RoHS and WEEE Directives

RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) restricts the use of several hazardous materials in electrical and electronic components. Along with RoHS, WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) makes manufacturers responsible for the disposal of their finished goods at the end of their life.

According to the RoHS directive, electrical and electronic equipment must not contain more than 1000 ppm of restricted substances.

Restricted Hazardous Substances

Lead (Pb)
Cadmium (Cd)
Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB)
Bis(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP)
Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
Mercury (Hg)
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+)
Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE)
Butyl Benzyl Phthalate (BBP)
Di-Isobutyl Phthalate (DIBP)

Why RoHS-Compliant PCBs?

Environmental Protection

Non-toxic materials prevent groundwater contamination and protect aquatic life and human wellbeing.

Compliance & Safety

Meet international standards and regulations, ensuring product safety and market access worldwide.

Long-Term Reliability

High-quality RoHS materials offer excellent thermal and mechanical properties for extended product life.

Market Ready

Products comply with global environmental directives, ready for deployment in regulated markets.

Lead-Free PCB Manufacturing

Earlier, PCB manufacturers used lead extensively for surface finish and soldering. As per the RoHS directive, manufacturers cannot use lead as it is a hazardous substance. This led to the development of lead-free PCB manufacturing.

Lead-free soldering requires higher temperatures, so PCB materials must withstand this without damage. We use new laminates with better thermo-mechanical properties to withstand higher temperatures of lead-free soldering, improving both infant mortality rates and long-term stability.

Material Considerations

We select base materials that conform to RoHS directives while ensuring long-term stability. Key properties considered include glass transition temperature (Tg), decomposition temperature (Td), coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), moisture absorption, and time to delaminate.

RoHS-Compatible Surface Finishes

Immersion Silver (IS)
Lead-free, excellent shelf life
ENIG
Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold
OSP
Organic Solderability Preservative
Immersion Tin (IT)
Lead-free alternative to HASL
Soft Bondable Gold
For wire bonding applications
Full-body Gold Finishes
Premium lead-free finish

Environmental Impact

The major concern is piles of electronic waste in open junkyards all over the globe. There is no control over the hazardous substances like heavy metals and other chemicals that electronic waste typically contains. Acidic rainwater dissolves these harmful substances and contaminates groundwater and water bodies, severely harming aquatic life and human wellbeing.

RoHS initiatives provide the requisite relief for all. Compliance with RoHS directives will ultimately support the fight against global warming and climate change.

Fully Equipped for Lead-Free Manufacturing

Xekera Systems Inc. is fully equipped for delivering lead-free or RoHS-compliant PCB assemblies. Our world-class manufacturing setup has sophisticated machines for manufacturing lead-free and RoHS-compliant PCB assemblies, including flex and rigid-flex PCBs.

Contact Our Team