Component Pb conversion helps OEMs find economic equalizer when complying with WEEE

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive mandates that OEMs make efforts to re-use, repair or re-cycle at least 50-80%, by weight depending on the category of products, of the products that they manufacture.

Depending on the size and weight of materials used in varying products, a significant portion of this weight could come from the integrated circuits and semiconductors populating a printed circuit board. Component Pb(lead) conversion, a process that involves removal of Pb solder from these devices and replacing with a RoHS compliant solder, has made it possible to re-use many of these components in accordance with WEEE.

This capability opens many opportunities for OEMs to make use of product that was destined for end of life cycle disposal. To re-use semiconductors and IC's in this way, OEM's can comply with WEEE by using components that would have violated RoHS, but can now be converted to RoHS compliant.

The potential economic benefits gained by re-claiming ICs and semiconductors for reuse or even possible resale are many. Reclaiming semiconductors for re-use of proprietary and high-end semiconductors could be the economic equalizer that OEMs struggling to comply with WEEE are looking for.

To learn more about semiconductor conversion, visit www.e-certa.com