Quality assurance, environment, Reach, Rohs, CE and conflict minerals
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS supplies items for all manner of businesses and sectors. Naturally, a responsible and correctly run business will often have customers who request information concerning these areas. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS has therefore produced this brief introduction to quality and environmental work at the company. Should further information be required, we are always at your service.
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not enter into settled contracts with customers concerning legal conditions that govern our company policies, integrity, service or quality assurance, etc. There are many points in these types of agreements that are clearly acceptable and common sense, but there are also points that can be unreasonable, impossible or difficult to observe in advance. If an agreement is not 100% clear to both parties, there is no basis for concluding an agreement. Our trade with customers is in principle very simple. The customer’s order or specific requirements for an order are exclusively a matter between the customer and SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS. No information will at any time be passed on to any 3rd party. The customer only orders and purchases the exact number of special springs or standard springs required, and we maintain maximum focus on all the parameters we can influence. For special springs, these are manufactured based on information supplied by the customer. For standard springs, these are manufactured and supplied based on the parameters valid for the specific spring. If the customer has very specific requirements for a spring, and therefore is unsure as to whether the standard spring can meet these requirements, all the important information should be passed to us when ordering so that we can make sure that the delivered product meets the customer’s requirements and wishes.
NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement)
It is understandable for a customer to want a supplier to sign an NDA document if the customer’s product/product development is secret. However, on principle, we will not sign confidentiality agreements, secrecy agreements, etc., as the component we are associated with normally is only part of a complete product. We neither want nor do we need to know every detail about the product, just accurate information about the part the spring relates to so that we can deal with the assignment. If an NDA document is drawn up and signed, it must be legally sound for both parties in order to make sense. We must spend time and resources to review and understand documents of this kind in their entirety before we can sign them. We have always been able to manage fine without these legal documents. We often deal with various designs and inventions for which information must remain within the company – we have no problem maintaining a high ethical and genuine standard throughout the process – this does not require NDAs or any other documents.
NCA (No Change Agreement)
Unfortunately it is not possible to complete and sign an NCA document (No Change Agreement) correctly/adequately, as the purpose of the NCA document and our company’s product range are not a good match. It is not possible to sign a no change agreement, as this will limit a standard product. We cannot place restrictions on a standard product, as this would make it impossible for us to handle product ranges properly in the future if there were restrictions on our standard set-up. We can, however, create the item as a special item, which thus ensures that no changes will be made, because changes to special items will only be made at the customer’s request. We do not produce anything ourselves. We are a retailer. We purchase products in large numbers. We then sell and deliver them according to customers’ precise wishes. We sell standard springs that do not require ISO certification or other stricter requirements.
If there are special requirements for an item, such as material, tolerances etc., we need to create a special spring.
Please write to us so we can find a satisfactory solution involving a special spring.
Quality and production assurance
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS is a company that specialises in the sale of springs. We offer prompt next-day delivery from Denmark's biggest stock of springs. We are also able to offer special springs for particular purposes. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS supplies only springs produced in processes of the highest quality. The factories we collaborate with all have production and measurement facilities that meet today's stringent quality requirements. Only wire certified to be of the best quality is used. Technical quality is assured through compliance with these requirements.
Our catalogue contains information concerning DIN norms, Werkstoff numbers, EN norms, etc. for the various product groups. There is normally no need for separate specification of the individual standard spring deliveries. If, when ordering special springs, you require measurement reports, or a copy of the wire certificate from the wire supplier, this can be delivered together with the order. When ordering, please specify what information is required.
Every item supplied by SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS has its own item number and all data is recorded in a computerised system. All drawings, images and data are protected by means of a complete back-up, both internal and external.
Other requirements for quality on our part, such as prompt delivery, delivery reliability, Just in Time deliveries, prices and service, etc. are met through up-to-date knowledge and technology in the areas order and warehouse management, finance and administration, etc. In addition to this, our excellent employees, with niche industry expertise, maintain a personal sense of responsibility in all areas of their work.
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS wants always to be the best and preferred supplier of standard springs. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS therefore makes constant improvements to ensure that we always maintain our high internal requirements. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS looks forward to receiving any constructive criticism, so that in any dialogue with our customers we are always able to meet as many external customer requirements as possible.
Environmental policy
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS is a trading company with an office and warehouse – no production. Sound operation is fundamentally based on the use of common sense in all areas. Naturally, this also applies to environmental issues. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS focuses on protecting our shared environment to the best of our ability. We have no association with hazardous chemicals or other harmful products. We sort our waste: plastic – metal – glass – cardboard, etc. All waste is disposed of, in sorted form, at nearby recycling stations. We follow all recycling station rules to ensure compliance with environmental requirements. If customers are unsure how to dispose of worn-out items purchased from us, they are welcome to send them to us for correct disposal.
REACH Directive EU legislation on chemicals
REACH, which stands for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemical substances, is the name of a regulation (EC no. 1907/2006) from the European Commission that aims to ensure that the 100,000 different types of chemicals used in the EU are documented with regard to safety for humans and the environment. The proposal is significant for all chemicals produced, imported or used in quantities of at least 1 ton annually by a company in an EU member country. For many of the chemicals that are most hazardous to human health and the environment, companies are obliged to use a less hazardous chemical if possible. Our products do not use chemicals that appear on the REACH directive's list of harmful substances with a concentration over 0.1 per cent by weight. Our products contain no chemicals or hazardous substances, and only standard oils and lubricants are used in the production of our springs.
SVHC.
No chemicals from the SVHC list are used in our products.
SVHC is a list containing a number of substances that are especially dangerous, classified separately under REACH (Substances of Very High Concern = SVHC). The list (updated June 14th 2013) can be viewed here.
RoHS Directive
(Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive), 2002/95/EC, is not a law but a regulation that places restrictions on six hazardous substances/materials used in electronic and electrical equipment. This directive is closely associated with the WEEE Directive (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive), 2002/96/EC, which sets targets for the collection and/or recycling and/or disposal of electronic and electrical components/materials. This initiative was taken to deal with the growing problems connected with environmental pollution.
RoHS is often referred to as the lead-free directive, but it restricts the use of a total of six substances, listed here: Lead – Mercury – Cadmium – Hexavalent chromium – PBB (Polybrominated biphenyl, a brominated flame retardant) – PBDE (Polybrominated diphenyl ether, a brominated flame retardant).
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS products do not contain any of the substances listed above.
The RoHS 2 Directive
Five years after the introduction of RoHS, the EU Parliament adopted a new directive known as RoHS 2 on 27 May 2011. The RoHS 2 Directive is the EU's directive no. 2011/65/EU. RoHS is the acronym for Restriction of the Use of certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment.
The RoHS 2 Directive prohibits the use of the following hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment sold in the EU from 1 July 2006: Lead – Cadmium – Mercury – Hexavalent chromium (chromium VI) – Polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) – Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE).
The directive aims to limit the impact on human health and the environment from both the use of electrical and electronic products and their disposal.
Conclusion:
We honestly believe that products from SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS do not contain any of the aforementioned substances/materials and that we therefore comply with the RoHS and RoHS 2 Directives.
RoHS 3
Four new substances have been added to the original RoHS 2 list. The new RoHS 3 list valid from 22 July 2019 contains the following substances:
Cadmium (Cd), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Hexavalent Chromium (Cr VI), Polybrominated Biphenyls (PBB), Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDE), Bis(2-Ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), Benzyl butyl phthalate (BBP), Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Diisobutyl phthalate (DIBP)
Conclusion:
We honestly believe that products from SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS do not contain any of the aforementioned substances/materials and that we therefore comply with the RoHS, RoHS 2 and RoHS 3 Directives.
Making working conditions safe
As far as we know from our investigations, SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not take goods from production processes that do not maintain good and safe working conditions for both administrative staff and those on the factory floor. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not accept suppliers who use child labour, exploit their workforce, use forced labour, work in contravention of current legal requirements, act in a discriminatory manner, fail to respect environmental requirements, etc. All production takes place in accordance with current regulations and with respect for co-workers. If this condition is not adhered to, SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS will immediately break off the association.
CE Certificates
There are no CE certificates for the products in the SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS product range. Our products are not CE labelled as none of them are in CE groups that require labelling. It is not appropriate to CE label springs as individual units.
Conflict minerals
In 2010, President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Consumer Protection Act into law. Section 1502 of that act addresses the international trade and use of Conflict Minerals. Like the similar issue of Conflict Diamonds or Blood Diamonds, the term Conflict Minerals refers to raw materials that come from a particular part of the world where conflict is occurring and affects the mining and trading of those materials.
Various international efforts have been made to reduce trade in conflict resources, to reduce the incentive to extract and fight over them. The 2010 Dodd–Frank Reform and Consumer Protection requires manufacturers to audit their supply chains and report conflict minerals usage.
The most commonly mined conflict minerals are cassiterite (for tin), wolframite (for tungsten), coltan (for tantalum), and gold ore, which are extracted from the Eastern Congo, and passed through a variety of intermediaries before being purchased by multinational electronics companies. These minerals are essential in the manufacture of a variety of electronically devices.
To ensure our customers that all our products not are in conflict with the Dodd–Frank Reform and Conflict mineral products in general, we hereby declares that:
NONE of SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS products contains any of the above mentioned products.
Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct (COC) is a company’s guidelines for accountability and good practice for employees and organisation, as well as what requirements you make internally and externally for the social, ethical and environmental conditions of the work.
Internal matters:
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS aims to create a good and healthy working environment. Employees with physical and mental profits are happier employees who make better efforts for the benefit of both employees and company.
We are a relatively informal organisation and we care about each other and address problems. Roughly speaking, racist outbreaks, discrimination in every way, violent behavior and the like will in no way be accepted.
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS is a company that is driven by sound and empathetic principles. All employees must be honest, trustworthy and dedicated so that our internal cooperation and external cooperation with customers and suppliers is always based on these important values.
SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS always strives to comply with safe and good working conditions for both office and warehouse staff. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not accept child labour, exploitation of labour, forced labour, work against applicable legal requirements and discrimination. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS respects environmental requirements etc. All day-to-day operations take place in accordance with current rules and with respect for employees.
External relations:
According to our studies and knowledge, SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not get goods from productions that do not comply with safe and good working conditions for both administrative and producing staff. SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS does not accept suppliers who use child labour, exploit labour, use forced labour, work against applicable legal requirements, discriminate, do not respect environmental requirements etc. All production takes place according to current rules and in respect of the employees. If these conditions are not observed, SODEMANN-SPRINGS.US ApS will immediately discontinue the cooperation.
EU and UK Sanctions on the Purchase and Importation of Russian Iron and Steel
The European Union’s (EU) eleventh package of sanctions has placed restrictions on the importation of certain Russian iron and steel into the EU. As of September 30, 2023, importers will be required to prove that certain iron and steel, or certain iron and steel incorporated into a product, as identified in Annex XVII of Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014 do not originate from Russia.
After exercising due diligence and to the best of our knowledge, none of our purchased products incorporates any iron or steel inputs as listed in Annex XVII of Council Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014 and amended by regulation 2022/2474 originating in Russia.
Long term suppliers' declaration
Click on the PDF logo to download a long term suppliers’ declaration, which is valid until 31 December 2024.