Quality, Compliance and Certifications
For DB Roberts, quality and compliance are top priority and we’re committed to providing you with quality products that meet rigorous standards. We maintain AS9120 and ISO 9001 certifications and comply with DFARs, RoHS, ITAR, and Conflict Minerals requirements. See our quality certifications and compliance statements below.
DB Roberts has a strong focus on quality and maintains both ISO 9001 and AS9120 certifications.
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 9001 sets the criteria for a quality management system. This standard is based on a number of quality management principles including a strong customer focus, the motivation and implication of top managemnet, the process apprach and continual improvement.
AS9120
Quality Management Systems – Aerospace Requirements for Stockist Distributors
The AS9120 certification is an international standard specifying requirements for a quality management system where an organization:
A. needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide product that meets customer and applicable regulatory requirements, and
B. aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for continual improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable regulatory requirements.
DB Roberts is a distributor of fasteners and hardware serving customers worldwide. DB Roberts’ customers are established suppliers in industries such as metalworking, medical, telecommunications, transportation and defense.
The following Code of Conduct embodies DB Roberts’ commitment to act responsibly, fairly and “by the rules” in all its business dealings.
DB Roberts Corporate Social Responsibility and Code of Conduct Statement
RoHS Directive
RoHS, or to use its accurate but somewhat lengthy title “Directive 2002/95/EC on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment”, was initially enforced throughout the European Community from 1st July 2006.
Its aim is simple – to remove a total of six substances from electrical and electronic equipment (EEE), thereby contributing to the protection of human health and the environment.
Although RoHS is a European Union (EU) Directive, manufacturers of EEE outside Europe must also abide by this legislation if the equipment they produce is ultimately imported into a EU member state.
Ongoing (RoHS2) Compliance
The deadline to formally transition from the original RoHS directive (2002/95/EC) to the RoHS2 “recast” (2011/65/EU) was officially Jan. 2, 2013. As this deadline approached, suppliers and customers alike questioned how implementation of the newly revised RoHS directive has affected the certified status of product historically verified as compliant prior to this update. The simple answer is (at the component level) product that met original RoHS criteria remains compliant under the new ‘recast’ directive. Supporting this statement is the fact that for individual components, neither the list of hazardous substances nor the limits associated with each identified substance has been altered from initial RoHS guidelines.
Distribution of RoHS2-compliant material remains one of the many services DB Roberts prides itself in providing its customers and continues to deliver product (now certified to the new RoHS2 directive) in appropriately labeled packaging.
In keeping with our service oriented philosophy, we continue to help our suppliers as well as our customers manage RoHS2-compliant material. Included in this process is:
- Supplier policies: Inform our customers of our manufacturer’s RoHS2 policies as they continue to evolve.
- Part-specific information: Inform customers of part-number-specific compliance as this information becomes available from our suppliers.
- Inventory management: Provide assistance in managing the product pipeline regarding RoHS2-compliant inventory.
- Market demands: Keep our suppliers posted with market and specific customer needs, which will allow them to be more responsive.
- Education: Working closely with our supplier partners, DB Roberts will, to the best of our ability, provide our valued customers and employees with the most up-to-date RoHS2 related information available.
DFARS is a well-known example of an agency supplement of the FAR, Federal Acquisition Regulations. DFARS is used by the Department of Defense. DFARS 252.225-7014 Preference for Domestic Specialty Metals was issued under the office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Logistics. Read the DB Roberts DFARS Letter and our DFARS and The Berry Amendment Statement below.
Conflict Minerals – Supplier Social Responsibility
DB Roberts is aware of and concerned that mining operations, specifically in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (and adjoining countries) have been determined to be funding “armed militias” directly responsible for widespread human rights violations. As a result, in July of 2010 new legislation was passed requiring companies listed on the U.S. Stock exchange to report annually to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) a list of any products that were produced with minerals sourced from this area of concern as well as disclose any measures taken to eliminate these co-called “conflict minerals” (specifically: tantalum, tin, gold and tungsten) from their supply chain.
DB Roberts takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure that metals mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo do not find their way into our supply chain. Accordingly, as part of the vendor selection process we have added language to our Vendor Approval Survey that provides notice to each DB Roberts supplier of Company expectations regarding our collective social responsibility in this matter. The revised Vendor Approval Survey is being systematically distributed to each of our active vendors.
DB Roberts has taken this action as we feel it is incumbent upon each of our vendors to promote and maintain the supply chain integrity that our customers demand by ensuring ongoing compliance with the policy requirements stated within the relative legislation. As such, it is expected of all DB Roberts vendors who incorporate metals in products supplied to our customers to trace and map their own supply chain to their smelters, seeking only to source materials from non-conflict regions.
Subsequently, DB Roberts has begun requiring that suppliers whose products contain any one of the suspect metals submit this information to us using the standardized EICC/GeSI Conflict Minerals Reporting Template which tracks and documents metals back through the supply chain. DB Roberts also supports industry initiatives such as the Conflict Free Smelters (CFS) program to validate responsible and unstainable sources. Additionally, DB Roberts expects our vendor-base to take similar measures with their suppliers to ensure alignment throughout the supply chain. Should we become aware of a vendor whose supply chain includes metals from a conflict region source, DB Roberts will take appropriate action to remedy the situation expediently, including reassessment of supplier relationships.
It is anticipated that DB Roberts will have all relevant information needed to meet the reporting requirements of our customers, by the May 31, 2014 reporting deadline by the Dodd-Frank regulations.
DB Roberts is registered by the United States Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to export defense articles and/or provide defense services as described in the International Traffic In Arms Regulation (ITAR) and the Arms Export Control Act.
DB Roberts is also in compliance with the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Export Administration Regulations (EAR) for export of EAR components.
DB Roberts has implemented a compliance program for export control of hardware, technology, and software subject to controls under the ITAR and EAR.
