Electronics Industry HazMat Solution Including RoHS & WEEE Directives Compliance
No other industry is feeling the current increased need for access to reliable and certified Hazardous Materials/Substance (HazMat) information. The introduction of the European Union's Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives are just the start of the worldwide trend toward a "lead-free" and environmentally friendly electronics industry.
In tandem with the changing HazMat and environmental regulations, IHS has evolved its industry-leading HazMat solution to equip you for full lead-free compliance across the electronics industry. As an electronic product company, the IHS hazardous materials solution offers you centralized, Internet-based tools for every stage of your product lifecycle:
- design and development decision support
- electronic and component parts management and maintenance
- HazMat, RoHS and WEEE compliance reporting
Reduce Electronic Product Lifecycle Costs with an Integrated HazMat Solution
One reality of lead-free restrictions is lost engineering resources since engineers must now deal with double the amount of parts information than previously. To offset this loss, electronic product companies can increase their efficiency through the IHS hazardous materials solution.
The IHS HazMat solution is seamlessly integrated with world-class databases and services for delivering and managing electronics parts and component information. The IHS electronics database alone contains information on 14 million parts vital to operating in the electronics industry:
- typically 30 attributes per part
- associated documents and datasheets (current and historic)
- Product Change Notifications (PCNs), including HazMat-related
- ISO 9001 certified process
80% of the lifecycle costs of electronics products are locked-in during the early design phase. As a result, having one system at your disposal to handle everything from identifying suppliers to verifying and documenting lead-free compliance to predicting years to end of life (YTEOL) for parts and components means reduced costs through increased efficiency.
Reduce Hazardous Materials-Related Risks with an Evolving Solution
The risks of producing an electronics product that is not lead-free compliant are clear: lost sales, obsolete inventory, the possibility of consumer backlash, fines, and more. At the same time, the European Union's "lead-free" directives are just the beginning of environmental restrictions that will be placed upon the electronics industry:
- the Joint Industry Group (JIG) and larger companies are creating their own hazardous substances initiatives
- China's "Administrative Measure on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products" law differs significantly from RoHS and is far more stringent
- countries such as Canada, Japan, Australia and Korea are all implementing their own unique lead-free-informed hazardous materials restrictions
As environmental regulations and restrictions evolve, electronic product companies need a HazMat solution that likewise evolves and flexibly supports such changes. The IHS hazardous materials solution does that and more, freeing you to concentrate on your electronics industry projects. For example, while designing a new electronic component, the easy-to-use IHS interface gives you the option to select only those hazardous materials-related restrictions that apply to your particular product.
Compliance Beyond RoHS and WEEE Restrictions
The introduction of lead-free and other environmental restrictions on electronic parts and components involves more than just selecting compliant parts during the product design phase. New requirements must also be met regarding procurement, tracking and management, and reporting.
Complying with procurement requirements now means acquiring and verifying component substance data from your suppliers. Compliant tracking and management now includes maintaining an internal source of data on the components used in your electronic products and how they were acquired. Finally, compliant reporting now includes outputting component data regarding your electronic product in various formats for customers, OEMs, distributors and national or international authorities.
Thankfully, the IHS HazMat solution provides a centralized online graphical interface and a host of custom options that make it easy to meet your new environmental requirements for procurement, tracking and management, and reporting.
Ensure Your HazMat, RoHS and WEEE Compliance
As an electronic product company, your reasons for compliance may be many: ensuring acceptance of your product into Europe; demonstrating eco-friendliness; gaining a competitive edge. Regardless of your motivations, the IHS HazMat solution provides the credible data, powerful tracking, and flexible reporting you need to ensure your hazardous materials and lead-free compliance.
Contact IHS today for more information or to schedule a free opportunity analysis.