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| Tamron currently has Environmental Quality Assurance System, Environmental Analysis System to eliminate harmful substance in products, and Design for Environment activities. |
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Design for Environment |
| Design for Environment is where environment decides the course and effects product development. Tamron has product assessment regulation and product guideline, in effect to prolong lifecycle of our products, material conservation, energy conservation, material recycle, and elimination of harmful substances. Tamron develops and designs products with the environment in mind.
In 2004, Tamron has established, "Eco-Label" and it is awarded to products that are environmentally friendly products.
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Tamron Eco-Label:
We designed the logo with the message that we are a corporation that views environment, economy and society through a warm perspective. The eyebrow represents the gentle flow of wind, air and water. The tree represented in the eye symbolize the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) of industrial waste. |
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Design for Environment (DfE) Performance |
| Tamron would like to illustrate the performance of the two leading products from the CCTV and the photographic lens that was designed in 2004 with the environment in mind. |
1) CCTV lens - Comparison with the former model (48WM) and the newly designed DfE model (NC021A0)
NC021A0 is illustrating a high performance level in product mass, product volume, and successfully reduced the number of parts. |
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2) Photographic lens - Comparison with the former model 175D (AF200-400mm F/5.6 LD [IF] and the newly designed DfE model A08 (SP AF200-500mm F/5.6-6.3 Di LD [IF])
Due to improved product performance we were not able to reduce number of parts, mass or volume. However, A08 was able to reduce the energy use by almost 40% compared to 175D. |
![Photographic lens - Comparison with the former model 175D (AF200-400mm F/5.6 LD [IF] and the newly designed DfE model A08 (SP AF200-500mm F/5.6-6.3 Di LD [IF])](images/zu7_03.gif) |
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Green Procurement |
For a fully functional Design for Environment process, it is vital to assess environmental loads from the stages of raw materials and to purchase raw materials form companies that are actively participating in environmental activities. As a result, we not only look at the quality, price, deliver date, but also at the level of environmental activities and promotions that they do when we choose our business partners. |
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Green Purchasing |
| As a campaign to increase the awareness of the environment within the Tamron employees, we are promoting the use and purchase of products that are certified as environmentally friendly. |
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Environment Analysis Structure |
In 2004, Tamron additionally acquired a GC-MS(gas chromatography analysis) equipment adding to the original ICP - AES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy) broadening the list of substance detectable. With the new GC-MS added to the original detection capability of lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexaualent chrome, we are now able to detect polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). Polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) is compiled of 209 substances and has been used as a brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and is know to require highly sensitive and accurate equipment to analyze the substances. The new GC-MS is a magnetic field type that is used to detect dioxin and can also perform accurate analysis of the polybrominated biphenyls and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). With the new equipment in operation Tamron is able to fully comply with the RoHS Regulations banning products containing a certain level of hazardous substances. The regulation will be in effect July 1, 2006, the substances that will be monitored under this regulation are, lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavlent chromium and both polybrominated biphenyl and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants.
Tamron is not just adding more equipment, but is also making organizational changes to ensure that hazardous substances are not used in our products. Raw materials and parts purchased are passed through a XRF measuring device (X-ray fluorescent analyzer) to detect any harmful substances contained in the product, such inspection are done prior to production and a second round of tests on the final product. In addition, for prototypes (samples for submission to customers) Tamron will conduct ICP and GC-MS test at the Omiya Head Office to make our hazardous substance detection program comprehensive.
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GC-MS (gas chromatography analysis) equipment <Photo supplied by, JOEL. Ltd.>
Flow of the Environment Analysis Structure
MSDS = Material safety data sheet |
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In recent years, strict control of hazardous chemical is advised at the point when the slightest possibility of health or environmental risk arises. In such trend, Tamron as a manufacture and supplier of electronic and optical parts we stopped the use of harmful substances declared by RoHS, originally a movement initiated in EU. Tamron views this trend as a business opportunity and has acted swiftly to confirm that none of our products contain harmful substances. To clarify the substance regarded "harmful" under the environment quality assurance system, Tamron created an environment-related substance regulation. To further improve our product quality, guidance rule book regarding the environment quality assurance and environment quality assurance system structure outline was created and is educated to all of our employees. 
Environment-related Substance
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