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 Date:5/11/2007 alphagear |
| News Release alpha Addresses RoHS in Corporate Social Responsibility As a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, alpha gear drives will apply the RoHS Directive to all alpha products from spring 2007. RoHS restricts and controls the content of heavy metals and toxic materials in electronic and electrical consumer equipment, such as household appliances, computers, telephones, children's toys, medical equipment and measuring instruments. Industrial products like planetary gearheads are not affected by the new regulation. Despite this, alpha has resolved to replace the lead-containing aluminum alloy used until now for certain parts with lead-free, RoHS-compliant materials that are benign to the environment. RoHS, which stands for Restrictions on Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment, bans the marketing of all relevant products containing lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, mercury or PBB/PBDE flame retardants in concentrations exceeding the defined maximum limits. Lead, for example, is found in almost all PVC blends as a component of stabilizers. Lead and hexavalent chromium are included in many color concentrates used to color core insulation and cable jackets. As purely mechanical products, alpha gearheads are not, strictly speaking, covered by this new regulation. What sparked alpha development engineers' decision in the summer of 2006 was the need for a prompt response to Japanese machine builders' strategy of securing a competitive edge for themselves with environmentally compatible products. Their argument: if products intended for end customers, like flat screens, are obliged to be RoHS-compliant, why shouldn't the production facilities used to manufacture them also consist of RoHS-compliant components? Considerable costs and effort were expended on migrating the technology, for instance for material tests, new machining processes and revisions to the entire technical documentation. Although the changeover will consequently take slightly longer than originally planned, lead-free aluminum is set to be introduced for alpha's standard product line (SP+, TP+ and LP+) in May 2007. Innovators in servo gear technology, alpha solutions continue to be the most advanced-making machines run faster, more efficient and more productive. alphas products include precision gear reducers, couplings and rack and pinion systems for any application. alpha is a member of WITTENSTEIN, recognized globally as a leader in motion control. Visit www.alphagear.com. |
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