On the subject of restrictions on the use of dangerous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (ESA), Directive 2011/65 / EU – also called RoHS II – replaced Directive 2002/95 / EC. Defined bythe acronym of "Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive", the RoHS is aimed at bringing together the laws of the Member States on restrictions on the use of hazardous substances in the aforementioned equipment and on protecting human health, connected to the recovery and environmentally correct disposal of waste from appliances.
the RoHS and i its main changes
In the first place, the new directive has extended the scope of restricted substances, refining the necessary technical documentation, comprensiva di declaration of conformity (Doc) and CE marking. The directive, Furthermore, defined additional obligations for operators in the production / distribution chain and harmonized the list of restricted substances with similar regulations such as REACH.
At the level of extension of the scope, Three categories of products subject to the RoHS II, which have therefore increased from eight to eleven. The categories in question are:
• Category 1 – Large appliances;
• Category 2 – Small appliances;
• Category 3 – IT and telecommunication equipment;
• Category 4 – Consumer equipment;
• Category 5 – Lighting equipment;
• Category 6 – Strumenti elettrici ed elettronici;
• Category 7 – Toys and equipment for leisure and sports
• Category 8 – Medical devices;
• Category 9 – Monitoring and control tools, including industrial monitoring and control tools;
• Category 10 – Vending machines;
• Category 11 – Other equipment (ESA) that do not fall into one of the above categories.
As for the substances with use restrictions and the values of the maximum tolerated concentrations by weight in homogeneous materials, RoHS emphasizes: Lead (0,1 %), Mercury (0,1 %), Cadmium (0,01 %), Hexavalent chromium (0,1 %), Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) (0,1 %), Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) (0,1 %).
CE MARKING and DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY
As mentioned, since its entry into force the RoHS directive has introduced l’mandatory CE marking and the requirements for the declaration of conformity. In order to place electrical and electronic equipment on the market (ESA), therefore, every economic operator must comply with the conformity assessment procedure in line with the legislation. Compliance with RoHS requirements must be supported by the necessary technical documentation; which will then result in a declaration of conformity (Doc) and the CE marking to be affixed to the finished product.
In this context, the producer must ensure that the electrical or electronic appliance meets the limitation requirements on restricted substances, drafting the technical documentation, after having carried out the internal production control. The producer is also responsible for issuing the declaration of conformity, affix the CE marking ensuring its traceability, and keep documentation available for 10 from placing on the market. In general, Furthermore, all traders - The manufacturer, the authorized representative, the importer and the distributor – have the responsibility of ensure product compliance, applying - when necessary - the most appropriate corrective measures.
How to get RoHS Certification
Exist two modes to get RoHS certification. La prima - widely widespread in past years – provides for the analysis of all components and materials used for the production of the product, aimed at collecting the individual RoHS compliance declarations concerning them. This mode is based on the principle that if all the components and materials used comply with the established limits, consequently even the complete product respects them.
To date, instead, you act using the second methodology which consists in taking the product, literally do it in small pieces, collect samples of all materials used – both electrical and plastic parts – for subject all these samples to chemical analysis. It follows that the number of analyzes is high, extremely accurate, so much so that they are entrusted to dedicated laboratories that carry out these activities with great efficiency.
As usual, Sicom Testing responds to market needs promptly and effectively. To meet the growing demands for RoHS certification with the application of the method of chemical analysis of materials, Sicom Testing has tightened new agreements with specialized laboratories and offers its customers a complete service, veloce e sicuro.
To request more information on this topic, write to info@sicomtesting.com
or call +39 0481 778931.
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