CE marking, the easily-recognisable symbol of product conformity across the European Union, is adding another spoke to its ‘umbrella’ directive. As of January 2013, the CE mark will also demonstrate RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) compliance as full CE obligations are incorporated into the RoHS recast. Good news for consumers but what effects will this move have on OEMs trading in the EU?

by Tom Westcott, Legislation Project Manager Europe, Farnell

To answer this, we must first look at the reasons behind the inclusion of the CE mark under RoHS. In broad terms, the purpose was to expand the scope of products to which the CE obligations would apply. As of the 2nd January 2013, all equipment falling within scope of the recast of the RoHS directive (2011/65/EU) will carry CE marking obligations. CE marking has been implemented by the European Commission to allow products to be freely distributed across the common European market, without the need for separate conformity declarations in each member state. Affixing the CE mark is a declaration by the producer that the product has been designed, tested and manufactured to meet the essential requirements of all applicable new approach directives. Not only does it declare that a product is safe, but it is also suitable for use in the function for which it was designed and that it will not have adverse effects on its surroundings.
It is this comprehensive approach to proving compliance that is the reason for its inclusion in the RoHS recast.
At present, the RoHS directive restricts the use of six substances (lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers) present over maximum concentration values by weight in homogeneous materials, covering a scope of eight categories.
Following the recast, the scope of RoHS will increase to ten categories in 2014, with a final category 11 being added in 2019 (the ‘open scope’ category).
In order to prove compliance, producers are required to provide satisfactory evidence in the form of technical documentation or information, known as the Certificate of Compliance (CoC).
However, no specific guidance exists on what form this evidence should take resulting in a multitude of applications in differing formats with differing information. CE marking, on the other hand, removes this ambiguity with clearly defined methods of compliance.
CE obligations require a three step approach to proving conformity – a technical file, a Declaration of Compliance (DoC) and finally by affixing the CE mark itself. Proof of compliance must be provided in the technical file, along with the specifics given in Module A of Annex 2 - 768/2008/EC. Technical file evidence must contain information on the following: a general description of the product, conceptual design and manufacturing drawings (with necessary descriptions / explanations), a list of harmonised standards the product is complying with (if any have been applied), results of calculations, examinations etc and final test reports. Secondly, the DoC (explained in Annex VI of the CE Directive 2011/65/EU), must detail the name and address of the manufacturer; the manufacturer’s acceptance of responsibility; details of the object being declared; confirmation that the object meets RoHS requirements; details of other harmonised standards being declared against; any additional technical information; and finally the manufacturer’s signature. As mentioned earlier, CE obligations have much greater clarity in their requirements and this is demonstrated in the form of the DoC template provided within the directive itself.
This exists in direct contrast to the certificate of compliance, which, due to the vagueness of current RoHS legislation, can exist in multiple formats creating confusion for both producers and enforcement authorities. The CoC is likely to be replaced by the DoC on finished goods and equipment, but will still be required for components. Finally, once all measures are in place the manufacturer must affix the CE mark in accordance with the requirements of the directive.
So what affect will these additional CE marking RoHS obligations have on OEMs in Europe? Put simply, and unfortunately repeating previous concerns, it is the burden of additional data collection.
Compiling the amount of information required for the technical file will demand additional resource for manufacturers, although the CE committee responsible for writing the harmonised EU standard for RoHS compliance has suggested that the work required is essentially what manufacturers should already be carrying out. Compiling information for the DoC should be a straightforward task but, again, the size of the task could be huge as all DoCs will need to be amended for all EEE sold in the EU. Finally, affixing the CE mark should not be an issue as the majority of products are already marked to show compliance with one of the other directives already covered by the CE umbrella.
Indeed it is the nature of CE marking as an umbrella directive that means that products which may not fall into the scope of RoHS may still be subject to obligations from one or more of the additional directives under the CE mark directive. One such example is development kits.
Whilst most development kits will be excluded from the scope of RoHS (products used solely for research and development are excluded from 2/1/2013), they may well be in scope for one or more of the directives under CE such as EMC (electromagnetic compatibility). Cables are also a subject of much debate. If a cable is sold as part of a kit i.e. a laptop and power cable, it is within the scope of RoHS and therefore CE.
However, if a cable is sold separately then it is not within the scope of RoHS (does not use electricity unless attached to another product) but it could still fall under another CE directive such as low voltage as the scope definitions differ for each directive. The European Commission is still discussing the RoHS position on cable. What is key to understand is that RoHS obligations are just one aspect of CE compliance and we are likely to see more areas of debate arising as the entry into force date draws closer.
The issue for OEMs is not necessarily the complexity of proving compliance but the volume of products it will apply to. It is also important to note that the responsibility to prove conformity covers the full supply chain. Specific obligations for manufacturers, importers and distributors are listed in articles 7, 9, 10 and 11 of the RoHS, in accordance with the reference to the harmonised provisions given in Annex 1 Article R2, R4, R5 and R6 Annex 1 CE decision 768/2008/EC. When coupled with the requirements of other directives under CE marking and the huge data collection tasks associated with REACH regulations and the, long overdue but imminent China RoHS directive, it becomes clear that legislation compliance is not an added responsibility for employees, but instead requires its own dedicated resource.
The inclusion of CE mark obligations into the scope of RoHS has practical intentions. The CE mark will demonstrate compliance with hazardous substance restrictions in addition to the other directives under its umbrella. It will also clarify RoHS compliance processes through the provision of detailed product investigations. But the very fact that the requirements are so comprehensive, and will lead to an increase in an already-stretched data collection resource, is likely to prove a major problem for businesses. There will undoubtedly be significant repercussions on businesses across Europe but in particular those SMEs which are subject to the full CE requirements but do not have the resources to manage the process.
If businesses cannot afford the time and money to ensure compliance, the reality could be that the majority just avoid compliance altogether, turning the CE umbrella inside out.

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In a presentation on the occasion of the Productronica trade show, SIPLACE technology scout Norbert Heilmann gave insights into current SIPLACE development projects and explained some early details regarding innovative features of upcoming SIPLACE solutions. Over the coming months, SIPLACE will unveil a series of hardware and software tools for the placement of LEDs to allow producers to significantly improve their efficiency in this field, which is currently the fastest growing in the industry. Besides more efficient LED feeding technologies, the SIPLACE placement platform will also feature brightness class management, which automatically assigns the appropriate resistor to each LED (LED pairing). Other SIPLACE development projects mentioned by Heilmann included a special SIPLACE Glue Feeder for the selective application of glue dots to components as well as the SIPLACE Smart Pin Support for the automatic setting of support pins.
In his presentation on the occasion of the 2011 Productronica trade show, Norbert Heilmann focused on innovative SIPLACE engineering de­velopments which will address central electronics manufacturing needs over the coming months. For example, SIPLACE is planning to expand its leading position in the large-volume LED placement field by introducing an automatic brightness class management feature. For technical reasons, LEDs must be paired with different resistors depending on their brightness classes as specified by the manufacturer. The SIPLACE LED Pairing system records this class information in a simple matrix and maps it in the placement program. In addition, a special bowl feeder and new special nozzles will further improve the efficiency and quality of the company’s LED placement technology.
The SIPLACE Glue Feeder, said Heilmann, will make it possible to attach glue dots selectively to components and only just before they are placed. Electronics manufacturers benefit from this feature because they no longer have to apply adhesives to the PCB and can use the SIPLACE digital vision system for quality control. And last but not least, they can install and maintain this innovative dispenser unit as flexibly as any other feeder.
Since more and more long and large boards must be protected against bending and vibrating by attaching support pins, SIPLACE will automate this process as well. Based on predefined positions in the placement program, a special pin placer on the SIPLACE placement head will place the pins automatically. SIPLACE Smart Pin Support will enable users to eliminate another expensive and error-prone manual procedure.

ASM Assembly Systems
www.siplace.com

Selecting the proper fault models, methodologies, implementation techniques, and test facilities appropriate for each of today’s IC chips is a complex science. Rochester Electronics has founded its Original Engineering Driven (OED) Test Protocol™ on continuing manufacturing agreements with original semiconductor manufacturers and the advanced expertise of Rochester’s dedicated test engineers. Rochester Electronics ensures that the proper test techniques and methodologies required for all flow classifications and component types are always met. Rochester’s Original Engineering–Driven Test Protocol offers a unique advantage in providing high-quality, high-performance, and thoroughly tested replacements for end-of-life and mature semiconductor devices. As the world’s largest authorized manufacturer and distributor of end-of-life and mature semiconductors, in most cases, Rochester acquires intellectual property from the original semiconductor manufacturer through continuing manufacturing agreements, including proprietary testing techniques, test programs, tooling, and test equipment required for precise and comprehensive testing of the semiconductor devices. To guarantee the most accurate testing available, Rochester continuously updates its test equipment and installs the same model machines used by the original manufacturer. In applying Rochester’s Original Engineering-Driven Test Protocol, Rochester engineers use the manufacturer’s factory-approved test programs or, when appropriate, upgrade those programs or even develop new test programs. The ultimate goal is always to perform the most comprehensive testing.
When the original test programs and/or test systems are unavailable from the original manufacturer, Rochester’s dedicated test engineers develop new test programs based on the latest revisions of the data sheets. Because the test process is relied upon to prevent defective components being shipping to customers as “good” devices, it is critical to correctly match the proper test techniques with the overall component/system requirements. Rochester’s test engineers have extensive experience with fault conditions and fault classes that can exist exclusively to certain technologies (for example, IDDQ testing of CMOS devices) and product classifications (for example, blown fuse faults in PLDs). This knowledge facilitates the implementation of the appro­priate test techniques and me­thodologies that produce accura­te results. If necessary, Rochester engineers convert test programs to existing test platforms using proven in-house custom conversion software tools.
www.rocelec.com

• PCB Design.
• Designing software applications for microcontrollers.
• Hardware and software system design for industrial processes automation.
• PCBs assembly, top and bottom, with SMT and THT technology.
• Automatic optical inspection and functional testing.
• Electromagnetic Compatibility tests.
• Equipments for industrial and residential environments.

With a tradition and experience of more than 17 years, the group of companies Electro Promex, BKD Electronic and STI Electronic offer a large range of services for the electric and electronic equipments industry: research, hardware and software design and development, supply, through selected suppliers as partners, with common interests for a long term co-operation, SMD and THT assembly, testing and service. The experience in the industrial electronic area, has materialized in developing our own products, destined for commercial and industrial applications: blasting devices, equipment and devices for protecting electric networks and installations, programmable automation devices, acoustic warning systems, ammeters and transducers, sensors, lamps, rechargeable lanterns.
The development does not stop here. The evolution of electronic devices, the increasing rate and necessity to counteract high sensitivities to disturbances, has determined us to build our own Electromagnetic Compatibility testing laboratory.

Technology
For design: CAD design: PCB - ORCAD, C++ compiler for embedded software.
For production: We have available two automatic assembly lines, for SMD assembly:
First line comprised of:
• LD100E loader Samsung
• SR 2500 TWS Screen Printer Samsung
• P40 Pick and Place Samsung
• WT200LE inspection conveyor Samsung
• TWS 1300 reflow oven Samsung
Production capacity: 6 000 components/hr
The second line, comprised of:
• Automatic printer Horison 03i with programmable stencil – DEK
• Lead-free wave soldering machine PowerWave 3.0F M09101268416 – SEHO
• Coating machine, C-740LN, 74 NOZZLE SC204 Asymtek
• Pick and Place CP45 NEO with 0,4mm PITCH CHAMBER – Samsung
• Nitrogen reflow over with 9 areas – Heller

Production capacity: 15 000 components/hr
For THT assembly: Hakko lead-free soldering stations
For testing procedures:
• We can carry out optical inspection, with optical testing machine AI400VT – Samsung and
• Functional testing with test pins, with test stand AT270
We can assembly: chip components 0402, 0603, 0805, 1206, 2512 , cylindrical components MELF and MINI-MELF, diodes and transistors SOT, IC TSOP, QSOP, PLLC, LCCC, OFP, TQFP, inductors and inductances up to 30mm.

Referrals
Our partners and collaborators are actives in the areas of: motors and pumps actuating, sensors, transducers, multimedia applications for education, safety and surveillance systems, passenger coaches.

Testing
Testing the immunity to radiated electromagnetic disturbances, using the GTEM cell as testing equipment (Gigahertz TEM) – 750 (septum height)
• Provides immunity and emission tests in a single electromagnetically screened equipment;
• Meets the requirements imposed by EN/IEC 61000-4-3 and EN/IEC 61000-4-20;
• Generates easy-to-calculate homogenous fields;
• Achieves field strengths of at least 10V/m with low power amplifiers (10/15W) in a wide frequency range 0,15MHz-1GHz, respectively up to 18 GHz without modifying the GTEM cell;
• Simple and time stable calibration;
• Maximum size of the equipment under test (EUT): 0,6 × 0,6 × 0,45m;
• Access door size: 0,62 × 0,49m;
• Disturbance filters for EUT supply at DC or AC voltage;
• Electric and visual monitoring of EUT behavior during the test;
Testing the immunity to conducted impulse disturbances
Testing equipment – Multifunctional compact generator
Provides immunity tests according to the following standards:
• EN/IEC 61000-4-2 ESD (electrostatic discharges) 8/15kV
• EN/IEC 61000-4-4 Burst 4,4kV / 1MHz
• EN/IEC 61000-4-5 Surge 1,2/50μs 4,1kV/2kA
• EN/IEC 61000-4-5/CCITT 10/700mμs 4kV (4/300ms 150A)
• EN/IEC 61000-4-8 MF (sinusoidal magnetic field)
• EN/IEC 61000-4-9 MF (impulse magnetic field)
• EN/IEC 61000-4-11 DIPS (AC supply variations/ interruptions) 260V/16A/500A peak
• EN/IEC 61000-4-12 Ring Wave (damped oscillating impulses) 6kV/500A
• EN/IEC 61000-4-29 DIPS (DC supply variations/ interruptions) 110V/16A/220A peak /IEC
• Software for automatic control of the testing process (acquisition, evaluation, storage, test report editing).

Quality policy
For the activities carried out, the group of companies maintains a quality management system, according to the ISO 9001 requirements, under the SRAC and IQNET brands. Having implemented the ISO 9001, the company’s products are designed for the extractive industry, the industry for producing and distributing electrical energy as well as chemical and petrochemical industry.

Our mission
Our mission is to overcome our customers’ expectations, offering services and products with a good quality/price report, meant to bring improvement to the quality of life, and therefore participating in building and developing a lasting society.
www.bkdelectronic.ro

Layout independent fault detection by AOI systems with high-end angled-view inspection.
By Jens Kokott, Manager AOI/AXI systems, GOEPEL electronic GmbH

AOI systems are an essential element in the PCB production process in order to guarantee a reliable quality assurance. The user can choose from a variety of system options which are characterised by diverse performance parameters so that a broad spectrum of quality demands can be satisfied. For optimal fault detection with independence of the PCB layout and the assembly parameters a high-end angled-view inspection is indispensable.
The application of AOI systems is necessary for the inspection of the solder joints at PLCC components and furthermore, offers a higher inspection quality for pins of all kinds of IC components (e.g. SO, QFP, etc.). Regarding the last-mentioned solder joint type an orthogonal inspection is possible, however the layout at the solder joint has a crucial influence on the reliability of detection.
In this matter especially EMS providers face the difficulty not to be able to control the design of the pads and arrangement of components; hence the consideration of layout guidelines will stay an illusion. To put things right an angled-view can provide image information for additional analyses. However, this additional viewing direction should not be considered a remedy for increasing the quality of detection, because its application brings with it several boundary conditions which also influence the overall process of the Automated Optical Inspection. Besides an increased expenditure of time due to additional image capturing and the considerably smaller field of view, the arrangement of the components on the PCB can constrict the view on the inspected solder joint also with an angled-view inspection.
Taking into account all these particularities GÖPEL electronic GmbH developed the rotating angled-view module „Chameleon“ which allows, together with an intelligent verify function, a layout independent and reliable fault detection.
In the following paragraphs the application of this innovative new development is explained, especially in regard to the detection of Lifted Leads in various layout and assembly situations.

Detecting critical faults – under all circumstances?
Lifted Leads belong to the most critical faults in the production of PCBs. They result e.g. from lifted pins or from insufficient wetting (e.g. through oxidation of a pin). In the electrical test (ICT, Boundary Scan, functional test) they may perfectly show an electrical contact to the pad on the PCB – however, in the actual use there can be discontinuities and hence a malfunction of the PCB.
The detection of Lifted Leads is complex due to their diversified appearance. The following parameters have a significant influence on the quality of the solder joint/Lifted Lead:
- the solder quantity
- the width of the pad
- the length of the pad
- the solder flow at the pin foot
- flow behavior on the pad
- the height of the pin
All these criteria are combined in reality so that there is a variety of possible appearances. In the daily use there may be Lifted Leads that are detectable with orthogonal inspection, however, this is significantly dependent on the PCB layout and the applied solder quantity.
An angled view alone is not enough...
As already mentioned, the angled-view is considered as THE remedy for maximum fault detection. However, a critical approach to the AOI systems is absolutely necessary as a range of parameters have different impacts on the performance:
• The field of view (FOV) of the angled view is responsible for the inspection speed of the complete system. As a comprehensive use of the angled view is necessary for the inspection of complex PCBs with a high number of ICs, the FOV is decisive for the time of inspection.
• The depth of focus and the image quality of the angled view is also decisive for the whole FOV on the PCB as well as in regard to the height extension of the components. Consequently, it influences the inspection quality and speed.
• The sole evaluation of the front menisci at pin solder joints has only a limited informative value regarding the solder quality. An angled inspection of the IC pins enables an optical inspection that resembles an IPC-conform test much more.
• Especially for the inspection of fine pitch ICs up to 0.3mm a sufficient resolution is necessary for safe fault detection.
• If there are higher components in front of the tested pins there might be overlaps in the angled field of view. One tries to evade this situation with design regulations, however, this is a question of practicability.
• A deflexion of the PCB during the inspection process might cause a displacement of the inspection positions in the camera image of the angled-view. To counteract this effect adequate compensation algorithm can help.
• Components in an angled position other than the 90°-steps cause extremely higher efforts regarding the programming time, because the test samples that are defined in the library (test units, macros etc.) cannot be used and a manual adaptation is necessary.
• Besides the image capturing using angled view, an intelligent verify function is necessary in order to reach a safe fault detection with minimum false call rate under the above named circumstances.
Coming from theory to practice – a consequent way for innovative results
As a basis for the development of a powerful angled-view module, GOEPEL electronic has developed a catalogue that contains all appearances of Lifted Leads and their combinations. Based on this catalogue, all classes of appearances were backed up by real samples in close cooperation with customers. The result is a pool of thousands of Lifted Leads in different appearances. Based on this, a method of image capturing was identified by modifying the directions of viewing and illumination, which ensures the detection of all catalogued Lifted Lead variants.
According to the requirements of the image capturing, an angled view module was developed that is distinguished by an extraordinarily big field of view (42mm x 42mm) with superior image quality and depth of focus, as well as a resolution of up to 10.5μm/pixel.
On the basis of the images captured in this way, an algorithm was developed that enables the automatic detection of Lifted Leads under all circumstances.
The solder joint inspection close to IPC was paid special attention to. That is only possible due to an angled-view inspection f the IC pins. This approach, using an intelligent optical design, allows the simultaneous inspection of two opposite pin rows of an IC. Hence, there is a significant advantage in the inspection time as e.g. for an SO-IC image capturing from only one direction is necessary. Even for components with four pin rows, there are only two inspections necessary with one 90° rotation of the viewing direction.
The final verification of the algorithm with all available real Lifted Lead samples incl. the application in production resulted in a 100% fault detection without increase of the false call rate.
The application in critical assembly situation was also considered in the development of the angled-view module (e.g. covering by higher components) along with the inspection of components in any angular position. Due to these considerations, the rotatability in 1° steps over an area of 360° was integrated in the module.
The benefit for the user is demonstrated in the following points:

1. For components in different angular positions (e.g. 20°) no adjustment of the inspection position or the parameters is necessary as the viewing direction has only to be adjusted to the respective angular position (e.g. 20°), and the inspection can be carried out using a standard library sample in 0° position.
2. If the viewing direction is obstructed by components, it is possible to turn the viewing direction for a few degrees until the solder joints are completely visible. Consequently, a safe fault detection is guaranteed.

Summary
For assuring highest quality demands in the production of PCBs a powerful angled-view inspection guarantees layout independent and safe fault detection.
The size of the captured field of view influences the inspection speed of the AOI system significantly. The free rotation of the viewing direction in an area of 360° allows an easy inspection of solder joints that might be covered by components in front of them. A modular integration into in-line and stand-alone AOI systems allows the module to be used for a significant quality increase even for smallest batches.
www.interelectronic.net

Autorized distributor for Hungary & Romania:
InterElectronic Hungary Kft.
InterElectronic Romania SRL.

Contact:
Karoly Peics
+36 30 296-45-05
karoly.peics@interelectronic.hu
www.interelectronic.hu