Vishay expands electrolytic capacitor line-up

"Vishay Intertechnology Inc. announced that it has added the RoHS-compliant 153 CRV series to its range of vertical SMD aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Devices in the 153 CRV series are compatible with Pb-free soldering processes and offer long useful operating life from 200,000 hours at 40°C, enabling designers to save space without sacrificing performance or reliability. The new capacitors are charge- and discharge-proof, and will withstand surge voltages up to 1.15 times rated voltage and reverse voltages up to 1V, all applied under IEC 60384-18 specifications. In addition, a vertical SMD construction ensures minimum board space." Source: eetasia.com

Counterfeiters compliant

"In one of the strangest twists in the industry’s move to green components, some of the companies hawking counterfeit parts are claiming their parts are Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant. This bizarre development is occurring as OEMs are hip-deep in evaluating the level of trust they can put in their suppliers. If they can’t trust a supplier to deliver RoHS-compliant parts, they will likely need to test the components as part of their due diligence to prove to European Union governments that their products are compliant. The counterfeiters are not likely to make the trust cut, which means a lot of testing will need to be done to determine the content of these parts. The flow of grey market parts—some of them counterfeit—balances industry gaps in supply and demand. “The whole issue of the grey market is going to get amplified by compliance,” says Peter Lachapelle, VP of content at Dallas-based i2 Technologies Inc. “This is the least desirable time to buy from the grey market. There’s enough confusion in the black and white market.”" Source: ferret.com.au

Some OEMs late to the RoHS party

"Most of the focus of RoHS-readiness has been on component suppliers. If the suppliers are RoHS compliant, the whole industry is compliant, right? Apparently not. Distribution executives have lately complained that some of the RoHS laggards are OEMs. A number of major and minor manufacturers will be scrambling this spring to get their products RoHS compliant. Some skeptics believe it may take recalcitrant OEM executives a warning to get them to move. “When they see a cover story in ‘Business Week’ claiming that non-RoHS ready CEOs will face Sarbanes-Oxley charges, then maybe they’ll move,” said one distribution executive. In the meantime, distributors are bracing for a likely supply-chain crunch this spring when last-minute OEMs suddenly start their mad dash to get RoHS compliant." Source: designnews.com

A step ahead in RoHS compliance game

"Manufacturers of passive components have been quicker than some of their counterparts in the semiconductor market to post really quite detailed information of RoHS compliance issues on their websites. A visit to the websites of suppliers such as AVX, Murata and Yageo will confirm that for the largest suppliers all chip capacitors and resistors, except perhaps a very small number of specialist parts, are available in production as lead-free, RoHS compliant parts. Most passive component suppliers offer detailed information on lead-free component availability on their websites. For example, one of the more comprehensive can be found on the Welwyn TT Electronics website. It has been offering dates for lead-free/RoHS compliant availability for the last year. It also says that “either finish may now be supplied for a transitional period as stocks are exhausted”. However, “customers requiring guaranteed lead-free product before the end of the transition period must specify ‘Pb-free’ when ordering”." Source: electronicsweekly.com

Agile to Participate in RoHS Compliance Seminar

"Dries D'hooghe, senior director of product strategy and management at Agile Software Corporation (Nasdaq: AGIL), a leading provider of product lifecycle management (PLM) solutions, is scheduled to present at the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers' (AHAM) RoHS Compliance Seminar. This seminar is designed to assist companies in compliance with the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). The latest developments in product compliance, legal issues and management of the supply chain will be discussed. Dries will be making a presentation that will detail how PLM software can be used to manage product information such as bills of materials, forms and records against standards and regulatory requirements, including RoHS." Source: prnewswire.com

Design Chain Assoc., EPTAC Continue RoHS Seminars

"Design Chain Associates and EPTAC Corp. will continue its one-day seminar series, "Thriving in a RoHS/WEEE Environment," throughout the U.S. in 2006. The seminar will cover the EU directives and add all new information on this continuously evolving issue, including insights into new alloys, explanations of China RoHS, supplier updates, reliability updates and more. This seminar is designed for OEMs, distributors, contract manufacturers and outsource design and manufacturing firms. It is geared toward executive management that needs to determine strategic direction as well as anyone involved in the implementation and execution of the required changes to conform and thrive. Teams are urged to attend since environmental compliance impacts many groups." Source: circuitsassembly.com

Power inductor delivers wide inductance range

"Stackpole Electronics Inc. has introduced a new surface-mount, wirewound, shielded inductor that enables easy surface mounting in close proximity to other components on the assembly board. The new PS series inductors offer a wide range of inductance values ranging from 1µH to 10,000µH with current ratings from 1,000mA to 20mA. Standard tolerance is ±20 percent with ±10 percent available. The PS series is available in three sizes: 6.6-by-4.45-by-2.92mm, 12.95-by-9.4-by-5.08mm, and 18.54-by-15.24-by-7.62mm. The inductor, which features a ferrite construction with a magnetic shield, is rated for an operating temperature range of- 40°C to 85°C. The Pb-free and RoHS compliant series is suitable for reflow soldering." Source: eetasia.com

Vishay Introduces RoHS-Compliant SMD Aluminum Capacitors

"Vishay Intertechnology Inc has added the RoHS-compliant 153 CRV series to its range of vertical SMD aluminum electrolytic capacitors. Devices in the 153 CRV series are compatible with lead (Pb)-free soldering processes and offer long operating life from 200,000 hours at 40°C. The new Vishay BCcomponents 153 CRV polarized aluminum electrolytic capacitors are available in case sizes measuring from 4 x 4 x 5.3mm to 10 x 10 x 10mm. Standard capacitance values are from 0.47 to 470µF, with voltage ratings from 6.3 to 50V. Minimum operating useful life is 2,000 to 3,000 hours at 105°C, corresponding to 200,000 or 300,000 hours at 40°C respectively (depending on the case size). The devices are charge- and discharge-proof, and will withstand surge voltages up to 1.15 times rated voltage, and reverse voltages up to 1V, all applied under IEC 60384-18 specifications. A vertical SMD construction ensures minimum board space." Source: nikkeibp.com

Scheme offers three routes to RoHS compliance

"When considering the complex process of manufacturing electrical and electronic goods and products it is imperative to have an effective quality management system in place, able to manage the whole supply chain from raw materials to components and via the end-production stage to shipment. As the retailer importing the goods and products into the European Union is responsible for meeting all European Regulations applicable to the product in question(such as the RoHS Directive), it is becoming ever more important to have effective and adequate test and control mechanisms in place to ensure and to prove that the 'imported product' meets all necessary requirements. The objective of the SGS modular RoHS concept for retailers and importers is to provide effective and adequate control mechanisms to ensure that the imported products meet the product specifications (agreed between the import organisation and the manufacturer) and all necessary RoHS regulations from the European Union, such as RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC." Source: electronicstalk.com

D-sub Connectors Now Meet RoHS Directive Requirements

"FCI's RoHS-compatible D-Sub connector family now meets the European Directive EU 2002/95/EC — the Delta D series straight-solder and press-fit versions are now available without the restricted materials as detailed in the directive, and the right-angle version will be available by the end of the year. The Delta D-subminiature connectors are available for both PCB and cable applications in both signal and power versions. The RoHS-compatible versions withstand temperatures up to 260°C for 3.5 seconds, and are capable of withstanding lead-free wave soldering temperatures. The RoHS-compatible Delta D range is identified by the suffix "LF" at the end of existing part numbers." Source: smt.pennnet.com

Anadigics debuts RoHS-compliant WLAN front-end solutions for mobile and MIMO markets

"Anadigics, a supplier of wireless and broadband communications solutions, today unveiled two new front-end products for WLAN mobile and multiple input multiple output (MIMO) applications – the AWL6254 and AWL6255. The new products’ front-end integrated circuits (FEICs), which combine the power amplifier, low-noise amplifier and RF antenna switch on a single die to minimize space requirements, exhibit exceptionally low current consumption to reduce battery drain in mobile and MIMO applications, said the company. The newly introduced products are ideal for space-critical designs, such as PDAs, mobile phones, smart phones, notebook computers, and USB adapters, said Anadigics, adding that the new family of WLAN single-band FEICs consists of two solutions, both designed for applications that require the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)." Source: digitimes.com

China RoHS - July 2006 'May be Delayed'

"Latest information from Huang Jianzhong, the director of China RoHS at the Economic Operations Bureau of China's Ministry of Information Industry, Beijing suggests that the timeline for implementation is behind schedule. The final draft of 'The Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products' will be released in January 2006 to be implemented in July 2006. However, important components such as the companion catalogue that will define the electronics products covered by the law and the reporting requirements will not be available in time. Huang is quoted: "Ideally [China RoHS] will be effective July 1, but we may delay it,"" Source: emsnow.com

UK DTI releases RoHS guidance notes

"The UK DTI has released the final and most comprehensive version of its Guidance Notes on RoHS implementation. This provides the best available information on the UK government's interpretation of the RoHS regulations and their application by UK companies. Although some of the information is based on the transposed UK regulation, much is of use to the wider community. more at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/ weee/RoHS_Guidance_November05_Final.pdf" Source: emsnow.com

Embedded Capacitor Material Achieves RoHS Compliance

"3M Electronics' embedded capacitor material, an advanced laminate, is now RoHS-compliant. The material can be made with a dielectric thickness down to 8 µm and a capacitance density of over 10 nF per sq. in. for embedding planar capacitance in circuit boards. When used as "power" and "ground" layers in a multi-layer PCB, it becomes an internal shared decoupling capacitor, eliminating many discrete surface mount capacitors and vias." Source: smt.pennnet.com

3M Embedded Capacitor Material is RoHS Compliant

"3M Electronics announced today that its advanced laminate, 3M embedded capacitor material, is RoHS compliant.(a) OEMs and printed circuit board fabricators are using this innovative material to help increase speed and performance of their boards. They are also using the material to meet the requirements of space-constrained designs common in portable products and military applications. 3M embedded capacitance material can be made with a dielectric thickness down to 8 microns and a capacitance density over 10 nanofarads per square inch, which makes it among the thinnest and highest capacitance density materials available for embedding planar capacitance in circuit boards. When used as "power" and "ground" layers in a multilayer PCB, this material effectively becomes a shared decoupling capacitor inside the board, allowing for the elimination of many discrete surface-mount capacitors and their associated vias. The material is compatible with all rigid and flex PCB processing including laser drilling. Fabricators and OEMs worldwide can use this material without purchasing a license from 3M. Consequently, such OEMs are unrestricted in their choice of fabricator." Source: 3M via businesswire.com

Industry-First RoHS-Compliant Low Profile PCI Digital I/O Board

"Sealevel Systems, Inc. announces the first RoHS-compliant low profile PCI digital I/O adapter, the PIO-24.LPCI. The board offers easy connection to industry-standard solid-state relay racks for monitoring and control of AC and DC signals. Designed for compatibility with legacy and new computer systems, the board is MD1 low profile and universal bus compatible (3.3V or 5V). The PIO-24.LPCI is the first in a series of forthcoming RoHS-compliant digital I/O product introductions as Sealevel embraces this important environmental initiative. Sealevel is proactively leading the industry in the development of innovative communications and I/O products that meet the RoHS (2002/95/EC) and WEEE (2002/96/EC) directives adopted by the European Union. The RoHS directive restricts the use of lead and certain other hazardous materials in electronic products. Sealevel designs all new products for RoHS process compatibility and is modifying legacy products and manufacturing processes for RoHS compliance. The Company will continue to offer both RoHS-compliant and noncompliant products to meet global and domestic customer demand." Source: automation.com

New resources on SMTA.org for environmental compliance and lead-free technology

"SMTA recognizes the importance of eliminating toxic materials in electronics manufacturing and supports research and development of non-toxic materials and technologies, while ensuring product quality without further harmful environmental or health risks. The information presented in the newly established resource on smta.org for Environmental Compliance & Lead-free Technology includes an event listing, related links, and technical resources the SMTA offers, such as technical articles in the Knowledge Base and reference books available in the Bookstore. The related links include further information to legislation for the RoHS/WEEE/EU Directive, industry organizations similar to SMTA involved in environmental compliance and lead-free technology, and prominent industry company Web sites." Source: emsnow.com

Farnell Inone opens lab to aid engineers

"Farnell InOne has opened an electronic design engineering (EDE) laboratory which will he sees as a U.K. centre for industry excellence and exploration. Based at the company's headquarters in Leeds, the EDE Lab will provide a hub for training and in-depth analysis on the latest industry issues as well as for new product demonstrations from the world's leading manufacturers. To mark the launch, Farnell InOne held an Industry Focus Day on RoHS and Lead-Free Soldering. The free event included a soldering workshop covering solder temperatures, solder types and solder demonstrations in conjunction with Cooper Tools, as well as presentations from Kelan Circuits Ltd and Henkel Multicore. Other suppliers who attended to share industry knowledge with the design community included Vermason Ltd (ESD), Schaffner (EMC), Lumileds and LeCroy." Source: eetuk.com

EDA tool suite optimized for RoHS, WEEE

"EDA vendor EMA Design Automation Thursday (Dec. 8) released a tool suite designed to help engineering teams create products complaint with the European Union's restriction of hazardous substances (RoHS) and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directives. The Engineering Data Management (EDM) suite is a database management system that provides detailed control over all product design data, with specific emphasis on environmental compliance material content, according to EMA (Rochester, N.Y.). The EDM environment supports various versions of RoHS data including both RoHS 5 (NIE exemption) and the general RoHS 6 requirements, EMA said. The EDM system can manage all relevant product design data including both electrical and mechanical computer aided design with the capability to create RoHS/WEEE reporting documentation, the company said." SOurce: eetimes.com

Three terminal capacitor array is RoHS compliant

"UK-based component manufacturer Syfer Technology has available an extended range of RoHS-compliant, X2Y three terminal capacitors. Intended for decoupling and EMI suppression tasks the X2Y range provides three capacitors in one device. The capacitors are also available with flexible terminations, called FlexiCap, which is designed to reduce the risk of mechanical damage, such as cracking, during handling and assembly processes, said the supplier." Source: electronicsweekly.com

RoHS compliant motion control products

"LIN Engineering, represented in Australia by Switches Plus Components, offers products compliant with the EU RoHS directive (and similar initiatives) on or before the specific dates set forth in those applicable laws and regulations. Nearly all Lin Engineering standard motors can be provided as RoHS compliant and those versions will require new part numbers. Lead times for accessory RoHS compliant products (such as encoders, connectors, special bearings, et.) will be longer than the lead time for standard motors. In order to expedite the conversion process, customers are advised to contact their local Lin Engineering sales representative if they need RoHS compliant versions of Lin Engineering motors." Source: ferret.com.au

PCB Suppliers Feel the RoHS Pain

"The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)directive, along with other environmental regulations worldwide have been driving changes throughout the supply chain, with printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers feeling the pain intensely. In the fabrication and assembly of PCBs, RoHS requires the elimination of six hazardous materials — lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers — from the production process. The elimination of lead alone from the solder used for board manufacturing and assembly is forcing a number of changes in processes, raw materials, components and equipment, according to Tony Garramone, corporate training manager at Advanced Circuits, an Aurora, Colo.-based PCB board supplier. For most board manufacturers, the major change from RoHS will be the use of laminate materials that can withstand higher processing temperatures and different final finishes." Source: reed-electronics.com

EMA Expands Its RoHS/WEEE 'Design for Compliance' Solution

"EMA Design Automation: -0- *T "Implementing our Engineering Data Management solution provides a 'Design for Compliance' methodology allowing engineers to control and streamline the engineering data that is generated in the design of their products," said Manny Marcano, president and CEO of EMA Design Automation *T EMA Design Automation(TM), a full-service provider of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions, today announced the availability of the Engineering Data Management(TM) (EDM(TM)) suite to help engineering teams create RoHS/WEEE-compliant products. EDM is a database management system that enables companies to have detailed control over all product design data with specific emphasis on environmental compliance material content. The EDM environment supports various versions of RoHS data including both RoHS 5 (NIE exemption) and the general RoHS 6 requirements. The EDM system can manage all relevant product design data including both ECAD (electrical) and MCAD (mechanical) with the capability to create RoHS/WEEE reporting documentation. EDM is an environment that provides functions such as BOM versioning, ECO generation, full library and workflow management, and document archival for the engineering work group. This gives the design engineers full control over the data enabling them to provide more consistent, higher quality information, which later can be incorporated into enterprise PDM/PLM and ERP systems." Source: tmcnet.com

Supply chain pressure comes from RoHS

"No one in the supply chain is underestimating the scale of the task facing all companies as the July 2006 deadline for compliance with the RoHS Directive approaches. It could be a bigger, more expensive issue for companies than dealing with the Millennium date change five years ago. Suppliers and distributors have been tackling the issues of compliant product availability and component labelling for many months. With strategies in place many suppliers feel confident that they have the compliance issue under control. Yet they are facing another problem. With the realisation of the approach of the cut-off for non-compliant components, many customers are being more reticent in their purchasing practices to avoid being saddled with non-compliant inventory they cannot use after July." Source: electronicsweekly.com

Federal Electronics Debuts RoHS Conversion Services

"EMS provider Federal Electronics has debuted a services portfolio to aid OEMs convert and reengineer their products to comply with the European Union's RoHS directive. These regulations prohibit selling new electronic and electrical equipment in Europe if it contains more than trace levels of lead and five other elements by July 1, 2006. Federal's solution targets companies in the high-mix, high-complexity and low- to medium-volume electronics market niche that are at risk of not complying with the directive's deadline. It focuses on helping companies that have limited internal resources to manage the conversion of their products." Source: smt.pennnet.com

Companies May Not be Included in New Manufacturing Contracts if Their Employees Don't Know What RoHS and WEEE Stand For

"The upcoming deadline (July 1, 2006) for RoHS is upon us and what seems to be the response? There are plenty of people that don't even know what these acronyms mean. RoHS is a new European restriction on six hazardous substances. The substances are Mercury, Cadmium, Lead, Chromium VI, Polybrominated Biphenyls,Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers. The other directive WEEE stands for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment. This is a directive to mandate proper disposal of electronics equipment.These materials are common in the electronics industry. There is preparation by raw material vendors such as Kester, and Indium www.indium.com www.kester.com . There are supplies available for the transition. On the manufacturing end is there preparation? Precision Assemblies is one company that has prepared for the transition www.precisionassmblies.com." Source: prweb.com

Purging the pollutants for RoHS and WEEE

"An Electronics Weekly/Farnell InOne roundtable to debate the problems of RoHS and WEEE compliance discussed the contaminants in components, how to test for them and the best way to get rid of them." Source: electronicsweekly.com

Solectron Reaches RoHS Goals

"Solectron Corp. announced that it has achieved its compliance goal for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS). The provider of electronics manufacturing and integrated supply chain services said that global sites representing 85 percent of its manufacturing capacity have successfully completed a qualification program for lead-free RoHS compliant manufacturing in line with the requirements outlined in the European Unions RoHS directive." Source: reed-electronics.com

D-sub connectors are RoHS compliant

"FCI has added RoHS-compatible options to its D-subminiature family of connectors. Both the Delta D series straight solder version and the press-fit version are now available without the restricted materials as detailed in the directive, and the right-angle version will be available by the end of the year. Delta D-subminiature connectors are available for both PCB and cable applications, in both signal and power versions. The RoHS-compatible versions withstand temperatures up to 260C for 3.5s, and so are capable of withstanding lead-free wave soldering. The RoHS-compatible Delta D range is identified by the suffix LF at the end of existing part numbers." Source: electronicstalk.com

RoHS Compliant 4 Gb/s Fiber Optic Transceivers

"Agilent Technologies Inc. introduces a RoHS-compliant, multi mode fiber optic transceivers targeted at 4 Gb/s Fiber Channel storage networking applications such as Fiber Channel switches, disk arrays and host bus adapters. The small-form-factor SFF and SFP modules are fully compliant with the European Unions Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive. Both the Agilent AFBR-59R5LZ in the 2 × 7 SFF package and AFBR-57R5APZ in the SFP package are compliant with ANSI (American National Standards Institute) FC-PI and FC-PI-2 physical layer standards and support Fiber Channel applications at 1, 2 and 4 Gb/s data rates. Their small form factor and desirable EMI performance enable high-density configurations. Both feature integrated diagnostic monitoring interface (DMI) capabilities per the SFF-8472 multi-source agreement, which allows users to monitor link quality during operation using the standard I2C interface." Source: fpnmag.com

RS RoHS Compliance Guide

As a market leading company RS is working closely with its business partners to ensure compliance and support for you. RS supply an ever growing range of compliant components, all clearly marked on our website to make finding and buying easy. For further information please visit our online RoHS Knowledge Centre at www.rsaustralia.com / www.rsnewzealand.com or download a copy of our RoHS compliance brochure ( http://www.ferret.com.au/DirPlus/Images/InfoUnits_PDF/123852.pdf )." Source: ferret.com.au

WEEE & RoHS: The conformity detectives

"The onus is on manufacturers to demonstrate conformity - and continuing conformity with the EU regulations. The cost of a recall if a failure were identified would, for most, be catastrophic. A complete analysis may involve the destruction of the article and effectively turning it into an electronic soup. This is time consuming and also expensive. It is possible, however, to get a quick and accurate screening of components and assemblies using X-ray fluorescence. This has several advantages, taking only a few seconds, being non-destructive and also automated if many similar components need testing. The X-ray fluorescence method is especially economical for screening the components as a first step of the inspection process." Source: electronicsweekly.com

Soft launch for China RoHS in July

"China is making progress toward introduction of its version of the European Union’s RoHS directive but the timeline for eliminating the use of hazardous materials will lag Europe’s. The final draft of China RoHS, officially known as The Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products, will be released in early January and is expected to be passed into law in July, 2006, according to Huang Jianzhong, the director of China RoHS at the Economic Operations Bureau of China’s Ministry of Information Industry, Beijing. However, the all-important companion catalog that will define the electronics products covered by the law and the reporting requirements will not be available at the time the law takes effect. In fact, there is no timeframe set for when the catalog will be made available, Huang said. When China RoHS is passed into law the only formal requirement will be for companies to include a label of the hazardous substances contained in their products. Companies will not be required to remove hazardous materials from their products at that time." Source: my-esm.com

RoHS summit set

"The National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA) will present an industry summit on January 19th in San Jose to discuss and analyze lead-free issues affecting the supply chain. The summit titled, "Negotiating the Economic, Legal and Logistic Challenges of RoHS/Lead Free Compliance," is designed to foster discussion among all segments of the electronic components channel. The summit will be conducted in a roundtable format and provide ample opportunity to delve into non-technical issues of RoHS and explore ongoing industry compliance activities throughout the supply chain." Source: purchasing.com

NEDA continues successful summit series on RoHS/Lead Free Compliance

"The National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA) will present an industry summit on January 19th in San Jose to discuss lead free issues: Negotiating the Economic, Legal and Logistic Challenges of RoHS/Lead Free Compliance. This meeting is a follow-up to two successful summits held earlier in the year. The goal is to foster discussion among all segments of the electronic components channel. NEDA encourages distributors, manufacturers and customers to attend with your channel partners. A variety of issues will be presented: -- An update on Europe and China with Mike Kirschner, President of Design Chain Associates -- Mary Carter-Berrios, Technical Product Manager for KEMET Electronics Corporation, and Arnold Offner, Industry Standards Manager, Phoenix Contact Inc. will provide information on IPC 1752 and Materials Declaration. -- Customer 411 - What are they doing to prepare? What's still lacking? What do they expect? -- J.P. Brisson, Senior Associate, Global Environmental Group, Allen-Overy, LLP will provide an update on the Legal Aspects Of RoHS/WEEE" Source: emsnow.com