I posed this question in another thread, 2 months ago, but didn't get any responses, maybe because it was buried. Let me try it from the persepctive of a whole new thread.

My company is getting inundated with requests for compliance to ROHS and Prop 65 regulated materials. The issues are complex, such as the definition of lead free and cadmium free. Every customer seems to have a different definition.

The only database that addresses this that we know of is the mdsystems one, and that is focused on the automotive industry.

Are there any other databases, not automotive, out there besides the mdsystems.com one, that are from other industries? It seems silly for us all to undertake this effort individually when the information is needed universally.

Thanks

You might want to look to the electronics and/or micro-electronics industry, much of what they do is going lead free.

Also check with Japanese companies like Sony and see how they address this.

Have you done a Google search?

We are a Japanese company but we are also an automotive company. I will look tomorrow when I am work as I have some pretty good definitions and such. I will pass them along and hope that they help. I also have a data sheet from Ashland Chemical when they set up our Universal Waste Stream Program and both were listed. As they are our waste disposer, I would think their definitons might be right on the money. Sorry I dont have the info here at home, but like I said, I will pass on tomorrow (11/04/03) Have a great evening. Sorry I posted this in the wrong place. I will try again. Sorry still learning

Hey you're doing OK there pardner. Feel free and jump in anywhere you choose. I'm glad to see ya... :bigwave:

You might want to look to the electronics and/or micro-electronics industry, much of what they do is going lead free.

Also check with Japanese companies like Sony and see how they address this.

Have you done a Google search?

Sony is actually one of the customers driving this initiative in-house, along with Motorola. We also have Engineering guys on industry standards committees that are looking at these issue. Sony's only recommendation was the mdsystems database.

One of the frustrations is that the customers aren't doing more to coordinate the information. We are one of several vendors using the same materials. We're all being asked to research the same information from the same suppliers, without any attempt at coordination, or even a good set of ground rules.

We've created our own database internally, but it's slow going and the expense of testing materials is falling heavily on us. It's frustrating to have to bear the expense of testing when the testing has already been done by someone else.

RosieA,

Just wondering, what did you find out?

Hiya Marc,

We've not found anything other than the mdsystem database. We don't have an industry association that might coordinate this on our behalf, so we're off doing our own thing.

One of our frustrations is that the companies driving this are not sharing nformation, and making each supplier research everything on the BOM. So there are multiple companies researching the same components and investing the money to do all the testing required. There needs to be a lot more coordination on this topic for businesses. :frust:

Rosie

RosieA,
Have you seen Agile's Environmental Compliance?
http://www.agile.com/pressreleases/index.asp?view=294

It's part of a pricey Product Lifecycle Managment package.

Thanks for the info.

Our in-house database does the same thing and it's free. ;)

I'm hoping to find an non-automotive shared database out there in the ether somewhere, but so far, the automotive folks appear to be miles ahead of other industry segments.

Thanks for the info.

Our in-house database does the same thing and it's free. ;)

I'm hoping to find an non-automotive shared database out there in the ether somewhere, but so far, the automotive folks appear to be miles ahead of other industry segments.

Sony has been mentioned a few times in this conversation. I do have a contact with that organization who is involved in the EHS Department. I mentioned this thread to him and he graciously offered to help out if he could. Rosie, if you have any specific questions, PM me with them and I'll forward them on to my contact.

RosieA,

I know it has been a while since your post but if you're monitoring this I hope it finds its way to you. NEMI is working on finding a standard formatt for disclosure not a database. IPC is also involved. NEMI or INEMI as they are now known meets via conference call every Tuesday at 1:00 PM EST. You can find info on this at the www.nemi.org.

If I can be of assistance feel free to contact me.

Chris Harden
www.mdsmap.com
harden@mdsmap.com

Chris, thank you very much. Since posting this I have changed jobs, and am in a different industry, and not dealing with ROHS anymore. I have forwarded your post on to my former boss, who take you up on your offer to talk.

Again, thanks!
Rosie

Rosie,

Good luck in your new position. Let your boss know I cam quite willing to talk with him.

Chris Harden

[FONT=Arial]I work for a electrical/electronic contract manufacturer. We are currently developing a lead free process, which when implemented will "work" along side our process that currently uses lead solder.


I have not been able to find alot of information on the lead free initiative, but what I have found has been helpful. I am posting one link and I have attached a pdf file that shows some of the solder joint differences between lead and lead-free solder joints. There is also some brief information on the other RoHS requirements.

http://www.aimsolder.com/techarticles/AIM_lead-free_guide.pdf