As the deadline for compliance with the European Unionrsquo;s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive draws near, companies across the electronics supply chain are focusing their efforts on materials declaration. Now, thanks to efforts by IPCrsquo;s 2-18 Supplier Declaration Committee, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Adobetrade;, the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), RosettaNet and other dedicated volunteers, IPC-1752, Materials Declaration Management standard, has restored order to the chaos that was multiple reporting forms and formats for materials declaration. IPC-1752 outlines a supply chain materials declaration format and process that provides a simple, effective approach to collecting, tracking and disclosing product material content information. The standard establishes electronic data formats and provides standardized forms to simplify the exchange of materials declaration information while improving efficiency and reducing costs. The forms, based on Adobetrade; PDF forms technology, use a UML data model developed with the assistance of NIST. The forms can be printed or can be exchanged via electronic means from e-mail to Web interfaces to advanced and secure business-to-business methods. Data captured by these forms can also be extracted and exchanged in a standard XML format that will conform to the related RosettaNet Partner Interface Processreg; (PIPs). The machine readable (XML) structure will establish and implement specific data constraints and restrictions to ensure uniformity. Suppliers and their customers can use IPC-1752 to exchange data at their choice of three reporting levels which are organized into six reporting classes: bull; Class 1 ? RoHS reporting at a homogeneous level in yes/no format bull; Class 2 ? Same as Class 1 with the addition of manufacturing information bull; Class 3 ? RoHS reporting at a homogeneous level in yes/no format and JIG (Joint Industry Guide) level A and B a the homogeneous material level and other substances at the part level bull; Class 4 ? Same as Class 3 with the addition of manufacturing information bull; Class 5 ? RoHS reporting at a homogeneous level in yes/no format and JIG level A and B at the homogeneous material level and other substances at the homogeneous level. bull; Class 6 ? Same as Class 5 with the addition of manufacturing information. ldquo;When you introduce a supply chain standard, itrsquo;s important to have industry buy-inrdquo; noted IPC President Denny McGuirk. ldquo;By working closely with iNEMI, we have a strong base of companies who have already publicly stated their support for the document.rdquo; According to iNEMI, ldquo;IPC-1752 is a cornerstone in the overall industry strategy for standardization of materials content declarations across the supply chain. This standard integrates and leverages several industry efforts, establishing a common solution that is shaped not only by regulatory guidelines but also by industry needs and requirements.rdquo; iNEMI issued a press release in early February stating the commitment of the following companies to implementing IPC-1752: Agile; Celestica; E2open; Foxconn; Jabil Circuit; Lucent Technologies; PCNalert; PTC; Sanmina-SCI; Speedline Technologies; Solectron Corp.; Sun Microsystems; Teradyne; Texas Instruments; and Tyco Electronics. More than 3,200 people in 50 countries downloaded the document in draft format. The document is available for free download at www.ipc.org/ipc-175x. For additional information on IPC-1752 or the other standards within the IPC-1750 series, contact, IPCrsquo;s Director of Technology Transfer Dieter Bergman at 847-597-2839 or DieterBergman@ipc.org.