The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

[PeteS in CA]

The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH
By Rob Spiegel -- Electronic News, 7/26/2006

Now that most OEMs that sell electronic products in Europe have made their adjustments to comply with RoHS, it's time for them to prepare for additional demands on the content of chemicals in electronic components.

The European Union's (EU) Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH) regulation is moving through European Union legislation bodies toward law, even as business and chemical industry groups fight to quash it. REACH has been called "RoHS on steroids" because of its potential to force the electronics industry to revamp components to avoid the inclusion of toxic chemicals not addressed by RoHS.

Sharks, leeches and lawyers are never satisfied. Nor are bureaucrats.

[tiresias]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Sharks, leeches and lawyers are never satisfied. Nor are bureaucrats.

Environmental regulations and those who support them, at least here in Europe, are completely out of control.

It's one thing is to address the most serious causes of climatic change,etc.

Another is to implement environmental taxes so ferociously high that universities here have to cut down on the number of teaching laboratories due to prohibitively high costs. Fuel prices here are also well over $6.00/gallon, in no small part due to such 'regulations'.

What's next? Are they going to send a SWAT team to confiscate my roll of leaded solder?

[arneson]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Come out with your Iron up, or we'll, we'll,, we'll...

[Shroomie]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

I'm wondering why they don't seem to be after other industries this harshly...

[arneson]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

You mean like Nuclear Waste ?(spelling on purpose)

[Super Nade]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Nobody gives a damn about RoHS in the states.

[PeteS in CA]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Nobody gives a damn about RoHS in the states.

OEMs do, SN, and components mfrs and disties. Most of the products my company makes aren't subject to RoHS, though some might be, depending on the end user and which bureaucrat/agency interprets the regs. Nevertheless our company has gone for full compliance for two reasons: 1) avoiding uncertainty; 2) "yet".

[PeteS in CA]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

As quick examples, do a search on "rohs" on HP's, Dell's, and Cisco's sites.

[Super Nade]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Pete, I try to look for RoHS compliant IC's when I shop, but digikey, Newark and other big e-tailers don't seem to have quite the number of parts to justify RoHS compliance.

[PeteS in CA]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Digi-Key

Newark RoHS Catalog

[starfury1]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

"Environmental regulations and those who support them, at least here in Europe, are completely out of control."

You are not wrong tiresias, it seems that whatever happens they always go from "sublime to ridiculous"

changes to protect environment is one thing, but it should be done gradually as far as I am concerned.

I do wonder what new problems will arise with electronic gear as they change methods and construction makeup...like how to spot a cold joint in a pcb that looks like it full of them.

bit off topic

As for Nuke....yep we have a bit of land thats radioactive for the next 25,000 years

You are now returned to the middle east were they are happily slaughtering one another.......mean while we winge about the price of gas

Crazy world we live in

[tiresias]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

As for Nuke....yep we have a bit of land thats radioactive for the next 25,000 years

Waste can be an issue if not processed and dumped properly, but nuclear fission is the only technology we have nowadays that can replace our disastrous dependence on fossil fuels.

By far the lesser of two evils, if you ask me.

[arneson]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

Maybe solder will be phased out in the future, (think Jetsons).

Imagine your PC motherboard as one Very Large Silicone Intigrated chip, and just a handfull of descreate components with a big heat sink fan on it.

Stereo power amps are totally modular as is the deflection convergence in TV.
Polymer conductivity like roll up screens and pc boards may change things a bit?
You cannot solder to plastic, I tried once.

[MD Willington]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

"Environmental regulations and those who support them, at least here in Europe, are completely out of control."

You are not wrong tiresias, it seems that whatever happens they always go from "sublime to ridiculous"

changes to protect environment is one thing, but it should be done gradually as far as I am concerned.

I do wonder what new problems will arise with electronic gear as they change methods and construction makeup...like how to spot a cold joint in a pcb that looks like it full of them.

bit off topic

As for Nuke....yep we have a bit of land thats radioactive for the next 25,000 years

You are now returned to the middle east were they are happily slaughtering one another.......mean while we winge about the price of gas

Crazy world we live in

Well your #2 in the world for Uranium Oxide production... My home Country is #1... Canada.

Everytime they fire up the 30mm cannon on the A-10, a little piece of Canada rips something to pieces...

[starfury1]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

I agree, seems a bit two faced doesn't it

Down side is I dont run the place and can only use what little power I got
The Vote....at least we got it a lot of places haven't.

sadly the bottom line is $$$$ and pollies love $$$$

it really is hard questions, Environmental issues and nuclear fission vs Fossil fuels ......but one we need to find an answer to soon before we totally stuff the world up
(if we haven't blown our selfs of the face of it! in the mean time).

Does anybody remember the movie "the man in the white suit"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044876/

sort of says it all $ vs the Environment

[gonzo0815]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

I think this reach isn`t soley intended for elektronic equipment. I think this is an good intension, to hold manufacturers responsible for the toxic and harmfull components of their produkt. E.g i think it is highly unetic, to sell plastic toys with higly dangerouse softener agents, wich ould harm children. Same is with those highly poisenouse chemicals to threat whool. And the world is full of such examples, where some very nasty stuff is only used due to make more profit, voiding any responsibility. And this is not only but especially in those devolpment countries, where people want to earn even the least amount of money, they be able to scam from an product. They are in need, and the big branded firms left them no room for seriouse and responsible manufacturing, pressing all the money out of them, they could (e.g. All the Sportswear firms, and probably the whole IT market).

So all in all i think with the proper handling of those regulations, it could an good thing. But for shure, making an manufacturer responsible for the selenium or arsenid in very good sealed semidconductors is somhow the wrong way. We will see, how the curts will interprete those legisaltions.

[arneson]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

I have a real stink with Flourocarbons.
I have totally filled data centers with Halon, a haloginated freon, the old formula, and had to exhaust it with fans.
Now I know that those molecules chew up Ozone and Never go away.
Women were spraying their hair with this stuff for years, and every car crash, there goes the AC freon.
I blame Dupont for one, they are still making it and still selling it.
Rant, rant...we are doomed I tell ya, Doom4.

[kc8adu]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

the theory of r12 eating ozone is a bunch of bullshit.
glad i hoarded it before it got expensive.too many laws based on junk science .

[arneson]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

CFC's are bad to the bone.
Ozone floating over LA sucks, but way up above us, thank god it's there.
I may have thinning hair, but I don't want thinning Stratosphere, the combination would bake my head. Woops, to late.

[gonzo0815]

Re: The Nightmare After RoHS: REACH

the theory of r12 eating ozone is a bunch of bullshit.

Not shure about that, are there any plausible theory why the CFC do not causing harm to the ozon layer?
Personally i think, if there is a lobby, any poison or unpleasant theory would be denied or marked as quakery, it is always to easy to do that with a multi milion dollar war chest. There is IMHO absolut no free journalism, if there are some good paying advertiser. So i am always not to keen on defend sutch harsh chemicalls like CFC and other chlorine based compounds, before i have read the facts about that.
Any halogenid is number one supsiciouse for toxic products, i oly remeber of those highly toxic PCB things and others. It is alway a gamble with fire, even if there are very harmles things like sodiumchloride.