Frequently Asked Questions

What does RoHS & WEEE mean?

On January 27, 2003, after almost a half decade of review, the European Union passed two Directives - the Reduction and Restriction of the use of six Hazardous Substances (RoHS) (2002/95/EC) found in electrical and electronic equipment and Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) (2002/96/EC) Directive. Subsequent amendments to these directives have included more specific language on the concentration levels, definition of homogenous materials, and additional exemptions to the directives.

The WEEE Directive went into effect on August 13, 2005, and the RoHS-Directive on July 1, 2006. Manufacturers of consumer electronic and electrical products have to ensure that their products are RoHS-Compliant before the product is sold in the European common market. The WEEE-Directive obligated each manufacturer, importer, or producer to register the products that fall within the categories in the WEEE Directive with a national registry in the country of sale. The National Registry makes the manufacturer/producer responsible for financing the collection, treatment, recovery and disposal of all waste.

What products are affected by RoHS?

As of July 1, 2006, the ROHS-Directive will cover specifically consumer and household electronic and electrical products. Currently industrial electronics and electrical products destined for large industrial machinery are exempted as Category 9. To obtain a better understanding of the categories and those that are exempt, visit the ORGALIME website at www.orgalime.org. After providing your contact details online, they offer a PDF with many pictorial examples. Orgalime is the European Engineering Industries Association representing the interests of the mechanical, electrical, electronic and metalworking industries and it consolidates the national activities of the various trade associations in the EC Countries.

What substances are restricted by RoHS?

There are six RoHS-restricted substances: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr6), polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) and polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDE). These restricted substances will not be allowed in the manufacture of electrical and electronic products being shipped into the European Union beginning July 1, 2006. These substances are known to be harmful to humans and animal life.

The Maximum Concentration Values are 0.1% by weight (1000 ppm) in "homogeneous materials" for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenylethers, and 0.01% by weight (100ppm) for cadmium.

OSHA (www.osha.gov) published a guideline in February 2006 on Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6). In the USA, manufacturers have 6 to 12 months, depending on the company size, to reduce factory worker exposure to Cr6 particles.

How does it impact me?

Landfills all over the world are filling up. A multitude of products contain substances which could pollute water supplies (phosphorous in CRTs, lead solder in circuit boards, certain plastics with flame retardants, and other kinds of chemicals). Besides pollutants, many of these products contain useful materials that conserve energy by recycling instead of obtaining them from their raw sources. For example, a ton of electronic circuit boards contains about 1 oz. of pure gold!

Recycling electrical and electronic equipment waste will soon be everyone's responsibility. Recently, California enacted their State Bill 50 which emulates the European Union WEEE Directive. Other states in the USA are presently considering their own forms of recycling, and recycling is no longer a matter of "If" but "When."

Cell-phones, monitors, television sets and computers with their inherently short life have been targeted first, and California has already introduced a State Bill that will encompass more of the products defined in RoHS and WEEE directive in future legislation.

Will all products be free of hazardous substances after July 2006?

Not entirely. There are certain kinds of equipment and certain industries that have temporary exemptions, or waivers (large stationary industrial tools, monitoring and control instruments, military equipment, and some medical devices). The telecommunication industry has received a waiver until 2010, and the military has a permanent waiver.

Based on ongoing technical review, manufacturers are responsible to find alternatives that would reduce, or even eliminate, the hazardous substances.

What is the timeline for implementation?

Many global companies have been aware of the trend to reduce hazardous substances in their manufacturing process for over a decade. The RoHS and WEEE Directives have been in the works since the mid 1990's, and so with the publication of the Directives in 2003, many manufacturers had already been implementing techniques and processes to fulfill the intent of the Directives.

The WEEE Directive requiring a manufacturer to take back used electronic or electrical equipment has been in effect within the European Union since August 13, 2005, and the RoHS Directive came into effect on July 1, 2006.

What does lead-free mean worldwide?

"Lead-free" is the moniker used in the industry to denote a RoHS-compliant part. However, confirm with your supplier that the part is also "RoHS-compliant." Reducing or removing only lead is not sufficient. The lead-free idea is thought to have originated in the manufacturing arena, where lead (as much as 40% of eutectic solder) must now be eliminated.

How can Phoenix Contact assist me?

At Phoenix Contact, all of our PCB-mounted COMBICON and DIN-Rail CLIPLINE Product lines are being produced in a RoHS-compliant manner.

Many of our newer products launched since 2003 have been RoHS-compliant since their inception. As a manufacturer of PCB Terminal Blocks, and Electronic products, we are therefore involved in both the production of RoHS-compliant connectors and electronic industrial automation assemblies.

While many of the electronic products in our INTERFACE, TRABTECH and AUTOMATIONWORX Catalogs are eligible for exemption on July 1, 2006, we are converting those products to a RoHS-Compliant state.

As a customer of our products, we are able to show you what you need to do to manufacture RoHS-compliant product. Given our years of experience in the process and changes required in your manufacturing, we look forward to being your partner.

How do I identify RoHS-Compliant product from Phoenix Contact?

As of November 2004, we have begun to mark the outer package label of RoHS-compliant parts with the following logo:

What does Lead-Free manufacturing mean?

By removing Tin-Lead (Pb) from the solder process, the use of SAC solders is suggested. The temperature of the solder bath is higher, and the Silver Gold Copper alloys do not shine as the Tin-Lead solder joints do. Speak with your Solder supplier since the SAC number reflects the composition of the alloys, i.e SAC305 solder consists of 3% silver, .05% copper, 96.5% Tin. If you are a manufacturer, and assemble your own printed circuit boards, consider becoming a member of the IPC organization. (http://www.ipc.org/). They offer both training and numerous production process literature pieces.

How does it impact electronic production?

The visual result of a lead-free solder joint is duller, and so your inspection and quality teams need to be aware of these visual differences. Lead-free printed circuit boards (PCB) will have a white tin (or other) finish and so a review of all the elements of a Bill of Material (BOM) will require supplier review.

What exemptions are you claiming on your products?

An important exemption in the RoHS-Directive is "Lead as an alloying material in Copper". The exemption in the RoHS-Directive allows a maximum of 4% content. Depending on the Phoenix Contact connector part, this can vary between 1.2% to 3%.

Can you supply Certificates of Compliance?

Yes. Based on the unique 7-digit numerical part number, we would ask that you submit your request for a Certificate of Compliance to RoHS@phoenixcon.com. If you have a long list, please consider sending the list in a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet. Please provide your company name and address, as well the customer or project for which you require the CoC.

Do you know the composition of your products? Can you prepare Material Declarations for them?

Yes and No. While we do know the approximate composition of our connector blocks (both PCB and Din-Rail), we have no database tool to supply what is known as a Material Declaration.

The RoHS-Directive only lists 6 hazardous substances, however, some industry groups have taken the issue further with the so-called JIG A and B Lists. The JIG, or Joint Industry Guide, goes way beyond the requirements of the RoHS-Directive and contains about 101 materials. More importantly, in Europe, the consensus exists that a Material Declaration is superfluous and simply not needed.

How can you tell that products actually are compliant?

Together with a Manufacturers' Certificate of Compliance, we also use a handheld XRF device to inspect incoming components, products and material. The device can provide detail on the 6 hazardous substances, however one must be aware of the unique attributes of the device and consider the results with this in mind.

Can you show Due Diligence in RoHS compliance if audited?

Yes. The IEC Standards Committees involved in the ISO 9001 Quality Standards are looking at introducing process steps to include the RoHS- and WEEE-Directive. Visit http://www.iecq.org/ (www.IECQ.org) for more details.

Many assume that in proving due diligence, you are off the hook with respect to the RoHS-Directive.

Not so. Even in the UK where this idea has been circulating, it is clear that the due diligence defense will not carry if it can be proved that your end-item contains more than the legally allowable levels of any of the 6 Hazardous substances. So if you manage a process that can track all pieces, parts and components, that still does not guarantee the parts are compliant.