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iNEMI forms HFR-Free Leadership Program - The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) has launched a HFR (halogenated flame retardant)-Free Leadership Program.

Green Manufacturing Expo – Chicago in September - The Green Manufacturing Expo will be held on September 22-24 in Rosemont, Ill. The expo was created to provide a wide spectrum of economically sound solutions for the manufacturing enterprise interested in improving process efficiency, reducing costs, and conserving energy and resources.

Voids found in lead-free solder joints - According to an article in Electronics Weekly, a UK-based sister publication of Design News, a researcher at the UK’s University of Leicester has discovered detrimental voids in lead-free solder joints.

GreenSoft launches GreenData Manager - REACH workgroup - The workgroup edition was created to offer a complete compliance data management system for RoHS, REACH and REACH SVHC (substances of very high concern). The workgroup product was designed for multiple users nad tailored to medium-to-large enterprises.

An argument for leaded solder in servers - Here’s a pretty good argument for leaded solder. In a blog on ServerWatch, technology writer, Drew Robb, argues the merits of using leaded solder. Much of the electronics industry agrees, but the reality is lead-free has become the forced norm for most electronic products.

REACH hits the EU this month - As of June 1, 2009, all European Union suppliers are required to comply with a raft of substance restrictions under the REACH regulation.

House considers RoHS-like bill - The U.S. House of Representatives is considering a RoHS-like bill that would become part of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The Environmental Design of Electrical Equipment is more limited than RoHS, according to Gary Nevison of Farnell, a London-based components distributor.

Lasky: Lead-free is plenty reliable - With more than two years into the lead-free conversion, it’s become clear lead-free components are reliable. According to Dr. Ronald Lasky, senior technologist with Indium and a professor at Dartmouth University says the surprise of RoHS is that reliability has not been an issue.

Tin, silver, copper becomes standard for RoHS solder - According to an article by Mitch Holtzer of Cookson Electronics that appeared in SMT Online, tin/silver/copper (SAC) alloys have become the industry standard lead-free solders since RoHS went into effect.

How will RoHS changes affect medical equipment? - New RoHS changes will impact medical devices. Many of the exemptions that kept RoHS from restricting medical devices will be lifted. Fred Loneker, a senior manager with Environ International Corp.

Engineers need to track RoHS changes - The European Commission is about to drop six exemptions from the RoHS directive. While a move of this order was expected, it still shows that design engineers need to be cognizant of changes in environmental regulations. the components they chose yesterday may not be compliant today.

Six RoHS exemptions cut - In the latest round of RoHS changes, six exemptions will be retired from the directive’s list of 29 exemptions. In an article in EDN, a Design News sister site, Gary Nevison of Newark and Farnell explains which six exemptions will expire over the next two years.

The impact of environmental regulations on electronics manufacturers - Here’s an in-depth paper that covers the Impact of Environmental Regulations on Electronic Manufacturers. Michael Kirschner, president of Design Chain Associates, a firm the helps companies comply with regulations, authored the paper for the December 2008 Conference on Resource Recycling.

SaaS eco-software for REACH and RoHS - Green EcoSystems Group of Colorado Springs, Colo. has introduced Green -EcoSystems software-as-a-service designed to help manufacturing companies address requirements related to the REACH directive. The tool also supports RoHS compliance.

Selecting the right lead-free connector design - RoHS laws have affected manufacturing processes as well as changing the nature of electronic components. The article, “Designing for RoHS: Select the right lead-free-connector design for heat-sensitive applications,” explores the RoHS-compliant alternatives for design engineers.

Here's a chance to influence RoHS directive

29.11.2007 04:30 - Source: Lead-Free Zone Blog

Michael Kirschner of Design Chain Associates is encouraging those in the electronics industry to take a survey that will be sent to RoHS regulators.

From Kirschner's email:

It is not often that one is presented with the opportunity to directly influence global regulations, but this is such an opportunity with a deadline of December 14th.

The European Union is reviewing the RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) Directive, and dozens of other regional, country, and state / provincial governments are evaluating substance restrictions for electronic and electrical equipment. As the EU reviews RoHS and as other economies consider substance restrictions, it is critical for the industry to provide policymakers with quantitative data on the true costs of RoHS compliance.

By spending approximately 25 minutes completing a survey administered by independent consulting firm Technology Forecasters Inc. (TFI is a valued partner of DCA's; we are involved in the survey development and analysis for this project) and funded by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), you will be one of 100 to 200 people reporting business realities, costs, and benefits of the EU RoHS Directive. The responses are anonymous, but the objectively analyzed aggregate data will be presented to policy makers who are eagerly awaiting this necessary feedback.

For reporting your experiences, costs, and benefits by the December 14th deadline, you will receive a complimentary summary of this landmark study as well as a copy of Lean and Green: Profit for Your Workplace and the Environment, a book by TFI Founder and Director of TFI Environment Pamela Gordon.

As an alternative to completing the web-based survey, let us know if you would prefer to be interviewed by telephone by replying here with which days and timeslots are convenient for you, which time zone you are in, and the telephone number to call..

We invite you to START NOW. Thanks from all of us at CEA, TFI, and DCA.

Best Regards,
Michael Kirschner
President
Design Chain Associates, LLC
415.904.8330

Original text is here