Methodology and Application of Parts Qualification for Compliance to Environmental Rules

Abstract

The worldwide spread of environmental rules concerning electrical and electronic equipment has increased the need for improved efficiency of Design for Environment (DfE). At present, assembly manufacturers request parts suppliers to submit parts data to confirm compliance with environmental rules. Especially, assembly manufacturers are strongly interested in the chemical content of parts. When confirming the accuracy of the data, an analytical instrument is often utilized by both assembly manufacturers and parts suppliers. However, it takes a huge number of man-hours. To solve the problem, we have proposed the methodology and application to confirm the accuracy without using an analytical instrument. Firstly, we have developed logic to extract benchmark data from the existing parts database by applying statistical processes. “Benchmark data” are used for comparison to confirm environmental data for parts. We also developed a tool that produces a benchmark map, which is a matrix of benchmark data. Then we proposed the evaluation method using benchmark data in quality assurance workflow to enable to confirm the credibility of the data. The use of benchmark data will reduce the risk of non-conformity or the number of man-hours needed for parts selection and parts qualification.