Lead-free part numbers to be issued
Jim Carbone, Executive Editor, Electronics, Purchasing Magazine -- Purchasing, 7/7/2005 2:00:00 AM
More than 70% of suppliers say they will change part numbers for parts that are compliant with the European directive that bans the use of lead and five other substances in electronics equipment, according to a new study.
The study conducted by distributor Avnet and researcher Technology Forecasters says there has been marked change in the number of suppliers that say they will change parts numbers for components that meet the requirements of the Restriction on the Use of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) law. A similar study in 2004 found that 52% of suppliers said they would change part numbers for lead-free parts. The most recent study says 71% now say they will issue new part numbers for RoHs compliant parts. Electronics distributors have called for new part numbers for parts to avoid confusion. The fear was that lead-free parts could get mixed up with RoHS-compliant components in inventories. Some suppliers plan to make both RoHS compliant and non compliant parts even after the July 1 deadline because there is demand for such parts for equipment not being sold in Europe. Jim Smith, vice president of logistics for Avnet, says the study shows that progress is being made in getting suppliers to change part numbers, but "we are still concerned that suppliers are underestimating the supply chain implications of this issue." The survey also finds that nearly 58% of respondents say they plan to designate compliance by providing information on their packaging as well. That’s up from 37% in the 2004 survey. Most suppliers also say prices will not increase because of RoHS and they don’t expect any supply chain disruptions due to inventory excess or a shortfall of affected parts. "We hope the suppliers are right about that," says Smith. "However, with hundreds of thousands of parts changing as a result of these requirements, we are not ready to declare victory just yet. There is still a huge amount of work for the industry to do," Smith added. Avnet and other distributors have been aggregating information about which suppliers are compliant with RoHS. Avnet has developed a three-part series webinar featuring a panel of experts who discuss the component supply chain implications of RoHs.
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