Is there a correct way to document RoHS compliance?

Question

I work for a small electrical engineering company. Our products are not presently RoHS, but we're planning to switch over. As best I can tell, this is a matter of ensuring that our individual components are RoHS, and using lead-free solder. But what documents do we need to keep on hand? Do we need a file of letters from each component manufacturer? Or is it enough to glance at Digikey and see a green leaf next to the component name?

I wouldn't trust Digikey implicitly (I've found several typos/mistakes in their inventory before, even once found a part whose info/linked datasheet did not match the displayed part number). I've never done anything past checking the manufacturer datasheet for ROHS compliance and requiring ROHS on all our boards, but I'm also at small US company and am interested in knowing if companies with lots of EU business are more rigorous. — I. Wolfe, May 18 '15 at 14:31
Aside from solder, you also need to watch out for the conductive coatings on your enclosures. Many of the traditional finishes on aluminum use *hexavalent chromium* which is one of the 6 banned substances under RoHS. Obviously, compliant coatings are now available, but you have to be sure to specify them. — The Photon, May 18 '15 at 16:26

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered May 18 '15 at 14:32

5

There is a great booklet here that details manufacturer's obligations. Here is an extract of the latest obligations: -

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The booklet is called: -

RESTRICTION OF HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES (RoHS) REGULATIONS 2012

Is there a correct way to document RoHS compliance?

1 Answers1