AC/DC Power Adapter RoHS 2 Compliance

This page explains the RoHS Directive for AC/DC Power Adapter and switching power supplies. RoHS 2 is currently in effect. Please contact us if you need assistance with restricted substances, maximum permitted concentrations, applicable products, applicable categories, or other matters.

History of the RoHS Directive

The RoHS Directive (2002/95/EC) was revised, and Directive 2011/65/EU was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on July 1, 2011. Directive 2002/95/EC is known as RoHS1, while Directive 2011/65/EU is known as RoHS2. By January 3, 2013, RoHS2 had replaced RoHS1 in the national laws of EU member states and is currently in force.

In other words, because RoHS1 is now the "former RoHS Directive," compliance with RoHS1 does not necessarily mean compliance with RoHS2. The current RoHS Directive is "2011/65/EU (RoHS2)," and compliance requires conformity with the newly added restrictions.

Key Point:Compliance with RoHS1 alone does not constitute compliance with RoHS2. Compliance with a total of 10 substances is required, including the four phthalates added in 2015.

Restricted Substances and Maximum Permitted Concentrations

The RoHS Directive specifies substances whose use is restricted (restricted substances). The original RoHS 1 specified six substances (or substance groups), but (EU) 2015/863 was published in the Official Journal on June 4, 2015, adding four phthalates. As a result, a total of ten substances (or substance groups) are now restricted.

RoHS 1 Restricted Substances (6 Substances)

Substance	Maximum Permitted Concentration
Lead (Pb)	0.1 wt% (1,000ppm)
Mercury (Hg)	0.1 wt% (1,000ppm)
Hexavalent Chromium (Cr6+)	0.1 wt% (1,000ppm)
PBB (Polybrominated Biphenyls)	0.1 wt% (1,000ppm)
PBDE (Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers)	0.1 wt% (1,000ppm)
Cadmium (Cd)	0.01 wt% (100ppm)

Prohibited Substances Added under RoHS 2 (4 Substances)

Substance Name	Maximum Permitted Concentration
DEHP (Bis(2-ethylhexyl) Phthalate)	0.1 wt% (1,000 ppm)
BBP (Butyl Benzyl Phthalate)	0.1 wt% (1,000 ppm)
DBP (Di-n-butyl Phthalate)	0.1 wt% (1,000 ppm)
DIBP (Diisobutyl Phthalate)	0.1 wt% (1,000 ppm)

Applicable Products and Categories

As with RoHS1, the applicable Products are electrical and electronic equipment designed for use with a voltage rating not exceeding 1,000V for Alternating Current (AC) and 1,500V for direct current (DC). RoHS2 adds the condition of "equipment that is dependent on electric currents or electromagnetic fields in order to work properly, or equipment for the generation, transfer, or measurement of such currents and fields."

RoHS1 covered 10 categories, while RoHS2 added an 11th category, "Other Electrical and Electronic Equipment," bringing the total number of covered categories to 11.

No.	Category Name	Start of Restrictions on 10 Substances
1	Large Household Appliances	July 22, 2019
2	Small Household Appliances	July 22, 2019
3	Information Technology (IT) and Telecommunications Equipment	July 22, 2019
4	Consumer Electronics	July 22, 2019
5	Lighting Equipment	July 22, 2019
6	Electrical and Electronic Tools (Except Large-Scale Stationary Industrial Tools)	July 22, 2019
7	Toys, Leisure, and Sports Equipment	July 22, 2019
8	Medical Devices	July 22, 2021
9	Monitoring and Control Instruments	July 22, 2021
10	Automatic Dispensers	July 22, 2019
11	Other Electrical and Electronic Equipment Not Covered by the Categories Above	July 22, 2019

RoHS2 Compliance of Our AC/DC Power Adapter

Following the promulgation of the RoHS2 Directive (EU Directive 2015/863), we began taking steps to ensure compliance ahead of the enforcement date. The timeline of our compliance efforts is shown below.

Date	Actions Taken
December 2015	Revised the ISO document "RoHS Product Management Regulations" and began using it as documentation for manufacturer factory audits
Around August 2016 onward	Provided written explanations of the RoHS2 Directive to our component suppliers and required compliance
January 1, 2017 onward	Began purchasing components compliant with RoHS2 (EU Directive 2015/863). Added four phthalates to SGS reports, bringing all 10 substances under management

Compliance with RoHS2 is also a prerequisite for selecting any new manufacturers going forward.

Key Point: We completed compliance with all 10 substances in January 2017, ahead of the enforcement date for Categories 1-7 and 11 (July 22, 2019). By completing compliance approximately two and a half years before enforcement began, we established a system that ensures our customers' Products can reliably comply with RoHS2.

For more information about our parts and materials management and quality control systems, please also see the following pages.

Quality Initiatives:
Quality Initiatives (Top Page) / Measures Against Red Phosphorus (Ion Migration) / Parts Supplier Selection Process / Quality Control System for Our AC/DC Power Adapter