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PCBs are actually essential components of almost all electronic devices. Whether found in smartphones, medical equipment or car control systems, PCBs contain countless tiny solder joints, fine-pitch components, as well as sensitive circuits. These boards can easily be damaged during manufacture and transport. They are subjected to impact, vibration, electrostatic discharge (ESD) and incorrect stacking, which can all lead to subtle or visible damage. The SMT PCB Magazine Rack was designed to overcome these risks and offers the ideal protective, standardized, ESD protected environment for PCBs throughout their production journey. Shanghai Leenol is a 'Total Solution' company aimed at providing ESD solutions for factories and labs with a full range of Leerack Handling Storage ESD Equipment, Leepak Packing Material, Leebench Factory and Lab Furniture, LeePPE Personal Protection, Leepur Cleanroom Products, and LeeStat Testing Equipment and Tools. Below are four ways SMT PCB Magazine Rack enhances storage and transportation safety.
How Reducing Board Damage During Manufacturing and Logistics Improves Yields
One of the main causes of yield loss during electronics manufacture is physical damage to the PCBs. These can be scratched by neighboring boards, have components dislodged by impacts or have cracked solder joints due to vibration. Neither piling PCBs into boxes nor leaning them against walls are a good way to store them safely, the SMT PCB Magazine Rack rectifies this by offering slots to hold each board separate by the correct distance (usually 4, 5 or 10 mm). The boards are held vertically by side guides, so they are not in contact with one another, and the rugged nature of the rack absorbs potential impacts and minimizes board flexing, so there is less chance of cracks forming in the solder joints. For boards with tall components or double-sided boards, it's possible to order wider racks and inserts made from anti-static foam to protect the components or double-sided traces. By lowering the level of board damage incurred during manufacture and shipping, companies can actually achieve significantly improved first-pass yields, reduce rework and cut scrap rates. Leerack, by Shanghai Leenol, offer magazine racks with all the necessary components for safe storage, smoothly filed edges, robust bases, and high quality materials for prolonged and effective use on the production line.
ESD Protection: Shielding Sensitive Components from Static Discharge
Perhaps the most insidious and difficult to guard against threat to PCBs is ESD. Static discharge at as little as 20-30 volts is all it takes to disable a sensitive semiconductor device, whereas humans can barely register electrostatic charges below 3,000 volts, without proper ESD controls, any one mishandled board can doom the components of thousands more to latent failure when the end product reaches the customer. By producing SMT PCB magazine racks made from conductive or dissipative materials, a path to ground is created and the static charges on the PCBs can be dissipated before they accumulate and are passed on. Static decay times of under two seconds and surface resistivities between 10⁶ and 10¹⁰ ohms per square are the typical figures of specification required. Leerack ESD magazine racks from Shanghai Leenol comply with ANSI/ESD S20.20, in conjunction with their other ESD controlled components (ESD trolleys, ESD tote boxes, ESD workbenches and table mats, ESD chairs, ESD clothing, ESD footwear, ESD masks and cleanroom wipes), they form an extremely comprehensive ESD protective solution. For users with the most sensitive applications, Leenol also act as agents for a range of ESD ionizing equipment, inspection units and test machines, enabling the production of comprehensive, holistic ESD solutions.
Standardized Sizes for Automated Handling and Reduced Human Error
Human error is one of the primary causes of PCB damage, whether by dropping the boards, improperly stacking them, or placing undue weight on stored boards, the mistakes are costly. The standardized dimensions of SMT PCB Magazine Racks make them compatible with a variety of automatic handlers, unloaders and conveyor lines, as well as reducing errors made by humans. Once a PCB has been loaded into the magazine rack, no additional support or balancing is required, the PCBs can simply be slid into place. On the production line, robotic arms can even pick up and put down the rack without human assistance, thus eliminating the risk of dropped boards and damage caused by handling. Standardization also lends itself well to the use of automated storage and retrieval systems, and the LeeIntelligent SMT Storage System from Shanghai Leenol is a clear example of an integrated system using such equipment. By minimizing the need for manual handling during storage and transit, the safety of boards can be greatly improved.
Cleanroom Compatibility and Contamination Prevention
Contamination from dust and particles is one of the most serious issues during manufacturing in cleanroom environments, such as those involved in producing semiconductor devices, medical equipment or advanced electronics for aviation or space flight. Dust and other particles on a PCB can cause shorts or lead to incorrect results in photolithography, for example. Thus, the SMT PCB Magazine Rack used in cleanrooms must be made from low-particle generating materials and with a smooth surface structure so that it traps minimal dust. Furthermore, the racks should be able to withstand the cleaning methods normally used in cleanrooms (which typically include solvent wipes or De-ionized water rinses). Leepur, from Shanghai Leenol, provide cleanroom compatible products, including specialized magazine racks for environments as classified as ISO Class 5 to ISO Class 8, using non-shedding and smooth materials and sealed edges to minimize particle generation. By using these along with Leepak custom packing materials such as ESD shielded bags, we are able to create a system that effectively prevents contamination. These magazine racks are useful as transport trays between cleanroom processes (e.g. Between the assembly and testing stage), thereby avoiding exposure to ambient air. As electronic devices get smaller and more complex, these demands are expected to rise even higher.
Summary
The SMT PCB Magazine Rack ensures the safety of PCB storage and transit by using the four described methods to reduce board damage during production and transit, provide adequate ESD protection, allow for automated handling and facilitate use in cleanroom environments. In terms of yield, these measures mean less waste, less reworking, less customer returns and improved customer satisfaction. As a 'Total Solution' company, Shanghai Leenol provide all the necessary associated equipment: Leerack ESD magazine racks, trolleys and tote boxes, Leebench ESD workbenches and chairs, Leepak custom ESD shielding bags and films, LeeIntelligent SMT storage systems, LeePPE personal protective equipment, Leepur cleanroom products and LeeStat testing equipment. Contact us to help you improve PCB safety and protect your products.
