JACKSON, MI -- Sparton Corp. an EMS provider, announced its engineering and electronics manufacturing operations are in full compliance with the Restriction of Hazardous Substances directive. Sparton received third-party certification for establishing a fully compliant lead-free design and manufacturing process into its electronics services capabilities, the company said today.


The certification includes processes, equipment and training to design, identify components, procure and manage materials and assemble and test electronics products that require compliance with the RoHS directive.

Cookson Electronics provided the certification to Sparton, a process that took more than six weeks, Sparton told Circuits Assembly.

According to Gene Vigilante, director of engineering services and corporate RoHS core team lead, Sparton submitted PCB assemblies to Cookson, which conducted a complete visual and microstructural analysis to verify microstructural integrity. "The investigation also ensures that each of the solder connections examined meets [IPC-A-610D]," he said.

"This certification is company-based and covers Sparton’s manufacturing process," Vigilante told Circuits Assembly. "Sparton documentation for the RoHS requirements is embodied in its overall documentation intent. [The] documentation process is certified by ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and AS 9100."

The RoHS directive requires the removal of certain hazardous substances such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium, PBB and PBDE flame-retardants from electrical and electronic products distributed in EU and Asia.

"RoHS and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives will soon require companies to change the way they design, manufacture, track and bring new products into the market," Vigilante said. "In order to provide flexible controlled processes for RoHS / WEEE compliant electronic design and manufacturing, our experienced cross-functional RoHS team has developed product-based strategies. This will allow us to distinguish between compliant and non-compliant products, adjust manufacturing processes immediately, and maintain the information and control processes necessary for the required operations."