European Union (EU) Directive 2002/95/EC Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) is set to go into effect July 1, 2006. RoHS legislation, which directly supports related EU recycling legislation, will effectively ban six chemicals in electronic and electrical equipment sold in the EU after July 1, 2006. The chemicals are lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers . This directive affects manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment if their products are exported to the EU.

As this ban will affect many of its customers, GM Nameplate has been working since April 2004 towards RoHS compliance. Steps taken include identifying all raw materials containing the banned substances, identifying and testing alternate materials including lead-free solder for use in electronic assemblies, and testing replacement inks for those identified as containing restricted metals.

The majority of raw materials used in the production of GM Nameplate products do not contain the banned chemicals; therefore, many products manufactured by GM Nameplate are already in compliance with these new regulations. Nearly 99% of all basic parts are compliant now, while approximately 75% of all complex multi-layered assemblies are currently compliant. For those that are not, GM Nameplate has proactively set July 1, 2005, one year prior to the final compliance deadline, as the date on which all GM Nameplate produced parts will be RoHS compliant.

GM Nameplate is working closely with the American Electronics Association (AEA), the Screen Printing and Graphics Imaging Association (SGIA) and other industry groups to stay informed of changes and updates to RoHS requirements

About GM Nameplate, Inc.
Established in 1954, GM Nameplate specializes in the custom design and manufacture of branding components including nameplates, decals, labels and custom panels; electronic input devices such as membrane switches, rubber keypads and touch screens; decorated and molded plastic components; value added assemblies; and large format digital graphics. GM Nameplate is recognized worldwide as a leading international manufacturer, which provides products and services that meet or exceed customer expectations every time.

GM Nameplate is a privately owned company with corporate headquarters in Seattle, Washington.  The company employs nearly 1,000 people throughout facilities in California, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington (2), Canada and Asia.