Traceability is the key to progression for manufacturing
22 August 2011
iNEMI, the industry led consortium, released its latest report on the manufacturing industry last week. The document comes to a massive 1,800 pages, but the consortium highlighted some of the trends and concerns that the industry is facing.
For those unaware of iNEMI, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative comprises more than 95 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities, and its mission is to forecast and accelerate improvements in the electronics manufacturing industry for a sustainable future.
According to the report, one of the main areas of concern is the traceability and product data reporting of components.
The need is driven both by the widespread availability of counterfeit components and by the need to prevent the trade of conflict minerals from war torn areas like the Democratic republic of Congo.
There is also a separate need for traceability of components to meet requirements of individual areas like medical electronics, so that OEMs can guarantee the provenance of both individual components and final products in order to address liability concerns. The last driver for traceability is the need for companies to comply with environmental legislation.
iNEMI states that international standards should govern the traceability of components and also component data. The consortium is also calling for international standardisation to harmonise of environmental legislation.
Personally I think this would be a great step for the industry. Any reduction in red tape is a boon, especially to smaller companies that would like to operate in the global market. An international standard for traceability would also provide confidence in components, both in respect to their origination, and to comply with environmental regulations.
Has iNEMi got it correct or do you disagree? Let me know by email: alistair.winning@imlgroup.co.uk or on Twitter: @EMTEditorial
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