Standard of Excellence: Turning Negative Customer Feedback Into Positive Outcomes
Smart Automation: The Growing Role of Additive Manufacturing
Global Citizenship: Redefining Connection and Responsibility in Digital Transformation
EU Commission Launches Stakeholder Consultation on RoHS Exemptions
September 20, 2017 | IPCEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The European Union (EU) Commission launched a four-week stakeholder consultation on DRAFT Delegated Directives for exemptions:
- 6(a) Lead as an alloying element in steel for machining purposes and in galvanized steel containing up to 0.35% lead by weight
- 6(b) Lead as an alloying element in aluminum containing up to 0.4% lead by weight
- 6(c) Copper alloy containing up to 4% lead by weight
- 7(a) Lead in high melting temperature type solders (i.e. lead-based alloys containing 85% by weight or more lead)
- 7(c)-I Electrical and electronic components containing lead in a glass or ceramic other than dielectric ceramic in capacitors, e.g. piezoelectronic devices, or in a glass or ceramic matrix compound
- 18(b) Lead as activator in the fluorescent power of discharge lamps containing phosphors
- 24 Lead in solders for the soldering to machined through hole discoidal and planar array ceramic multilayer capacitors
- 34 Lead in cermet-based trimmer potentiometer elements
The consultation closes on October 17, 2017.
IPC, in conjunction with an international industry stakeholder group, applied for more than a dozen exemption extension requests under the EU RoHS Directive. The RoHS2 Directive dictates expiration dates for all exemptions granted and several critical to the electronics manufacturing industry were set to expire by July 21, 2016. However, all exemptions for which industry submitted a renewal application will not expire until the EU Commission completes the current ongoing review of the applications.
Throughout the process, IPC and several member companies provided important technical information in order to ensure the extension requests are robust and scientifically sound. IPC reviewed all extension requests and provided important feedback that resulted in credible material submitted to the EU Commission.
IPC’s EHS Committee and RoHS Exemptions Task Force will review the draft delegated acts and develop a response to the stakeholder consultation. IPC member companies are also encouraged to comment directly to EU Commission through their website.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Elephantech: For a Greener Tomorrow
04/16/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineNobuhiko Okamoto is the global sales and marketing manager for Elephantech Inc., a Japanese startup with a vision to make electronics more sustainable. The company is developing a metal inkjet technology that can print directly on the substrate and then give it a copper thickness by plating. In this interview, he discusses this novel technology's environmental advantages, as well as its potential benefits for the PCB manufacturing and semiconductor packaging segments.
Trouble in Your Tank: Organic Addition Agents in Electrolytic Copper Plating
04/15/2025 | Michael Carano -- Column: Trouble in Your TankThere are numerous factors at play in the science of electroplating or, as most often called, electrolytic plating. One critical element is the use of organic addition agents and their role in copper plating. The function and use of these chemical compounds will be explored in more detail.
IDTechEx Highlights Recyclable Materials for PCBs
04/10/2025 | IDTechExConventional printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing is wasteful, harmful to the environment and energy intensive. This can be mitigated by the implementation of new recyclable materials and technologies, which have the potential to revolutionize electronics manufacturing.
Connect the Dots: Stop Killing Your Yield—The Hidden Cost of Design Oversights
04/03/2025 | Matt Stevenson -- Column: Connect the DotsI’ve been in this industry long enough to recognize red flags in PCB designs. When designers send over PCBs that look great on the computer screen but have hidden flaws, it can lead to manufacturing problems. I have seen this happen too often: manufacturing delays, yield losses, and designers asking, “Why didn’t anyone tell me sooner?” Here’s the thing: Minor design improvements can greatly impact manufacturing yield, and design oversights can lead to expensive bottlenecks. Here’s how to find the hidden flaws in a design and avoid disaster.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2025: Tariffs and Supply Chains in U.S. Electronics Manufacturing
04/01/2025 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOChris Mitchell, VP of Global Government Relations for IPC, discusses IPC's concerns about tariffs on copper and their impact on U.S. electronics manufacturing. He emphasizes the complexity of supply chains and the need for policymakers to understand their effects.