What is RoHS Certification?

RoHS is a mandatory standard developed by the European Union legislation, its full name is the Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in electronic and electrical equipment.
The standard has been officially implemented on July 1, 2006, mainly used to regulate the material and process standards of electronic and electrical products, so that it is more conducive to human health and environmental protection.

RoHS – A Closer Look

In the 21st century, electronic waste and chemicals are prevalent to see. However, only a few know its harmful effect on humans and the environment and its unnecessary exposure. As a result, many people have developed health issues. All these factors made it crucial for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances in Feb 2003 by the European Union.

RoHS is an abbreviation for Restriction of Hazardous Substances and is also referred to as the Directive 2002/95/E. It is derived from the European Union and aims to restrict the use of hazardous substances found in electrical and electronic products. The initiative effectively reduces the environmental effect and the use of harmful substances that have been long seen.

RoHS Directives for Companies

If a company is using the restricted materials and sells-

1. Applicable electronic devices,
2. Sub-assemblies, or
3. Components directly to EU markets or sold to retailers and distributors who then sell to EU countries are affected by RoHS directives.

It can be noted that RoHS-like regulations are followed by other countries as well. Therefore it is not restricted to the EU only. In metal industries, RoHS prohibits using metal plating, chromatin or other finishes on Electrical and Electronics Engineering products.

BENEFITS OF ROHS CERTIFICATION

By obtaining the mandatory RoHS compliance certificate, you get the following benefits:

1. Improve reliability and efficiency of your product.
2. Increase customer trust in your product.
3. Produce safe products.
4. Create a loyal customer base in the EU.

Steps For RoHS Certification

Testing is done either on-site or lab phthalate solvent extraction testing. It determines the values ​​of restricted RoHS substances.

Procedure Audit- Check all applicable manufacturing processes used in RoHS compliance on-site.

Review of documents : Reviewing documents is essential to getting the RoHS certification. Documents like-

1. Bill of Materials
2. Technical File
3. Assembly drawings
4. Materials declarations
5. Test reports
6. Specification/compliance certificates from suppliers.

After a thorough review of the documents, the Technical File must contain the following points-

1. Product description and design structure information
2. Risk evaluation of materials, segments, and subassemblies.
3. Observations on materials, parts and assemblies.
4. Documentation related to manufacturing and records of
5. Details of standards, compliance procedures, and specifications

Certification Grant – A RoHS Certification is issued after reviewing and auditing the documentation. The RoHS Certification is like a Certificate of Conformity valid for 5 years.

Prohibited Substance Under RoHS Certification

1. Hexavalent Chromium
2. Cadmium
3. Mercury
4. Lead
5. Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
6. Polybrominated Biphenyls

Products Exempted Under RoHS Certification

1. Military and National Defense products
2. Batteries
3. radioactive waste
4. Products for which electricity is not the major energy source
5. Products that do not mainly function on electricity
6. Any Component of an exempted product category
7. Products that promote micro, small, and medium-sized manufacturing defined by the MSMEs Development Act of 2006.

How To Execute RoHS Certification In Industries?

1. Identify risks in the process chain
2. Examine each stage of operations
3. Keep a check on operations going wrong
4. End the causes to reduce risk
5. Review the process
6. Evaluate the steps for effectiveness
7. Take proper non-compliance action