Teamcenter Helps Product Manufacturers Ensure REACH Compliance

By DE Editors

Siemens PLM Software (Plano, TX) added support for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation, the new European Community Regulation on chemicals and their safe use, to the integrated compliance management capability of its Teamcenter software portfolio.

Teamcenter enables organizations to streamline the tracking of chemical substances required for REACH compliance by making these requirements an integral part of the product development process.

The REACH regulation, introduced in June 2007, is considered the strictest law to date regulating chemical substances and will impact product manufacturers in aerospace, automotive, high-tech and electronics, apparel, and other industries throughout the world. It requires all chemicals that are imported into the European Union in quantities greater than one metric ton per year to be tested for health and safety and registered with the European Chemicals Agency located in Helsinki, Finland. For product manufacturers, this means that some parts and materials they buy may become more costly or restricted based on how they are used in their products. The REACH regulation, which restricts the use of so-called substances of very high concern (SVHC) in products (a list expected to include 1,500 to 3,000 substances), requires companies to be prepared to disclose information about the SVHC in their products within 45 days of the request.

Integrating REACH regulation support into a company's complete lifecycle process is consistent with Teamcenter's holistic approach to compliance management. With Teamcenter, REACH regulation requirements can be gathered and tracked up front in the product development process. As the product evolves, Teamcenter tracks substance information to actively track all substance information as part of the product development process.

By helping ensure REACH regulation compliance, Teamcenter eliminates the supply chain disruptions, delays and costs associated with compliance management.

For more information on Siemens PLM Software's initiative on environmental sustainability, please go to Siemens' Teamcenter and select "compliance management."

For full details, go to Siemens PLM Software.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.