RoHS & WEEE
The RoHS Directive
The only boards we produce that are not RoHS compliant are those with the tin-lead HASL surface finish, all other printed wiring boards meet the RoHS requirements. However, we aim to:
- Continue to supply HASL tin-lead boards to all customers exempt from the RoHS requirements.
- Help customers obtain the information they need to prove due diligence in complying with the directive.
- Provide assistance in achieving environmental standards above and beyond the RoHS directive.
- Offer technical support and solutions to the problems presented by RoHS compliant assembly processes
With respect to the latter of the aims above, here are some useful points to consider when ordering RoHS compliant printed wiring boards:
- Laminates do not need to be Halogen free to comply with RoHS. The brominated flame-retardants used by laminate manufacturers do not belong to the class of PBB or PBBE.
- The decomposition temperature (Td) and time to delaminate at 260ºC (T260) are important characteristics when choosing a laminate for lead-free soldering. High Tg does not necessarily mean that the laminate is suitable for lead-free soldering since some high Tg FR4s have the same Td and T260 as "standard" Tg FR4s.
The WEEE Directive
As a producer of waste electrical and electronic equipment we are responsible for ensuring that this waste is disposed of in an environmentally sensitive manner and, wherever possible, recycled to some extent. This involves the identification and use of responsible suppliers who have a system in place for dealing with new and historical WEEE. This is something we are pleased to do, not only in order to comply with the WEEE directive but also as part of our overall desire to limit the environmental impact of our work activities.
