RoHS

The European ROHS 2 Directive 2011/65/EC (RoHS = Restriction of Certain Hazardous Substances) came into force on 3 January 2013. Its purpose is to restrict the use of certain hazardous substances; it prohibits certain products from being placed on the market if the content of

• Lead
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Hexavalent chromium
• Polybrominated biphenyl (PBB)
• Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE)

exceeds certain limits.

The aim of the RoHS Directive is to remove electrical and electronic waste from the municipal refuse collection. It applies to all privately and commercially used electrical and electronic devices, such as irons, computers, washing machines and power tools.
Components in a fixed installation, such as industrial measurement, control and drive components, are exempt from the RoHS Directive if they are assembled with a machine to form a single functional unit. They are not comparable with goods from private households, either by composition or by quantity. Neither are they disposed of via the municipal route.
For this reason, Pilz products are largely unaffected by this directive as it currently stands.

As the leading manufacturer of products for safe automation, Pilz GmbH & Co. KG faces the challenge of keeping the environmental impact of its products as low as possible over the whole lifecycle, from manufacture to disposal. For this reason Pilz GmbH & Co. KG has decided to adapt all its products to the above directives.

In order to continue to guarantee the quality and reliability of its products, all components have undergone prior testing for RoHS compatibility and have been approved where appropriate. The process parameters for lead-free soldering have also been redefined since May 2006. This established a qualified basis for converting production equipment to RoHS compatibility. Since this date, Pilz products have been produced using lead-free processes, with RoHS-compatible components.

We are already taking into accout the requirement of the RoHS 2 directive and its exemptions in accordance with Annex III of the revised directive.