XRF Uses in RoHS Testing
Electronics move quickly through global supply chains.
Components come from dozens of suppliers across multiple countries. Assemblies get built, shipped, and sold into markets with strict regulatory requirements, and the documentation trail that's supposed to prove compliance doesn't always keep up with the hardware.
RoHS restricts six categories of hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU and many other markets-
- Lead
- Mercury
- Cadmium
- Hexavalent Chromium
- Polybrominated Biphenyls
- Polybrominated Diphenyl
These hazardous substances all have concentration limits that apply to each homogeneous material in a finished product. A single non-compliant component puts the entire product out of compliance.
Supplier declarations tell you what your suppliers claim. Handheld XRF analyzers tell you what's actually in the material.
XRF is recognized under IEC 62321 as an approved screening method for RoHS restricted metals. Lead, cadmium, mercury, total chromium, and bromine as a proxy for brominated flame retardants all fall within XRF detection capability at RoHS threshold concentrations.
Results appear in seconds. No sample destruction, no lab submission, no production delay.
The workflow fits at every stage of the electronics manufacturing and import process.
Incoming component inspection screens parts before they enter production. In-process verification catches sourcing substitutions mid-run. Finished product screening confirms compliance before goods ship into regulated markets.
For high-volume incoming inspection, XRF speed makes 100% component screening practical in a way laboratory analysis cannot match. An operator can screen hundreds of component types per day without destroying parts or waiting on a lab queue.
For the metals and bromine that represent the most common RoHS compliance failures, XRF is the fastest, most practical screening tool available.
Build a RoHS screening program that actually keeps up with your production volume.
Shop handheld RoHS XRF analyzers at Alloy Geek
More RoHS XRF Resources
There are a lot of ways to save money and time with XRF analysis, especially when it comes to RoHS compliance. Learn more about the uses and benefits of XRF analysis for your business from an XRF professional.