RoHS transition deadlines move closer

After coming into force, the revised RoHS directive 2011/65 grants transition periods for the products of category 8 and 9 (medical devices and monitoring & control instruments) with respect to the requirements of article 4 (ban of substances). Although it is only one month ago that the RoHS recast came into force, companies should not waste any time on their way to compliance.
The shortest transition period applies for medical devices. In a period of only three years, manufacturers of medical devices have to make sure that their products do not contain any of the banned substances as such or above the concentration given in brackets for homogenous materials.

• Lead (0,1 %)
• Mercury (0,1 %)
• Cadmium (0,01 %)
• Hexavalent chromium (0,1 %)
• Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) (0,1 %)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) (0,1 %)

Although this date still seems to be far in the future, it is a huge challenge for the affected companies to adapt the restrictions and substitute the banned substances.

In addition to the 3 years transition period for the adaption of the substance restrictions, they have to comply with the other requirements of the new RoHS directive according to the various implementations into national law in the different member states.