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What is RoHS and Why is it Important?

What is RoHS?
RoHS is the acronym for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. RoHS, also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union and restricts the use of specific hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products.

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What are the restricted materials mandated under RoHS?
The substances banned under RoHS are lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), hexavalent chromium (CrVI), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).

Why is RoHS compliance important?
The restricted materials are hazardous to the environment and pollute landfills, and are dangerous in terms of occupational exposure during manufacturing and disposal. At RelianceCM we take our certifications seriously, from our ISO9001 certification to our RoHS compliant manufacturing facility, we pride ourselves on taking a vested interest in our clients and delivering high quality products and services while being environmentally conscious.

Which companies are affected by the RoHS Directive?
Any business that sells applicable electronic products, sub-assemblies or components directly to EU countries, or sells to resellers, distributors or integrators that in turn sell products to EU countries, is impacted if they utilize any of the banned materials.

Are RoHS and WEEE related?
Yes. RoHS is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE). WEEE compliance aims to encourage the design of electronic products with environmentally-safe recycling and recovery in mind. RoHS compliance is meant to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals used in electronic manufacturing.

Put another way, RoHS regulates the hazardous substances used in electrical and electronic equipment, while WEEE regulates the disposal of this same equipment.

How does RelianceCM maintain its RoHS compliance?
The RelianceCM staff is highly trained to handle and manufacture RoHS compliant products using dedicated equipment and workstations. We are sure to use specific, unique part numbers to segregate RoHS components so that they can be properly kitted and routed through the facility.

RelianceCM keeps the “pedigree” of each component used in our RoHS assembly processes. That way if there are ever any questions regarding the RoHS compliance of an assembly, we can provide thorough documentation.

More information can be found on Wikipedia, as well as here: RoHS Directive.

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