The demands of meeting WEEE/RoHS regulations can be a huge organizational nightmare for many manufacturers. Not only must the end-product meet stringent standards, but a manufacturer must vouch for every component in the final product. And this compliance content must be built into the product record.
WEEE (Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is a recycling mandate from the European Union (EU) that must be adhered to for companies marketing products in Europe. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) required companies to remove lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) from their electronic products by July 1, 2006. If a company had not filed paperwork with the EU disclosing their compliance, their products were locked out of the European market.
Many manufacturers are aware that product lifecycle management (PLM) software is an effective tool for managing design and supply chain procedures. But traditional PLM software systems can be very expensive and labor intensive for all but the biggest manufacturers, and they do not necessarily make WEEE/RoHS compliance any easier.
Online with on-demand
Now, the combination of on-demand PLM software with an electronic component database can assure manufacturers that they are using the most current data in their design, sourcing and procurement business processes. Such a system has been developed by Arena Solutions, a provider of on-demand PLM software, and Avnet Electronics, a distributor of electronic components.
"With on-demand, the customer uses a web site to access the software," explains Michael Topolovac, CEO of Arena Solutions. "There is no CD to purchase, or expenses for hiring personnel, such as a systems integrator, to manage the PLM system. The price difference goes from several hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars (for traditional software) to about $1,000 per year for on-demand."
With a traditional CD-based PLM system, the user has all the responsibility for maintaining the system and running the software. On-demand software leaves all these issues to the host provider, and allows the manufacturer to concentrate on its core business.
"On-demand software allows the user to provide access to the PLM system to all personnel, regardless of where they are located," said Topolovac. "This is especially important in this age of global manufacturing, where manufacturers have facilities scattered all over the U.S. and abroad. Since the on-demand software is internet-hosted, users just need to log-in to access the system."
A combination for compliance
But how does this translate into making it easier to comply with WEEE/RoHS regulations?
"Manufacturers are dealing with hundreds of component suppliers when they are designing products, and to meet WEEE/RoHS standards, these components must be validated," said Topolovac. "As the OEM is building or designing a part or piece of equipment, they can search the component supplier on Arena's Avnet connection. If the component is not WEEE/RoHS compliant, the OEM can search the Avnet database for a compliant product."
One of the challenges in meeting WEEE/RoHS regulations is the confusion surrounding component part numbers. The OEM cannot dictate to the supplier how they should code parts for compliance validation. Suppliers can use part numbers, dates or any combination of these, but the manufacturer still cannot be guaranteed that the part is compliant.
The Arena/Avnet system allows the OEM to find the compliant part and use it, regardless of how the part is coded since each component qualified for WEEE/RoHS use is backed up by a Material Data sheet containing all the validation information. The PLM system manages the data sheets and the compliance records, alleviating the manufacturer from having to figure out which part numbers are compliant.
"Now, the manufacturer can say, 'I made this product and I can prove that the product and its components comply with WEEE/RoHS standards. I have the validation reports,' " said Topolovac. "With on-demand PLM software tied into a component database, companies of any size can have the advantages of a PLM solution and meet WEEE/RoHS compliance easily and cost effectively."
As manufacturers move into a new era of responsible manufacturing and must begin to meet many types of standards, both here and abroad, it is critical that content be built into the product record. A strategic partnership between the OEM, the supplier and the software provider can help manufacturers meet the demands of environmentally responsible manufacturing.