What is a XRF Audit?

XRF is short for X-Ray Fluorescence

UK - RoHS enforcement guidance
IEC - RoHS testing procedures

A dirty little secret about RoHS certificates and IMDS submissions is that the product you receive from your supplier may not be the product documented in the certificate or submission. There are a number of reasons for this, including poor quality control and/or undocumented changes in the product's manufacture.

Published guidance from the UK indicates that RoHS certificates from your suppliers do not provide sufficient defense against non-compliant products. Due diligence requires that you take all reasonable steps to verify the information in the certificates so that you can determine whether a supplier's certificates can be trusted.

Both the UK and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) recommend using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) to screen materials/components/products for the presence of RoHS prohibited substances. XRF screening yields either a clear pass, a clear fail or "borderline." Additional testing is required only for borderline results.

Although XRF analyzers are very safe, they do require registration with your state's agency for radiation safety/x-ray machines. Moreover,  because certain protocols must be followed in order to obtain accurate results, training is required.

If the purchase of an XRF analyzer doesn't make economic sense for your company, we are happy to provide those services for you. In an XRF audit, we help you identify the materials/components/products that need to be tested and perform the tests for you. Results are ready for print-out in a matter of minutes.