Lead-free Initiative and Elimination of Banned Substances
In support of our customers, environmental directives, and our own "green" initiatives, Advanced Interconnections has completed the transition related to the substance content of our production processes, product raw materials, and packaging containers to comply with the guidelines established by the European Union EU, as defined in the following Directives:
• Directive 2002/95/EC, 27 January 2003, (RoHS)
• Directive 2000/53/EC, 18 September 2000. (ELV)
• Directive 2002/96/EC, 27 January 2003, (WEEE)
• Directive 94/62/EC, Packaging & Packaging Waste
• Directive 1907/2006, December 2006, (REACH)
Our efforts were mainly directed toward meeting the RoHS Directive, calling for the elimination of lead and other hazardous substances from electronic products. Of no lesser import are the other directives cited above. Together, these Directives have an extensive scope, and many of the requirements are not applicable to our products and processes.
As the worldwide directives for environmentally-friendly manufacturing continually evolve, we remain committed to ongoing product evaluations, identifying raw material substitutions, and adopting alternative ("greener") manufacturing processes. All these efforts form the necessary building blocks from which we will be better prepared to provide the best possible solutions to our customers.
REACH Compliance
More recently, our customers have been inquiring about our REACH regulatory compliance status and the presence of potential Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC). Please contact our customer service department for our current REACH Declaration Form.
PFOS Statement
AIC does not use PFOS (Perflourooctane Sulfonate or Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid) in any of our products or materials.
Definition of Lead-free
To specifically address the issue of lead, a formal definition of exactly what constitutes a "lead-free" product must be established. We agree with the EU and define "Lead-free Products" as products in which the aggregate lead content will be less than or equal to 0.1 % by weight (an amount consistent with the RoHS Directive).
Products currently in production shall be sequentially transitioned to RoHS compliance in accordance with the following, except in the instance where specific customer requirements, agreements, or contracts exist:
- To ensure accurate ordering and ease inventory management, new part numbers have been issued for any products that were converted to lead-free compliance.
- All component termination surfaces that currently specify electroplated tin-lead over a nickel barrier shall also be made available with state-of-the-art no-whisker or low-whisker electroplated matte tin (100%) over a nickel barrier as the preferred SMT wettable material. Existing lead-based products will still be available, under current part numbers, for exempt applications.
- The matte tin surface finish is compatible with tin-lead (SnPb) and lead-free (SnCuAg) reflow.
- All component termination surfaces that specify electroplated gold over a nickel barrier are not affected and will not be changed during this transition.
- During the transition to compliance, all plastic materials used in the insulators of our products will contain only the flame retardant additives prescribed in EC Directives 2002/95/EG and 2003/11/EG:
- Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT): antimony trioxide and bromine compounds
- Polyimide (PA): antimony trioxide
- Liquid Crystal Polymer (LCP): bromine free
New Product Development from July 1, 2006 forward shall include all applicable elements of RoHS / WEEE compliance, except in the instance where specific customer requirements, agreements, or contracts exist:
- All component termination surfaces shall be made available with state-of-the-art no-whisker or low-whisker electroplated matte tin (100%) over a nickel barrier as the preferred SMT wettable material.
- The matte tin surface finish is compatible with tin-lead (SnPb) and lead-free (SnCuAg ) reflow.
- All component termination surfaces that normally specified electroplated gold over a nickel barrier are not affected and will not be changed during this transition.
- During the transition to compliance, all plastic materials used in the insulators of our products will contain only the flame retardant additives prescribed in EC Directives 2002/95/EG and 2003/11/EG as detailed above.
Special Products are instances where exemptions or specific customer requirements, agreements, or contracts exist:
- Military and Aerospace applications are not referred to in the RoHS directive.
- Products with applications that can be considered exclusively 'aerospace' are not covered by the scope of either Directive (RoHS or WEEE). Article 2.3 of the WEEE Directive states that equipment connected with national security or military purposes is excluded from the scope of the directive. However, the RoHS Directive does not grant a similar exemption. Special exemptions and any discrepancies among the various directives will be closely monitored and documented based on individual customer application requirements.
As an ISO 9001 Certified designer and manufacturer of innovative interconnect solutions, we embrace the goals of earth-friendly manufacturing. Please see our Lead-Free Implementation Schedule for conversion dates by product category for compliance with the European Directive 2002/95/EC, (RoHS). Also attached is an informative list of European Directives relating to this topic.
President
RoHS Conformance - Related Notes*
1. Details of the ban of cadmium in paints by the EU Directive 91/338/EEC:
and at all events not exceed 0.1 % by mass.
2. Details of the ban of cadmium, hexavalent chromium, lead and mercury in the EU Directive 94/62/EEC:
packaging components shall not exceed 0.01% by weight.
3. Exemptions to the ban of lead as a plastic stabilizer:
4. Exemptions to the ban of cadmium in the proposed EU RoHS Directive:
relating to restrictions on the marketing and use of certain dangerous substances and preparations.
5. Exemptions to the ban of cadmium in the EU End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC:
6. Exemptions to the ban of chromium VI in the proposed EU RoHS Directive:
7. Exemptions to the ban of chromium VI in the EU End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC:
8. Exemptions to the ban of lead in the proposed EU RoHS Directive:
0.4% lead by weight and as a copper alloy containing up to 4% lead by weight.
for telecommunication.
9. Exemptions to the ban of lead in the EU End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC:
Copper alloy containing up to 4 % Lead by weight.
10. Exemptions to the ban of mercury in the proposed EU RoHS Directive:
11. Exemptions to the ban of mercury in the EU End of Life Vehicles Directive 2000/53/EC:
12. Exemptions on the ban of Mercury in the Rhode Island Mercury Reduction and Education Act, 2001H6161A, 13.07.2001:
or the manufacturer shall comply with the exemption requirements pursuant to section 23-24-9-7(f) of the Act. Exemption
in place for section 23-24.9-7(a) requirements if the mercury is present in the product in order to comply with federal or
state health or safety requirements.
13. Exemptions to the ban of pentaBDE in the 24th amendment of EU Directive 76/769/EEC:
14. Exemptions to the ban of decaBDE and octaBDE in the 24th amendment of EU Directive 76/769/EEC:
15. Exemptions to the ban of PBB and PBDE in the proposed EU RoHS Directive:
Disclaimer (*): the RoHS Conformance Related notes are provided for your convenience and reference to assist your interpretation of the myriad of regulations associated with the European Union Directives cited earlier in this text. Wherever possible and to the best of our ability, we have taken care to ensure that we have presented a complete and accurate representation of these EU requirements. In the instance that there is a conflict between the conformance notes in this document and the requirements included in those EU Directives, the EU Directives shall take precedence. Updated 3/15/10.