RoHS compliance is important, so let’s take a few minutes to understand what it means. RoHS stands for Restriction of Hazardous Substances and came about from the need to protect humans and the environment from hazardous chemicals. The European Union first adopted the standards in 2003, and other countries, including parts of the US, have since implemented them.
RoHS bans the use of specific substances in manufactured products (fasteners in our case). RoHS was initially implemented by the electrical and electronics industry but has since been adopted by many other industries. The banned substances include lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, and four types of phthalates. Parts are tested for compliance by various methods, including RoHS analyzers that use X-Ray fluorescence.
Following the guidelines outlined in RoHS standards ensures worker safety regarding exposure to hazardous chemicals. It also helps prevent the earth from substances leaching into the ground from discarded parts. AATP is proud to do our part by following RoHS compliant standards.