Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008 - (Page 39)

REGULATION uPdatE A report in The Swazi Observer discussed a loophole in the system. It has been alleged that facilities in the United Kingdom have shipped computers that are inoperable to developing countries, such as Ghana, Nigeria, and China– but marked them for reuse. When the useless computers arrive, they end up in dumps and landfills where often the impoverished local people burn the e-waste to remove the precious metals. Not only are the deadly fumes released into the atmosphere, but also are inhaled by the workers, many of them children. Toxic waste products also enter the soil and ground water, continuing the contamination process. The United Kingdom’s Environment Agency’s National Investigations Crime Team has begun an investigation into the allegations. the primary ingredient in mothballs. In 2009, the ECHA will draft the first list of priority substances that will require authorization to continue to be used in the European Union. According to Michael Kirschner, over 35,000 chemicals have already been pre-registered for that list, and around 40,000 substances will eventually fall within the scope. REACH places a greater onus on manufacturers, who are required to provide consumer safety information regarding the chemicals present in the products they produce. Manufacturers will also be required to register their substances at a cost of up to 30,000 euros (roughly US$37,600) per substance. The steep price might force some companies to pull their products from the market, but only time will tell. Although in force for a short period of time, REACH has already had results–both good and bad. “Many substances are no longer being produced or imported into the EU. This is causing some manufacturing to cease or move out of the European Union,” explains Michael Kirschner. “REACH also wants the chemical industry to design and to manufacture more environmentally sound products. If unable to do that, at least make sure users understand the hazards and the risks of the chemicals. Hopefully it will do both.” pCd&f RoHS The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) complements WEEE. The directive came into force in the European Union in 2006 and restricts the permitted concentration of six hazardous materials found in electrical and electronic products by assigning a maximum concentration value for each material. The materials are: lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, and two flame retardants, polybrominated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ether. The maximum permitted concentration for each is 0.1% or 1000 ppm– with the exception of cadmium which is allowed 0.01% or 100 ppm. While WEEE’s objective is to keep recycling and recovery in mind during the design process, RoHS seeks to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals entering the landfills. Each EU member state has control over the enforcement and implementation policies, similar to WEEE. Also, non-EU members wanting to export within the European Union must meet the RoHs Directive. But times do change, and the original RoHS Directive might be changing as well. According to Michael Kirschner, president of Design Chain Associates LLC, information has been leaked that five additional substances may be added to the list. Medical devices and monitoring/control instruments (categories 8 and 9 of the WEEE Directive) could be brought into the scope as well. MarGo lakin is the associate editor for Printed Circuit Design and Fab and can be reached at mlakin@ upmediagroup.com. ADVERTISER INDEX To learn more about the advertisers in this issue, go to pcdandf.com and select Advertiser Index in the home page menu. This will provide you with a direct link to the Web site of each advertiser. ADVERTISER Alternate Finishing Bare Board Group Chemcut Compufab DesignCon 2009 DEMS PAGE # 45 44 20 46 13 25 ADVERTISER PAGE # National Instruments/ Cover 2 Electronics Workbench Group One Stop Assembly Online Electronics PCB Artist PCB Basics PCB East PCB FAB Express PCB Phoenix 2009 PCB-Pool Samtec SEP Co. Ltd. Sierra Proto Express Sunstone Circuits Superior Processing Virtual PCB Wise Software Solutions 45 44 46 47 26 46 37 27 9 45 Cover 3 1 44 11 29 REACH The Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical Substances (REACH) is the latest regulation in the European Union. It entered into force in 2007. The goals of the regulation are to better protect the public’s health and the environment by either banning hazardous substances or by reducing their use when able. Also, REACH wants to influence the chemical industry to design and to produce more eco-friendly products. Over the next decade, REACH hopes to register thousands of chemicals manufactured in the EU, as well as chemicals imported into the EU, into a central database. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) located in Helsinki, Finland manages this database. In September of this year, a preliminary list of hazardous chemical substances was published. The Substitute it Now (SIN) List contains over 200 chemical substances that need to be phased out as soon as possible. Included on the list are substances such as dichlorobenzene, used in pesticides, and naphthalene, DECEMBER 2008 DownStream insert opposite 16 Technologies eFabPCB EMA Design Automation EzPCB Fine Circuits Go Green! Imagineering JETPCB Inc. MacDermid Mentor Graphics Midwest Accurate Grinding 44 7 44 46 19 3, 45 45 5 Cover 4 46 The advertising index is published as an additional service. The publisher does not assume any liability for errors or omissions. printEd CirCuit dESign & fAB 39 http://www.pcdandf.com http://www.alternatefinishing.com http://www.ni.com/multisim http://www.bareboard.com http://www.onestopassembly.com http://www.chemcut.net http://www.pcborder.com http://www.compufab.com http://www.pcbartist.com http://www.designcon.com http://www.pcdandf.com/cms/basics http://www.circuitsassembly.com/cms/dems http://www.pcbeast.com http://www.downstreamtech.com http://www.pcbfabexpress.com http://www.efabpcb.com http://www.pcbshows.com/phoenix http://www.ema-eda.com/training/seminars.aspx?campaignID=148 http://www.pcb-pool.com http://www.ezpcb.com http://www.samtec.com/tls http://www.sep.co.kr http://www.finecircuits.com http://www.envisionrules.com http://www.protoexpress.com http://www.pcbnet.com http://www.sunstone.com http://www.jetpcb.com http://www.superior-processing.com http://www.macdermid.com/electronics http://www.virtual-pcb.com http://www.mentor.com/rd/padspaper4 http://www.wssi.com/pcdm http://www.midwestaccurate.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008 Contents Our Line Market Watch Around the World Happenings ROI Global Sourcing EMC for the Real World Interconnect Strategies On the Forefront Final Finish Forum Test and Inspection Electronic System Design Data Management 101 Designers Take on Technology Challenges in 2008 PCB Signal Integrity, Power Integrity and EMC Challenges What’s in a Name? Ad Index PCB Dielectric Materials for High-Speed Applications Off the Shelf Marketplace BGA Bulletin

Printed Circuit Design & Fab - December 2008

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