Forensics workshop a great success
The RFA group ran its first forensics workshop for selected clients in January. Engineers from two avionic components manufacturers and one supplier of rail infrastructure system spent the day finding our more about those capabilities specific to their own applications while ERA staff took the opportunity to understand better their clients’ needs. Further workshops are planned this year. If you are interested in attending please let us know.

More substances may be restricted under RoHS - ERA provides input to RoHS review stakeholder consultations
The RoHS Directive has been under review since 2005. ERA has provided input to all three recent consultations - on options for improvement, revision and restricting more substances beyond the existing six.

New Conference Electrical and Electronic Equipment and the Environment - meeting the technical and regulatory challenges - November 2008
Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) and “energy using products” are subject to a growing mass of complex requirements arising from environmental regulation and changes in the supply chain. While the RoHS and WEEE Directives are relatively well understood and compliance is an ongoing requirement, there are proposed changes to scope which could have a major impact on industry. Following behind these are the vastly more complex REACH chemical regulation and the Energy using Products (EuP) Directive. Both of these will have an even greater impact.

This event will bring together expert speakers conversant with the very latest developments and interpretation regarding legal requirements, their technical consequences and how to respond. This will be supported by case studies from across industry giving example of best practice in meeting these challenges. This conference will be valuable for those involved in the design, production or distribution of electrical equipment and their supply chain worldwide.

Features

Composition - the key to connector and contact performance
With the continued miniaturisation of electronics, increasing reliance is placed on very small connectors and contacts. The materials from which these parts are manufactured must have the optimum balance of strength, wear resistance, formability and electrical conductance. Key to their reliable operation over extended service periods is the material’s stiffness, to ensure that the correct contact force is maintained even after repeated connections and disconnections. ERA’s microanalysis system is able to confirm the specification of alloys to ensure proper performance of electromechanical components.

Counterfeit components - detection and reliability
Inexorable and rapid advances in digital electronics enable the development of ever more sophisticated electronic devices but lead to an obsolescence headache for manufacturers outside the consumer sector where design life cycles are long. Semiconductor producers move on to supplying new designs and stop producing the older ones. This leads to a range of problems for equipment manufacturers looking to source obsolete components.

REACH - substance preregistration window opens 1 June 2008 for just 6 months
All substances on the market in the EU must be “preregistered” with the authorities by 1 December 2008. Any not preregistered can no longer be made or sold from this date without being fully registered. Preregistration is free, registration is costly and may take over a year. Do you have continued assurance of supply of all the materials you use?

Course: REACH Regulations for Equipment Manufacturers
Date: 23 April - venue Leatherhead, UK
REACH is now in force throughout the EU and has major implications for equipment producers and their supply chain. This course explains what your obligations are and how to deal with issues such as sudden phase out of substances. With REACH pre-registration looming now is a good time to get up to speed on this complex area. This course given in collaboration with the Chemical Business Association.

WEEE Implementation in the EU - a comparison of requirements
The EU WEEE Directive (2002/96/EC) is notorious for the variations in national implementation leading to unnecessary costs and uncertainty for industry as it tries to comply. This document comprises a comprehensive single page summary table covering the essential requirements in all 27 EU Member States plus Norway and Switzerland.

Further information >>>