The RoHS interview

According to Richards, Soanar’s position regarding RoHS is to assist customers to continue to manufacture products, with minimal or no interruption to their supply chain. “Where RoHS-compliant parts are required, through the component selection and approval process and logistic solutions we will manage the change,” says Richards. “Where non-RoHS compliant parts are required we will manage the ongoing supply of all parts including those facing end-of-life issues. We do this by working closely with our suppliers procuring qualified components as required and by continuing to grow our knowledgebase.

“Soanar’s area of expertise lies within the bounds of component selection and support and with component associated issues arising during production and beyond,” adds Richards. “We are not experts in the commissioning or implementation of production facilities and do not purport to be so.”

EN readers’ question: I know RoHS is coming, but do I really need to worry about it yet?

MR: RoHS compliance is currently only applicable to products having an end market in Europe and that fall within a category that requires compliance. For example, the automotive and medical sectors are currently exempt. If your market excludes Europe then currently you do not need to worry about it. However, it is quite likely that other markets may head down a similar path with regards to RoHS requirements and you may be required to comply in the future. China and Japan are advanced in their planning for implementation of similar programs.

If you are working in markets outside of ANZ it is advisable that you keep up with the current information regards RoHS and ensure you have a risk mitigation program in place should it be required. If you are unsure about you specific product compliance issues we urge that you seek out independent expert help in this field.

EN: Do you offer sources of information to help me determine what I need to do to meet the EU Directives?

MR: Yes, we maintain a web page (www.soanar.com) containing RoHS relevant information and links to our suppliers web pages.

Beyond this, multi-level support is available from simple data and sample process through to International Material Data System information for more critical requirements.

EN: Can you help me run checks against my existing BOMs to help me track down RoHS-compliant alternatives?

MR: Yes, we have a team of product specialists who are trained to propose suitable equivalent RoHS-compliant parts. Many of your parts we may well have already crossed to acceptable alternatives.

EN: Are the RoHS-compliant parts available on the same lead-times and at the same cost as the traditional parts?

MR: This is a difficult one to answer in a simple Yes or No. It is determined on a supplier-by-supplier and product-by-product basis. Many parts are now being supplied at the same price and lead time as the non-RoHS part. It is important you check rather than just making an assumption that all factors will be the same. Soanar is working to maintain existing pricing and delivery times and does so where possible.

EN: Are there RoHS-compliant alternatives available for all standard components? If not, how will I know when they do become available?

MR: For many of the commodity type parts (for example resistors, capacitors and diodes) the answer is generally yes. For products such as plug packs used in Australia and New Zealand, the answer is no; there is no demand for such items to be RoHS-compliant. For some items where demand for the product is so low the item will not be offered in RoHS-compliant version. It may even disappear altogether. Generally in this situation there will be similar parts available from other manufacturers.

EN: I’ve heard that implementing a RoHS-compliant process is difficult, is Soanar able to advise on process and design issues?

MR: No. Soanar’s expertise is based only on the products we support. It does not extend to a whole of project capability. What we can offer is expert support in selecting and qualifying suitable components for use in your RoHS-compliant design. We can also assist in issues that may arise with that specific product in the production environment but we can’t assist with the commissioning of RoHS-compliant lines.

EN: What’s your policy on part numbering? I’m worried that I won’t be able to tell a RoHS-compliant part from a standard component.

MR: Where possible we follow the manufacturer’s part numbers. This is the same for RoHS-compliant parts. Where the manufacturer chooses not to differentiate between RoHS-compliant and non-compliant parts by change of part number, Soanar will use alternate part numbers to positively differentiate between the two versions. This is a much safer option than electing to run out existing stock of non-compliant parts first and replace over time with compliant parts.

EN: What assistance do you offer with regards to documentation and traceability so that I can prove my products are RoHS-compliant?

MR: During the specification/approval process, we are able to supply data from the manufacturer identifying the level of hazardous material in each product by percentage.

Once product has been specified as suitable and identified by part number our system will only deliver against the approved part number. All documentation will identify line-by-line the status of the part (no compliance, lead-free termination or full RoHS-compliance). All packaging for RoHS-compliant parts will also carry dedicated identification.

EN: As a small company can I expect the same level of support as bigger concerns?

MR: Yes, through Soanar and Soanar Plus we meet requirements for our entire customer base. All companies will be supported in the first instance from our growing knowledgebase. If the information required is not available, a product specialist will address the issue through to conclusion.

EN: I’ve heard that some distributors are holding back RoHS-compliant stock to make sure they work through standard inventory first. What’s your policy on this?

MR: If you need RoHS compliant parts we will deliver them. If you need non-compliant parts we will deliver them. Separate parts numbers means separate stock.

EN: I have some products that I plan to ship to countries not covered by the legislation, will you be able to continue the supply of standard components for the next few years? And will there be any effect on price and lead times?

MR: In general, we will supply what ever you need, as long as we can source the products from our suppliers. There will be ongoing end-of-life (EOL) issues as products fall off. We are able to work with customers on suitable programs including “last time buys” to ensure your product stays in production. However, we would expect over the longer term that non-RoHS-compliant parts will rise in price as their volumes decrease.