Source
ESB
February 22, 2006
This
is part three of a three-part series that looks at where companies can get help
as they transition to lead-free production. The first part looked at support
offered by distributors Arrow Electronics Inc. and Avnet Inc. The second part
looked at services offered by distributor, Newark InOne. This part looks at
support offered by a range of service companies.
The
companies listed below offer a wide range of compliance services, from
selecting compliant parts to building a database of compliance information that
can stand up to the scrutiny of compliance governing bodies.
Design Chain Associates. This San Francisco-based consulting company helps
clients through the design aspects of environmental compliance. Design Chain
Associates helps companies meet RoHS and WEEE directives in part by keeping
track of compliance regulations being developed by individual U.S. states and
non-European Union countries such as China and Japan.
E2open. This e-hub and collaborative software company in
Redwood City, Calif. has created an environmental compliance solution based on
the materials content standard, IPC-1752. The solution was designed to help
companies manage the flood of compliance data they need to prove compliance to
environmental governing bodies. E2open has extensive environmental data
compiled for thousands of suppliers, and the data is in standardized form to
make collection, management and distribution of the data easy.
The Goodbye Chain Group. This consulting group in Colorado Springs, Colo.
offers news, events and consulting services to help companies determine what
they need to become complaint and how to support their compliance before
environmental governing bodies. The company also offers software based on industry
standards to help companies manage their compliance data.
IHS. This technical information company in Englewood, Colo. provides
information management and support tools to help companies meet compliance
regulations. The company recently allied with Product Acceleration Inc. in San
Jose, Calif. to offer a suite of environmental compliance solutions to help
manage compliance data and identify compliant parts.
Omnify Software. This product lifecycle management software company
in Wilmington, Mass. has developed tools to help design engineers produce
compliant electronic components, sub-assemblies and products. Omnify provides a
means of classifying the complete materials composition of a product so
engineers and easily identify the parts selected as compliant or non-compliant.
The tool helps the user build a file of compliant data as parts are selected.
The data is then bundled into a comprehensive report once the product’s bill of
materials is complete.
PartMiner Inc. This electronic component search-and-acquire company
in Melville, N.Y. has one of the largest collections of component information
in the electronics industry, the CAPS database. PartMiner had developed RoHS
compliance tools that allow users to search parts using compliant-only search features.
The tool also helps companies obtain materials composition data on the
compliant parts as they are selected.
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. This independent testing company in Northbrook, Ill.
has developed a test that lets users spot check components to make sure there
are RoHS compliant. More than just an x-ray scan, the Underwriters Laboratory
test actually breaks down the product and determines the exact amount of each
of the hazardous materials identified in the RoHS directive.
Component manufacturers. Many component suppliers themselves present
extensive RoHS information and guides. Companies such as Tyco, Texas
Instruments, Intel, Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, HP, Kemet Electronics,
Oracle and others have taken leadership position for environmental compliance
in the electronics industry. These companies also provide information and
support at their individual websites, including web-based instruction.
Industry groups. Number groups in the electronics industries have
stepped up to help companies face compliance issues.
·
The National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA) in the Alpharettta, Ga. has presented
conferences on RoHS management and has also offer standardized formats for
conveying materials content information.
·
The International Electronic Manufacturing Initiative
(iNEMI) has developed a number of
presentations and articles on RoHS compliance. The group is particularly good
at rounding up technical information on lead-free parts and manufacturing
processes.
·
The Association Connecting Electronic Industries
(IPC), is a standards body that
recently developed and released the IPC-1751 and IPC-1752 standards for
formatting and communicating materials content of electronics components.
Visit sourceESB.com for all your sourcing needs.
We would like to hear from
you. Please e-mail article feedback or
comments to esbideas@primediabusiness.com