RoHS Compliance
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RoHS-Impacted Product Categories
The RoHS Directive applies to products in Categories 1 thru 11 (as per Schedule 1 of the WEEE Directive). RoHS also applies to all wires, cables, and associated connectors, both internal and external.
The following product categories are impacted under the RoHS Directive:
Category 1: Large household appliances - refrigerators, washers, stoves, air conditioners
Category 2: Small household appliances - vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, coffee makers, irons
Category 3: Computing & communications equipment - computers, printers, copiers, phones, satellite TV, cell tower equipment, antennas
Category 4: Consumer electronics - TVs, DVD players, stereos, video cameras
Category 5: Lighting - lamps, lighting fixtures, light bulbs (some fluorescents are exempt)
Category 6: Power tools - drills, saws, nail guns, sprayers, lathes, trimmers, blowers
Category 7: Toys, leisure and sports equipment - videogames, treadmills, talking dolls, Fitbits
Category 8: Medical devices and equipment - includes in-vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDs) (also impacted by GMP regulations - FDA 21 CFR 820)
Category 9: Monitoring and control equipment - thermostats, smoke detectors, fire alarms, including industrial applications
Category 10: Automatic dispensers - vending machines, ATM machines
Category 11: Catch-all - all other electronic and electrical equipment not covered under the other categories. Included are 2-wheeled electric vehicles; electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) such as e-cigarettes, cannabis vaporizers and vape pens; electrical wires and cables less than 250V working voltage. Electrical wiring for transportation (including EVs) is covered under the EU ELV Directive.
RoHS-Exempted Product Categories
The following product categories are currently exempted from RoHS compliance. Of note is that these exemptions are largely application or industry dependent:
Military - equipment used for defense or national security
Space - equipment sent into space such as satellites, telescopes, spacecraft
Automotive/Transportation - vehicles used for transport (except 2-wheeled vehicles such as electric motorcycles, electric dirt bikes, and electric bicycles)
R&D - equipment used for professional research and development, including for nuclear energy
Non-road mobile machinery (NRMM) - agricultural, railway, waterway, construction machinery
Large-scale fixed installations (LSFI) - electrical distribution, HVAC, fixed robotic equipment, and power lines greater than 250V.
Large-scale stationary industrial tools (LSSIT) - CNC, milling, metal-forming, testing machines; cranes
Fixed-location photovoltaic panel (PV) installations
Active Implantable Medical Devices (AIMDs) - pacemakers, implanted defibrillators, insulin pumps
Sub-equipment for out-of-scope equipment
Battery cells (wiring between cells such as for battery modules and battery packs is impacted)
Compact flourescent light bulbs/lamps
Spare parts for equipment in the market before RoHS took effect - applies to all except for Category 11 products