SMTC achieves lead free manufacturing certifications

SMTC Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTX; TSX: SMX), a premier mid-size provider of end-to-end electronics manufacturing services (EMS) confirms that they are certified and compliant to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive initiated by the European Union. SMTC continues its history of providing manufacturing leadership to its customers and enhancing their competitive position in the marketplace.
 
"SMTC has reached a significant milestone of being able to conduct lead-free manufacturing and in offering our customers the highest quality of service that meets their compliance needs throughout the entire component and assembly processes," stated Don Simpson, Senior VP, Manufacturing and Engineering. Since the initial release of the RoHS directive, SMTC has executed a strategy focusing on working closely with suppliers and supporting its customers in achieving full compliance. SMTC continues to collaborate with its global suppliers in their efforts to procure appropriate provisions for compliance with all new materials and process changes. "SMTC's well established working relationships with our suppliers have definitely contributed to its accelerated progress and achievement of compliance," added Rob Mendelsohn, VP of Global Procurement.

In recognizing the impact that the RoHS directive has on its customers, SMTC has taken an active role throughout this transition in alleviating some of the challenges faced by its customers. "By utilizing our supply chain management capabilities and expertise, SMTC is able to offer services that are specifically aimed at providing lead free manufacturing as part of our compliance to the RoHS directive," stated Pat Hullah, Vice President of Supply Chain Execution. "More explicitly, SMTC performs such services as Bill of Material audits, compliance timeline analysis and conversion schedules to closely manage customer inventory liability while ensuring no supply chain interruption during RoHS build plan transitions."

SMTC has conducted an extensive assessment of their entire manufacturing operations successfully incorporating clear strategies in its implementation of manufacturing processes compliant to the RoHS directive. SMTC has been able to leverage its unique "Copy-Exact" methodology combined with its rigorous testing and quality control measures to expedite its full transition to RoHS compliance consistently throughout all of its facilities. Standardized processes have been established across SMTC's service offerings spanning from design engineering, manufacturing process design, production controls and inventory management. SMTC is now able to provide its customers with RoHS certified PCBA manufacturing capabilities as well as assist our customers' on-going efforts to ensure all components and materials, used throughout the entire manufacturing and end product assembly processes, are compliant. SMTC PCBA facilities are IPC certified and have achieved Class 3 lead free validation.