RoHS Compliance for Components: Why It Matters, and How To Achieve It
For organisations reliant on old or obsolete electronic components, RoHS conversion enables them to achieve RoHS compliance. This page explains why RoHS compliance is important, and how to achieve it.
What Is RoHS?
RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances. The RoHS Directive is a European regulation that limits the use of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic products. Materials such as lead, mercury, cadmium and hexavalent chromium are subject to strict controls. Compliance is required for manufacturers selling products in the EU and in other regions that have adopted similar rules. In the UK, RoHS continues to apply after Brexit and, excluding Northern Ireland, is enforced under the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Regulations 2012.
The challenge of RoHS for obsolete electronic components
Obsolete and hard-to-find components are often essential for maintaining older systems or meeting ongoing manufacturing needs. However, many were made before RoHS regulations existed and may contain restricted substances. This leaves businesses with a choice: replace the part with a modern alternative or take steps to make the existing component compliant.
The solution is RoHS Component Conversion. Component conversion provides a practical and cost-effective pathway to RoHS compliance, while still using the obsolete parts. It typically involves:
- De-soldering and removing non-compliant finishes (e.g., tin-lead solder)
- Applying RoHS-compliant finishes, such as pure tin, nickel-palladium-gold, or other lead-free alloys
- Thorough cleaning and preparation to ensure compatibility and reliability
- Inspection and testing, including solderability and x-ray analysis, to confirm the success of the conversion
The benefits of RoHS conversion
As well as regulatory compliance, the benefits of RoHS conversion include:
- Cost savings: avoiding the need to re-engineer products or redesign circuit boards to replace old components with new, which may also require recertification of the system
- Extended life for legacy systems: legacy systems can be kept operational longer by making the parts required for repair and maintenance viable for modern use.
- Environmental responsibility: obsolete components can be used, rather than having to be thrown away.
How we can help
As well as years of experience in sourcing obsolete electronic components we also have years of experience of RoHS Conversion. Our processes ensure that your components meet both functional and regulatory requirements. They are quick, cost-effective and reliable, giving quality results every time.. Please do contact us to find out more. If you can give us details of the components you need, we can give you a quote for the cost, including RoHS conversion.