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How to store SMD

How to store SMD

How to store SMD

(OP)
What is your favorite way to organize/store surface mount parts after they come off the reel?  In past lives the technicians always came up with novel storage techniques of various plastic bins and trays but I never knew where they found them.  

I want to organize our engineering stock of passive parts (resistors, caps, etc.).  Non-anti-static is acceptable, but anti-static will be nicer for storing active parts too.  

What's on your shelf?  

RE: How to store SMD

You'll laugh..
I have a cardboard box with the top flaps cut off.
I just stick the resistors into box in Value Order You know the Zero Ohm jumpers first then work my way up to the 20M Ohms.

They are in whatever form they came in. Generally thin plastic bags Ah-La Digikey type bags or purloined stiff static bags.

I just finger flip thru them until I find(or not)the value I'm after.

Oh! I handle the box very gently.. lol

Same with caps.

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.- <http://www.flaminsystems.com>

RE: How to store SMD

I used to use the small plastic storage containers from Garrett Electronics www.garrettelec.com/, but with 0402 and smaller components the tend to leak through the seams!

What I would like to use, and have used in the past are small glass vials with plastic lids. They can be bought in quantities over the web. Choose a vial that has smooth sides - i.e. no lip. The lids fit snugly in the open end.

However, there is never time to organize, so like 'itsmoked' components sit in drawers of a Stanely/vidmar cabinet in their digikey or mouser envelopes. At least they are in sequence by value.

RE: How to store SMD

(OP)
Thanks for the tips.  I like your organized disorganization!  

I see Garrett has L&A brand (wwww.lacons.com) containers with some interesting variations.  

I also like your point of smooth sides - I've used containers with lips in the past and had to shake the container hard enough to get one part out that I'd either get zero or seven!  

One thing I've used in the past (for 1/8W thru hole resistors) is a binder full of business card holder pages.  That kept things fairly organized.  With unmarked cut-tape packaging I want to move to something a bit more secure though where the parts can't leak or fall out when I move the container.  

Hmm, I bet 35-mm film containers would work pretty well too.  

At this point I've seen a lot of container options.  Does anybody know of a source for trays to hold the containers?  

RE: How to store SMD

I did a quick web search so I could find some vials like I used in the past.  See the following randomly found site:  www.acmevial.com/shell_vials.htm  I'm sure there are plenty of others out there for medical, chemical lab, and other uses.

Such vials are good for storing the loose parts that are removed from the carrier tape. However, the parts sometimes do tend to stick slightly on the sides of the vials. If you have a cabinet in which you would keep the vials, pick a vial size that best stacks in your cabinet.

RE: How to store SMD

I use plastic bins with locking lids that my wife got for me at the local craft store.  They are about 1" tall with solid dividers that go all the way up to the lid.  They cost about $3 for a unit with about 20 bins each probably about 1.5 cubic inches.  I believe that they came from the beads section.

RE: How to store SMD

What is the method to embed a picture in the post?  I'd like to show an interlocking micro-bin system that I got from a colleague in Germany, some years ago.  Absolutely great!  Antistatic, spring-loaded cover, volume of about 5cc.  He got them from the inventory of a company that they merged with, so he doesn't know where they came from.  No manufacturer logo on them.  No supplier in my area (Canada) ever saw something like this.  Every one who sees them is crazy about getting some.  Maybe it could ring a bell to you people.

RE: How to store SMD

Itsmoked your FAQ is just great!

So here's my bin system.  Quick, and no mess. I've put a tweezer in one so one can imagine the size of the bins.  The bins interlock to build 2D arrays of any size to fit a into a drawer.



Has anyone seen something like this?

Felixc

RE: How to store SMD

felixc;  Glad it helped! Glad to see a picture too.
Those do look great.  Are they static protected? Can you take the 2D as far as desired?

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.- http://www.flaminsystems.com

RE: How to store SMD

Yeah, anti-static plastic, and can endlessly expand in both axes!  This is where my end of reels terminate their career. Now the big question:  Who makes those?  I want more!  The manufacturer hasn't been clever by not putting his logo on them.

Felixc

RE: How to store SMD

Yeah, that's weird.. I have had to beat back my mold makers on occasion when they kept trying to stick my logos and corp names into the part.  So to have something that really SHOULD have it on there not having it..

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.- http://www.flaminsystems.com

RE: How to store SMD

You know, it's kinda bad when you respond to your own post, but responding to your response to your own post????  That's gotta be really bad.

RE: How to store SMD

infinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinity
Really bored?
infinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinityinfinity
HEY!  I didn't ask a question then come back and answer it..  Did I?   Nope!  I checked!flush

Keith Cress
Flamin Systems, Inc.- http://www.flaminsystems.com

RE: How to store SMD

(OP)
I like it when you get bored!  That Teko part is almost exactly what I had in that previous life.  Ideally I'll find something like the LA cons vials with the lid attached and a nice tray like the Teko parts.  Picky, picky, picky...  

Some of those other links look close to Felix's solution so that might be getting close too...  

Thanks all!  

RE: How to store SMD

Hey you found it!  That one from psinter is the one!

Now, how to buy from these guys!

Felixc

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