Our Approach for EU RoHS

We are approaching all environmentally relevant laws in EU timely by our organized work for environmentally relevant substances. Of course, we supply the products that complied with EU RoHS^(*1) to our customers.

(*1) EU RoHS
EU RoHS is "the European Directive 2002/95/EC on the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment". The RoHS Directive prohibits the use of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, PBB or PBDE in Electrical and Electronic Equipment except for Applications which are exempted from the requirements of Article 4(1) of this Directive. Each maximum concentration for each substance is tolerated. "EU RoHS compliance" means a status of compliance with the above restrictions.

Our Management System for EU RoHS Compliance

In 1996, we formulated the "Voluntary Regulation Program for Environmentally Hazardous Substances", to establish our voluntary regulation standards. Since then, we have worked to reduce and eventually eliminate environmentally hazardous substances contained in our products, ahead of other manufacturers.
Our voluntary regulation program also covers six substances designated under the RoHS Directive. We have undertaken measures to phase out RoHS-designated substances from an early stage.

As for mercury, cadmium, PBB and PBDE, we had already discontinued their use in our products in the 1990s, and have prohibited new uses of these substances. We also had to eliminate the use of hexavalent chromium used for the surface treatment and the use of lead in terminals and other component connections. Through the below mentioned efforts, by the end of 2004 we were able to prepare alternative for RoHS-designated substances.

• Reviewed product designs
• Modified existing production facilities / Improved processing conditions
• Introduced new machinery
• Introduced lead-free surface treatment and lead-free solder
• Developed products with strong heat resistance

In cooperation with our customers / suppliers, in January 2006 we terminated, as a rule, the sale of products not in compliance with the RoHS Directive.
(Except for the supply for specified customers that request RoHS non-compliant products because of not marketing to EU)

System of Guarantee for Product Specification Compliant with EU RoHS

We show the necessary main matters for EU RoHS compliance as follows. At each stage, we take measures respectively, and we ensure the RoHS compliance.

• Example of Supplier Guarantee
  • Execute audit concerning supplier management system for EU RoHS compliance
  • Confirmation of containing or not the restricted substances in each part and material by green procurement investigation
  • Limit of purchase for non-verification parts and materials by EDP
  • Getting guarantee document of EU RoHS compliance
• Example of Mixing Measures in Production Process
  • Introduction of acceptance inspection by analysis
  • Separation of EU RoHS compliant / non-compliant production process
  • Distinction of EU RoHS compliant / non-compliant parts and materials concerning depository and display
• Example of Introducing Product Identification Method
  • Distinction of operating Instruction sheet in process
  • Identified display to shipping label and package label for all shipment product (It is directly possible to identify RoHS compliance in the distribution)
    

How to Check EU RoHS Compliance of Our Products

• How to Check by purchased products
  You can check by the shipping label or package label. (like following example)
  
  
• How to Check on our website
  The products on the PDF catalogs or Product Search Engine on our website are compliant with EU RoHS. When the "Product Lifecycle Stage" on the Product Search Engine search result is "Obsolete" or "Phase-Out", the product may be non-compliant with EU RoHS.
  

When you can't check by the way above-mentioned, please contact our sales office or distributors.

< Example of Display in Package Label >