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At a glance, the simplest shelf and a specialized SMT PCB Magazine Rack can appear similar. Both hold items and both can be constructed from plastic or metal. However, in the demanding world of electronics manufacturing, the distinction between a high quality magazine rack and any generic storage solution can be vast. Standard storage systems may fail to properly address the critical needs of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, dimension tolerances or durability. The outcome of a poor quality magazine rack in an electronics facility could range from damaged PCBs to halted production and a failed quality inspection. Unlike standard storage bins and shelf units, purpose designed SMT PCB Magazine Racks are built to meet the unique challenges of a surface-mount technology line. Shanghai Leenol, is a "Total Solution" company that specializes in helping facilities meet their ESD requirements. Our products range from Leerack Handling Storage ESD Equipment to LeeIntelligent SMT Storage Systems, Leepak Packing Material, LeeBench Factory and Lab Furniture, LeePPE Personal Protection, Leepur Cleanroom Products, and LeeStat Testing Equipment and Tools. There are four specific things that make a quality magazine rack more appropriate than the standard storage systems that are available on the market today.
How Critical Design Factors Electronics Manufacturers Should Consider Drive Quality
The critical design factors for an SMT PCB Magazine Rack will depend heavily on the particular operation being performed. First, the design factors of the particular PCB magazine rack must match those that are critical to the design being handled. Second, the dimensions of a specific magazine rack will be vital to a successful operation. The most important dimension to consider when purchasing an SMT PCB magazine rack would be the pitch (the distance between guides holding the board), which needs to be precise, typically within ±0.1mm for use on an automated line or by human operators working efficiently without issue. A magazine rack with inconsistent slot width will either jam or allow the PCB to shift and tilt inside. Third, a material capable of safely dissipating electrostatics is essential; instead of regular plastic, the PCB magazine rack needs to be made of static-dissipative plastic, which will typically have a surface resistance of 10³–10¹¹ ohms/square a high-quality rack resists warping under temperature changes (from 0°C to 60°C), and remains stable after thousands of use cycles. Fourth, side-guide design: smooth, radiused edges prevent board scratching; adjustable widths accommodate different PCB thicknesses. The fifth consideration for an SMT PCB magazine rack would be its side guide design, specifically a rounded leading edge so it doesn't scratch sensitive components. Sixth, you will need to consider stackability for efficiency; most magazine racks will have interlocking stacking lips that make them very stable in a vertical stack. Finally, when using automated equipment such as a pick and place robot, a tracking method should be considered; many high quality magazine racks can be outfitted with ID systems such as an RFID chip. Shanghai Leenol Leerack storage equipment incorporates these design factors into its models for your convenience; every Leerack handling storage equipment piece has been designed for dimension, ESD and durability testing.
ESD Performance: Conductive Materials vs. Insulative Plastics
By far the biggest differentiating factor between a high quality SMT PCB Magazine Rack and other storage bins on the market is its electrostatic properties. Cheap plastic racks, bins, and shelf units, regardless of their apparent similarity, are usually made from an insulative material (i.e., virgin ABS plastic, polycarbonate, etc.) that will not allow for the safe discharge of static electricity. When these types of plastics and the PCBs you place within them are moved against each other (triboelectric effect), static charge builds up on the surface of the PCB, and without a proper discharge path, the component may be destroyed or "latently failed" through discharge to an sensitive electronic component on the PCB. A high-quality PCB magazine rack should be made of a material like static dissipative polypropylene, ABS, or PET that is loaded with fillers (i.e., conductive fillers like carbon) in a specified amount to give the material a surface resistivity of less than 10¹⁰ Ohms/Square, or a dissipative material. High quality static dissipative plastics also often have a built-in path to ground that either dissipates static, or allows it to safely flow from the part that you were holding to a ground point such as the grounding point of the table. Shanghai Leenol's Leerack ESD magazine racks are manufactured from certified static-dissipative plastics that are proven to pass ANSI/ESD S20.20 testing requirements for static sensitive environments. We carry a full line of related ESD handling equipment as well, such as ESD trolleys, ESD tote boxes, ESD work benches with mats, ESD chairs, ESD clothing and footwear, ESD gloves and masks, ESD clean room wipes, ionizers, and testers to monitor your ESD levels in your facility. No generic plastic bin can offer these ESD safety features.
Durability and Long-Term Total Cost of Ownership
A cheap plastic storage rack will usually offer a lower price tag when compared to a high quality SMT PCB Magazine Rack; however, the lower initial cost is easily offset by the dramatically shorter lifespan of the cheaper rack in a manufacturing environment. Most SMT magazine racks need to be loaded and unloaded numerous times throughout the day. When using them on a manufacturing line the magazine rack is constantly sliding on conveyor rollers and is being stacked and un-stacked in racks, this type of constant use can quickly crack side-walls, warp the bottom, or cause the side guides to become loose and unreliable. When these type of events happen, the magazines must be replaced in short succession, leading to additional labor costs in stocking, replacement, and ordering of new parts. High quality magazine racks, on the other hand, will often be made of very strong, industrial grade plastics and may have steel-reinforcing, which dramatically increases the longevity of the magazine. More importantly, however, dimensionally stable, high quality magazine racks will not bind up or jam automatic insertion equipment, and these costly downtimes are eliminated entirely. Calculating the total cost of ownership when accounting for this will likely show that the high quality magazine rack will pay for itself over 5-7 years when compared to buying and replacing a lesser quality magazine rack every 12-18 months. Shanghai Leenol's Leerack storage equipment is designed to last for a longer period, thereby making total cost of ownership significantly less, for high volume lines, a LeeIntelligent SMT Storage System may also further increase magazine lifespan through reduced human handling.
Compatibility with Automation and Industry 4.0 Systems
Most standard storage bins and shelves can not be loaded onto or taken off of automation equipment without the use of other holding mechanisms, and are in fact generally designed with manually driven labor in mind. A high quality SMT PCB Magazine Rack can be loaded onto automatic loading and unloading machines. While many automatically controlled equipment rely on the dimensions and placement features being precisely to the EIA-481 or SEMI standard specification for maximum accuracy and throughput. Many SMT PCBs can also be designed to accommodate RFID tags and the electronics manufacturer can implement a tracking method where, by reading the tag within a magazine, the location and contents of that particular magazine are updated within a tracking software, this information can be passed on to a MES system and will enable the manufacturer to predict where boards need to be moved to next or what inventory is on hand within each machine. Shanghai Leenol's LeeIntelligent SMT Storage System is designed to seamlessly integrate our magazine racks into an automated production line. Most generically available storage systems cannot take advantage of such features for your facility. For a factory that is pursuing a smart factory directive, purchasing automated, automation ready, industry 4.0 capable magazine racks is essential for a smooth, productive operation.
Summary
A high-quality SMT PCB Magazine Rack differs from standard storage bins by considering four main factors. These include: critical design factors such as precision, material, structure, side guides, stackability, and labeling; ESD protection via static dissipative and conductive materials; long-term durability for increased total cost of ownership; and automation and Industry 4.0 systems. A generic bin is usually cheap, but may fail to address ESD concerns, or wear out quickly and break, requiring constant replacement and repair. Shanghai Leenol's line of Leerack Handling Storage ESD Equipment (including magazine racks, trolleys, and tote boxes) along with our other factory & lab products is designed for efficiency, safety, and reliability, which will allow your factory to meet all of its ESD needs. Contact Leenol to learn more about how we can improve the efficiency and quality of your PCB storage systems.
