RoHS compliance by sending their electronic and electric parts and equipment to specialized laboratories across Europe. These laboratories offer fully RoHS compliant testing and documentation. Unfortunately, sending your products to the laboratory for testing can take weeks and in many cases the testing process is invasive, so that your products are disassembled and often destroyed in the testing process. In addition, testing via laboratories can be expensive. Over time, as you test your products and equipment regularly, these hassles and costs can quickly add up and make RoHS compliance testing less than convenient for your company, especially if your company is responsible for many electronic and electric parts and pieces of equipment. Each piece of equipment would need to go through the entire testing procedure regularly. Another option for RoHS compliance is to put together an in-house testing facility. In many cases, however, the cost of hiring and training professionals is prohibitive.Handheld XRF analyzers can help you create an in-house testing system that is fast, non-invasive, and cost-effective. Handheld XRF analyzers are small devices that screen items for elements, including for the elements banned under the RoHS. These devices screen in real time, which means that you get results instantly. It’s an ideal way to tell whether a piece of equipment is RoHS compliant – without the wait. In compliance with RoHS, many handheld XRF analyzers also save the results of scans. In addition, these scans do not require any actions on the part of the user – the scanners do all the analysis work. This helps to reduce human error for more reliable results.

With handheld XRF analyzers, you can enjoy the benefits of in-house testing without having to pay for consultants, additional employees, or expensive equipment. Since these analyzers are not destructive, you will not need to sacrifice any parts of equipment to testing. You may not even have to purchase handheld XRF analyzers. Many companies offer rentals of these devices so that you can rent the latest models as you need them for RoHS compliance testing. The IEC Guidelines affirm that XRF testing is a valuable step in RoHS 

EU Directive

The new RoHS Directive, officially known as Directive 2011/65/EU on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (recast), was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 1, 2011 and will enter into force on July 21, 2011. 

The RoHS Directive restricts the use of Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Cadmium (Cd), Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), and Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) in manufacturing of certain electrical and electronic equipment sold in the European Union. 
• 22 July 2014  - Medical devices and monitoring and control instruments
• 22 July 2016 - In vitro diagnostic medical devices covered
• 22 July 2017 - Industrial monitoring and control equipment covered
• 22 July 2019 - Electrical and electronic equipment which fell outside the scope of the original RoHS Directive

How do I know whether my products are RoHS compliant?

In order to ensure that products are RoHS compliant, careful testing and documentation must be done in accordance with RoHS Directive regulations. Luckily, there are many resources that can help business ensure RoHS compliance. RoHS consultants help oversee compliance for businesses. These professionals ensure that all necessary parts and equipment are testing according to RoHS guidelines and that all testing is carefully documented. Another option is laboratory testing. Companies can send their products to laboratories offering RoHS testing. The labs will test the company’s products and in a few weeks return the results and needed documentation. Another option is the use of handheld XRF analyzers. These small devices instantly test for the presence of elements and substances controlled by the RoHS Directive and offer instant results as well as saved results for RoHS documentation. Many businesses use a number of solutions to ensure full RoHS compliance.