Does the RoHS Directive ban the use of cadmium plating on fasteners?
A. – Clause 8 of the Annex of the RoHS directive grants an exception allowing cadmium plating to be used unless it is banned under Directive 91/338/EEC. Directive 91/338/EEC amends an earlier directive 76/769/EEC. The amended text bans cadmium from certain applications, primarily those involving contact with food and hardware that could have direct contact to human skin or contact with indoor air. The amended text clearly allows cadmium plating in aerospace applications and other safety critical sectors. Therefore, RoHS compliance of cadmium plating depends on the classification of the end product and PennEngineering, as a fastener supplier, can not determine RoHS compliance of cadmium plating.
