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NEMI Summit Indicates that RoHS/WEEE Conversion is Well Under Way
link to summit presentations
Herndon, VA - November 12, 2004 - The NEMI RoHS/Lead-Free Summit held October 18-20 in Louisville, CO, drew a crowd of close to 190 people. Discussions over the course of the three-day meeting underscored the electronics industry's high level of interest in, and concern about, impending deadlines for the European Union's RoHS (Restriction on use of certain Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives. Combined, these directives provide unprecedented regulation of the entire product lifecycle.
The summit was co-sponsored by AeA (formerly the American Electronics Association), the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA) and IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries, and hosted by StorageTek® (Storage Technology Corporation, NYSE: STK). Sessions focused on the status of RoHS/WEEE implementation and, for many attendees, this was their first in-depth exposure to the subject. One of the primary concerns of the group was how companies will be able to prove compliance, both to regulatory bodies and to their customers. The directives are not explicit on this point, and the EU's Technical Adaptation Committee (TAC), which has been tasked with providing guidance on RoHS implementation, has not yet made recommendations.
Roy Perry, corporate vice president of global supply chain for StorageTek, welcomed summit attendees to StorageTek and stressed the importance of building broad support for RoHS compliance efforts within the company and its supply chain.
"Like any other change that our industry undergoes, conversion to RoHS/WEEE compliance will create a number of business opportunities," said Perry. "The companies that embrace these trends in a timely and efficient fashion may well be positioned to increase their businesses and grow market share. In the end, market forces will address the remaining issues and help the industry maintain a robust supply chain that will successfully eliminate materials of concern and support product recycling."
Highlights of summit discussions included:
- Executive support is required for a successful company program.
- Each firm should appoint a project manager and develop an implementation plan that includes in-house efforts as well as supply base.
- Many major OEMs plan to convert to Pb-free solder and components during the first three quarters of 2005 for their consumer products. (Some are even targeting the end of this year.)
- Much of the supply chain is prepared to support this conversion schedule.
- Many producers of high-end exempt products will convert to Pb-free components at the same time, and then convert to Pb-free solder at a later date.
- All major OEMs are requiring new part numbers for Pb-free components (in order to clearly differentiate "leaded" parts from Pb-free).
On the third day of the summit, break-out groups met to explore ways in which industry might work together collaboratively to address four of the key needs identified during the summit. These groups were:
- Development of industry-wide best management practices (led by Holly Evans, Strategic Counsel, LLC). This team discussed formation of a working group to address compliance issues associated with global product-related restrictions. Participants identified guidelines and information that could be developed to assist industry in the transition to RoHS requirements and outlined a 10-step "best practices" program that would help companies demonstrate due diligence in their efforts to remove RoHS-banned substances from their products.
- Shared material database (led by Eric Austerman, Jabil Circuit, Inc.). This group discussed development of a global industry-wide depository of component material data, similar to the approach taken by the automotive industry in its efforts to comply with similar bans and restrictions imposed by the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Directive (which went into effect July 2003).
- Communications and education (led by Jim McElroy, NEMI, and Fern Abrams, IPC). In this session, participants identified and prioritized efforts to help: (1) efficiently coordinate between parallel efforts, (2) educate the industry as approaches/best practices are recommended and (3) gain rapid support/adoption for preferred approaches.
- High-end product issues (led by David Cavanaugh, Benchmark). This group discussed how to develop a successful path for using Pb-free and mixed-metal technology with regard to processing and reliability for high-end electronics (which are exempt from some of the directives' requirements). They identified two potential follow-on activities: (1) define/develop a process for successfully manufacturing high-end devices using Pb-free materials and processes, and (2) determine the effect of mixed-metal technology and complete Pb-free material systems on the reliability of high-end systems.
Anyone interested in participating in follow-up projects should contact Bob Pfahl at bob.pfahl@nemi.org or call +1 (703) 834-2083.
About NEMI
The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of more than 60 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. NEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about NEMI, visit www.nemi.org.
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For further information:
Cynthia Williams, NEMI
207-871-1260
cynthiaw@maine.rr.com