RoHS restricts hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment. A printed label is a component of that equipment, so when your product is in scope, the label — face stock, adhesive, ink and varnish — is in scope with it. Directive 2011/65/EU as amended by (EU) 2015/863 covers ten substances.
Restricted substances and limits
| Substance | Maximum concentration (homogeneous material) |
|---|---|
| Lead (Pb) | 0.1 % |
| Mercury (Hg) | 0.1 % |
| Cadmium (Cd) | 0.01 % |
| Hexavalent chromium (Cr VI) | 0.1 % |
| PBB / PBDE | 0.1 % each |
| DEHP, BBP, DBP, DIBP | 0.1 % each |
How compliance is established
- Supplier declarations — we hold statements from our face stock, adhesive and ink suppliers covering the ten restricted substances.
- Analytical testing — screening of metals per IEC 62321, with wet-chemical confirmation for Cr VI and phthalates where screening is inconclusive.
- Documentation — the report is issued against the specific construction, not against “labels” in general. A change of ink or laminate is a new construction.
For RoHS-scope orders we arrange testing through an accredited third-party laboratory and supply the report with the shipment, together with the supplier declarations for the exact materials used on your job. Please tell us at the quotation stage — the lead time for testing has to be built into the schedule.
Typical RoHS-scope label applications
- Battery and power-cell labels
- Rating plates, asset and serial-number labels on equipment
- Cable and component marking
- Labels supplied to EU-bound electronics assemblers
Related: Battery labels · Polyimide labels · Label Laboratory