RoHS WEEE REACH
Acromag Inc. is a company that is very sensitive to the environment. We strive everyday to improve our world and leave it better for future generations. We are interested in the initiatives lead by the European Union (EU) and plan to be an active participant in supporting their programs.
RoHS
Acromag RoHS position statement
Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) requires the total or near-total elimination of six hazardous elements from electronic products sold in the European Union. (Pb, Cd, Cr, Hg, PBB, or PBDE)
Acromag is committed to releasing environmentally friendly products as part of the Acromag Hazardous Substance Reduction initiative. This initiative is a voluntary program modeled after the European Union Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, which restricts the use of harmful substances such as lead, mercury, and cadmium in products.
The RoHS directive applies to eight categories of electrical and electronic equipment but excludes products in Category 9, Monitoring and Control Instruments, under which Acromag products fall. Although it is possible to use Acromag equipment in other applications, the principle usage, as well as the intended usage, is for “monitoring and control.”
Even with this exemption, Acromag is voluntarily moving on a time-line toward Full RoHS compliance. The target is to be fully RoHS compliant before the expiration of the exemption.
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Components: Every component Acromag uses is fully evaluated and classified for RoHS compliance. Acromag gets RoHS data from the actual manufactures that produce the components. Nearly all components used are fully RoHS compliant. (Where possible, only RoHS components are used.).
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Soldering: Acromag has on-going testing of Lead-Free solder materials. Once a proven history of reliability exists and our customers agree with this assessment, Acromag is prepared to move toward “Lead-Free” solder processes. The removal of hazardous materials often has shown to be substituted with even more hazardous materials. This has slowed to quick movement to new solders that have showed early promise.
By moving toward full compliance with the directive, Acromag demonstrates a commitment to the environment, its employees, and its customers, who can use ACROMAG components to design and develop their own environmentally friendly products.
Acromag has customers that voluntarily are moving toward RoHS compliance with their systems. They do this even though they have a full exemption. Acromag is fully compliant with all of the materials except for the solder
materials.
Other customers needing the highest long-term proven reliability request to only purchase products with leaded solder.
Current Situation: New promising materials for soldering have not been on the market long enough time to establish the proven reliability needed for their applications. Acromag will continue to solder with leaded materials until reliability is demonstrated.
WEEE
Acromag WEEE position statement
"Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment" (WEEE) is an initiative to control the disposal of electronic equipment sold in the European Union.
All Acromag equipment shipped to the EU member states since the date of the directive is marked with the Wheeled Bin mark.
Acromag has a new no-charge “take-back” service that gives customers the option to return used Acromag hardware products to be recycled. Products covered by the WEEE directive shipped to EU member states may be returned to Acromag at no charge. Acromag ensures that the products are properly recycled. This service helps reduce the impact on landfills and other disposal sites and provides an environmentally safe end-of-life solution.
To send hardware products to be recycled, customers can contact Acromag to obtain an RMA number and Acromag staff will reply with information on how to ship the product. There is no charge for the disposal but the customer must pay for shipping. After the product is returned, Acromag also can provide a Certificate of Custody change upon customer request.
Product “take-back” regulations are constantly evolving. Current regulations do not require Acromag to take back its products. However, by launching a WEEE take-back program, Acromag demonstrates a commitment to the environment and its customers by helping them dispose of Acromag products responsibly.
REACH
Acromag REACH Position Statement: EU Regulation (EC) Number 1907/2006
The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is a European Community Regulation related to the safe use and identification of chemicals (Regulation (EC) Number 1907/2006). REACH entered into force on June 1, 2007 with the aim of improving the protection of human health and the environment through better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. REACH was aimed at streamlining and improving former European Union chemical legislation by replacing approximately 40 individual pieces of legislation and harmonizing with the remaining legislation. The new legislative framework under REACH shifts responsibility for the control and safety of chemicals from government authorities to industry and created the European Chemicals Agency to act as a central coordinator.
Acromag is an importer of articles as defined in the Regulation. However, registration requirements under Article 7 of REACH do not currently apply to articles imported by Acromag into the European Union because:
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Substances are not present in the articles in quantities totaling over one ton per year
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Substances are not intended to be released under normal or reasonably foreseeable conditions of use.
Acromag is not categorized as a downstream user under REACH because it does not use the substances in the course of its professional activities and therefore has no applicable requirements under Article 37 of REACH. Acromag will continue to monitor REACH developments and will comply with any applicable requirements.
As Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs) are added to Annex XIV of the Regulation (Authorization List), Acromag will assess whether both of the following conditions are met:
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The substance is present in the articles in quantities over one (1) ton per year
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The substances are present in Acromag devices above a concentration level of 0.1% w/w
Acromag shall comply with the requirements of Article 7(2) and Article 33 of the Regulation, as necessary. For informational purposes, Acromag has contacted its material and manufacturing vendors to verify that Acromag devices do not contain SVHCs. (Note that several vendors have not established a REACH compliance statement yet. Acromag is surveying vendors to determine their status and will continue to do so.)
