Marking is referred to the physical components and labelling is referred to the packaging. The marking category defined by JEDEC/ JESD97 and IPC-1066 in "JEDEC Standard JESD97" is realized as a circle or ellipse surrounding the symbol e1, e2, etc. The symbol "e" stands from its first intention for "environmental friendly", although the symbol "e0" can be used for lead containing solder or finishes.
The marking according to JEDEC/IPC or the JEITA standard with categories or composition symbols in the sign is acceptable for the scope 1, referring to all electronic equipments from all categories defined in WEEE [2], Appendix II b, and for the legislation related objective.
For scope 2, label application to electronic boards in the whole life cycle, including the lead-free products, for reliable repair, effective recycling, and traceability, a higher-level information system is required. It depends on the business cases in the whole life cycle. Which of them provide a benefit (monetary or imaginary) for the producer of electronic devices, for service related enterprises, for users or for collecting and recycling enterprises has to be calculated in detail and for the individual business case.
The period for this complex task was too small for more practical results. The attempt to standardize labeling in a European framework collapsed because of the missing requirement from the European Commission and Parliament. Only few enterprises felt in time the demand in assuring the information logistics in the supply chain as a common challenge beneath the technological questions.
Efforts for introducing a simple marking for logistic purposes in the supply chain should be continued in other projects. Even the partner enterprises in this project are too big to include in the work of this task those decision making people, which are dealt with labeling of their products.
Introducing high-level marking in connection with environmental-related was prepared in this task by discussing different technological concepts, their benefits and disadvantages or requirements. As an example a simple 2D data matrix code will be used for the EFSOT verification board, together with the collected component and board data as well with life cycle data, and presented on the InfoBase-web server. This presentation documents the feasibility such a type of information system.
So the analysis of labeling systems provides to the European market the framework and requirements to make products more eco-designed, using information from the whole life cycle.
AUTHOR: Dr. Irina Stobbe, TU Berlin, Germany (11/2004)
Literature [next chapter]
- Component Information: If space is available, marking of component should be realized by placing the Pb-free marking categories described in "JEDEC Standard JESD97" on the components, otherwise, labelling on the lowest level packaging of the component. Component marking is meant to provide information about solders or finishes used in the 2nd level interconnects on component, without referring to any exemptions. If not space is available the information have to be given in data sheets.
- Board information: A board is considered Pb-free, if it does not use any lead-content material for finishing or inner contacts. This is the base for both standardisation organisations, JEDEC/IPC and JEITA. If there is another information system available, only the lead-free information should be included in labelling. This way, component and board producers do not have to change very expansive their current labelling processes, which also means money saving. This method is also meant to avoid a non-standard labelling.
- Assembly marking: We propose a labelling of the used solder with the Pb-free solder categories from the JEDEC or, better, an element description of the used solder, proposed by JEITA. Propositions see annexes [2] and [3]. A high-level labelling would be provide material content information of all mounted components, including the possible use of lead or other restricted materials exempted by RoHS for a period. Different technological solutions of marking could be applied on assemblies. One of them is a RFID-chip attached on the PCB. This chip shall contain the part number of the assembly, used assembly process(es) (reflow, wave or other soldering) with solder categories, the maximum storage temperature for the board, and other required information. Since traceability is heavily discussed in the industry, traceable information could also be included in this chip. This chip shall contain all needed information for the later processes, i.e. service, rework, reuse, recycle, etc.
The marking according to JEDEC/IPC or the JEITA standard with categories or composition symbols in the sign is acceptable for the scope 1, referring to all electronic equipments from all categories defined in WEEE [2], Appendix II b, and for the legislation related objective.
For scope 2, label application to electronic boards in the whole life cycle, including the lead-free products, for reliable repair, effective recycling, and traceability, a higher-level information system is required. It depends on the business cases in the whole life cycle. Which of them provide a benefit (monetary or imaginary) for the producer of electronic devices, for service related enterprises, for users or for collecting and recycling enterprises has to be calculated in detail and for the individual business case.
The period for this complex task was too small for more practical results. The attempt to standardize labeling in a European framework collapsed because of the missing requirement from the European Commission and Parliament. Only few enterprises felt in time the demand in assuring the information logistics in the supply chain as a common challenge beneath the technological questions.
Efforts for introducing a simple marking for logistic purposes in the supply chain should be continued in other projects. Even the partner enterprises in this project are too big to include in the work of this task those decision making people, which are dealt with labeling of their products.
Introducing high-level marking in connection with environmental-related was prepared in this task by discussing different technological concepts, their benefits and disadvantages or requirements. As an example a simple 2D data matrix code will be used for the EFSOT verification board, together with the collected component and board data as well with life cycle data, and presented on the InfoBase-web server. This presentation documents the feasibility such a type of information system.
So the analysis of labeling systems provides to the European market the framework and requirements to make products more eco-designed, using information from the whole life cycle.
AUTHOR: Dr. Irina Stobbe, TU Berlin, Germany (11/2004)
Literature [next chapter]
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