Cobham starts ecodesign directive study of oven and hobs
RFA has won two contracts to work with BIO in the study of domestic and commercial ovens and hobs for the European Commission. These preparatory studies are aimed at assessing the potential for reducing the environmental impact of these products and are used by the Commission to decide whether regulation is necessary under the framework of the Ecodesign Directive (2005/32/EC).

Failure Analysis Consultant reaches 41 years service with Cobham-ERA
Philip Strudwick this month reaches 41 years of service with Cobham-ERA. Philip was instrumental in establishing failure analysis as a service provided by ERA and continues to provide invaluable expertise to the group.

Features

Mains input connections and fires
Screw connections of mains cables are very common – they are used in almost every piece of electrical equipment, but fires caused by them are rare. RFA has recently completed investigations into a number of small fires in such equipment, and found that you cannot treat mains connections casually.

Using contact angle measurement to diagnose surface contamination
For surface contamination of only a few atomic layers thick, instrumental surface analysis techniques are the only viable means of obtained chemical information, but the relatively simple method of contact angle measurement can be a useful way of demonstrating the link between low level contamination and wetting behaviour.

Seeing is believing – using variable pressure mode to image residues in the SEM
The Variable Pressure (VP) mode in the scanning electron microscope offers enhanced imaging of contamination on non-conductive surfaces. To be able the see the presence and extent of a contamination is often the first stage in solving such problems.

Swedish presidency proposes changes to the recast RoHS and WEEE directives
Cobham Technical Services (ERA Technology Ltd) has seen copies of recent proposals from the Swedish EU Presidency for the RoHS and WEEE directives. The main changes will affect the scope of these directives.

Course – Practical Implementation of a Product Safety Strategy
Date: 22 September 2009
Venue: Leatherhead, UK.

Rapid developments in technology, complexity of designs and an increasing use of software mean that designing safe and legal products is becoming increasingly difficult. This course will guide you through the minefield of European directives and legislation, highlighting your legal and moral responsibilities. Attendance will help you understand and put into practice the fundamentals of safe design, illustrated through practical examples and case studies.

Seminar: Reduce Waste – Improve Reliability – Increase Profit
Date: 22 October 2009
Venue: The Oxfordshire Golf Club, Thame, Oxfordshire.

This 25 th anniversary seminar held by the SMART Group (Surface Mount And Related Technologies) will cover reliability, environmental, and business issues. Cobham Technical Services will be presenting in the reliability session.

Course - Regulatory Compliance Management
Date: 28 October 2009
Venue: Leatherhead, UK.

The possible combinations and implications of LVD, EMC, and environmental regulations are often difficult to grasp. It is crucial for organisations to plan and manage the processes for complying with the legislation, and for demonstrating compliance through the life of products. At the same time CE Marking requirements under New Approach directives are set to change and RoHS is likely to be included. This course introduces a no-nonsense approach to managing regulatory compliance.

Course – Understanding Failure Analysis Investigation
Date: 29 October 2009
Venue: Leatherhead, UK.

When a system or piece of equipment fails, there is almost always valuable forensic evidence that can provide clues to how and why the event occurred. This information can be extracted and interpreted to identify the root cause and help establish responsibility. This course explains how to apply engineering failure investigation to manage the repercussions of failure and mitigate the potential financial impact.

Conference – Electrical and Electronic Equipment and the Environment - meeting the technical and regulatory challenges
Date: 17-18 November 2009
Venue: Heathrow, UK.

Our annual conference is unique in covering all environmental regulatory compliance issues relevant to electrical and electronic products. All areas of compliance will be subject to changes of major significance to manufacturers and their supply chain in 2009/10. WEEE and RoHS are being recast, the eco-design directive is spawning many implementing regulations, and REACH continues to present increasing challenges for communication and obsolescence as more substances of very high concern are defined as well as new legislation in USA and elsewhere. An eminent panel of speakers from government policy makers through technical experts to leading industrialists and including speakers on global developments will present including; BERR, DEFRA, ECHA, CEFIC, Öko Institut, BIO, TechAmerica, Kingfisher, Siemens Healthcare, Lockheed Martin, Reclaimed Appliances, NMO, Oki, Intel, Young & Global Partners, Allen & Overy, Clariant and Cobham (ERA).