Do you trust your component suppliers?

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I wish to advise to all of you out there Build up parallel bill of material. Check, verify & get RoHS sdc + data sheet for each components, bolt, wire ,pcb etc. Make an XRF inspections as a first barrier - & do not give you're self discount!!! Test, inspect & validate all you're assemblies (like you check head series) you are placing you & you're firm on a serious business risk! I have done it in several company's - it's hard, long & with many problems - but it can be done! Good luck yuval

How do we handle specialized parts in small supply? We are not a big enough customer of the manufacturer to insist on RoHS compliant parts but we need to be compliant. We have little or no alternatives.

I would argue that the involvment of testing may break your "system of compliance". Once you start to do testing, we have had to decide what to test/not-test, which involves a company judgement. You company might be concluded quilty if non-test parts are found non-compliance. In addition, you could not conduct testing on semiconductors in homogeneous base per directive where as you have had to accept declaration. Large company suppliers are not necesary trustable as it always report mis-conduct in News headlines. Hence, the testing as part of compliance system will put company as high risk since there are always opened rooms for challenge on decision in what materials to be tested. In addition, selective testing also create system inconsistence from system perspective.

Good point, DCA. Some OEMs, though, have shifted to new suppliers to obtain compliant parts. Some of those suppliers are not as trustworthy as suppliers that were used before RoHS. False compliance documentation is very real. I'm hearing reports of it from more than one major distributor. Many distributors are testing parts and finding non-comp-liant parts being marketed as compliant. As for testing, Underwriters Laboratories has developed testing specifically for RoHS-banned substances.

If you have to test then you have picked the wrong suppliers. We stoped electrical testing of components many years ago. I realize that some companies are manufacturing equipment that "tries" to test for "lead free" but the equipment is not capable of doing a complete job. Save your money and time, many suppliers out there are doing a very good job of providing you the information you need.Material disclosure is only one piece of the data you need to have to ensure compliance.

Would you be willing to discuss this issue by email or phone for an article? This can be either on or off the record. I'd like to know (as I'm sure readers would also) how you determine what suppliers to trust and what suppliers need to be tested. I'd also like to know how you choose testing methods.

We will be leasing X-Ray diffraction equipment to test samples of the supposedly compliant off-shore parts. As mentioned in this post, we have to perform due diligence, ensuring that 'compliant' parts are actually compliant. Testing won't be cheap, but at least I'll be able to sleep a little better at night knowing that we've proven out questionable parts.