SMD Part storage.

[paulca]

So does any one have any innovative solutions to storing SMD components?

My first idea was to use an A4 binder and use poly-pockets.  I can write with marker the component value and slip the strips inside.  Of course, poly-pockets are static charge holders.  We used to stick them to the ceiling above the teachers desk in tech and wait on them falling mid class.

Any other other ideas?

[frozenfrogz]

Dave sells his  microsleeves for that purpose, also there are these sorting boxes. Have not yet checked them out myself, but these are on my list of things to order in the near future
Since I have most of my stuff organized in sorting cases, these appeal to me more than the folder solution. However, the sleeves for reel strips seem to be superior from the handling aspect.

[tggzzz]

This is discussed fairly regularly; a search should find people's previous suggestions and comments.

My attitude is to think about how a storage system can fail. If you have lots of little boxes, what happens when you knock them flying? What happens when your label falls off?

Hence I prefer leaving them as they arrive: in their strips in their labelled plastic bag, put in a drawer with other similar components, with the drawer labelled.

[KL27x]

A rolodex might be helpful for the really tiny parts. Perhaps in conjunction with microsleeves. Taping sleeves and/or cut tape to index cards large enough to stick or print a label on the card.

One of the most useful and versatile things for odd parts in my shop is a heat sealer and the foil bags that dig/mouser send many of my components in. I save a few, here and there, and have a small stockpile. You can make your own mini-sleeves with this type of bag which is very smooth and durable (against crinkles and whatnot). And you can make larger pockets right next to the sleeves to fully encapsulate labels which will never wear off and become unreadable. Even without the cut tape, you might have occasion to store small amount of parts or IC, and if they are rectangularish, you can make a custom minisleeve that will keep them neatly stored. Seal the ends of the minisleeve closed with a dab of your soldering iron. Cut them open with a craft knife and push as many parts out from the other end with a wooden qtip. Reseal. When empty, you have the all important label and part number if you need to reorder them.

As for failure... this can be a concern to these tiny parts. The foil bags are all very, very tough. A sealed foil, antistatic bag is akin to fort knox for small parts. These bags don't rip or tear or stretch or puncture without working at it. You could put a pound of small parts in there and throw it in a bin with 100 other different bags, and no worries of a bag failure. 

For things I use regularly in higher volume, I find test tube rack and a funnel are handy for access. And I use small stackable, shallow dishes for holding the parts while in active use.  I have 6 little dishes, which for manual assembly of my current boards seems to be enough unique parts to tackle at once. I write what the part is in sharpie on the edge and bottom of the dish and wipe it off when I'm done with the part and have poured them back into the test tube.

[Rog520]

I like the plastic storage boxes with the tiny little compartments like the ones offered at smtzone, but that gets expensive fast if you have a lot of components to store. I've been wrestling with this for years. I have a nice, large filing cabinet that was meant for index cards so I've finally decided to use poly bags that fit the drawers for the non-ESD components, and then I'll use similarly sized anti-static bags for ESD stuff. It's a work in progress. 

[KL27x]

^When you consider the size of some of those things you are storing, you might consider the possibility of using what I mentioned, before. Filing actual index cards with the label on the card. And just tape a small bag with the components right to the bag (or even using a large piece of clear shipping tape to completely seal the parts to the card.

This makes it a total PITA to get the parts out and to re-store the remaining parts, but finding the part when you need it is the hardest thing, IME. Most of your parts will go decades between this process.

You can continue using the expensive boxes or whatnot for the commonly used stuff.

[Safar]

eBay or Ali search "sample blank smd book", but almost all (or all) of this is only one size and as frozenfrogz said Dave sells more sizes

[adhue587]

I have few of these cases and they very nice quality.  You can buy them with or without parts.
http://www.analogtechnologies.com/smt_component_kits.html

[sairfan1]

I use these boxes they can stick togather and are lockable, you can label them categorize in colors

https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/50PCS-New-Genuine-High-Quality-SMD-SMT-Electronic-Component-Mini-Storage-Box-High-Quality-and-Practical/110055_32709692574.html?spm=2114.12010612.0.0.526c562eOutfHH

[kony]

Aidetek BOX-ALL. Quality was meh on the last ones I bought, but I was using them previously and they are fine otherwise (also got partial refund for the subpar one).

[paulca]

When I asked I was actually thinking mostly about resistors, capacitors, diodes etc.  Those that come in strips.  I see people are doing things like taking them out of strips and putting them into parts boxes, but... are the strip/tapes not an ideal place to keep them?  Then it just becomes a mater of where to put the strips, which I was assuming poly-pockets or the "photo album" type things.

Having ordered two small projects worth of parts and will have dozens left over I can see a nightmare trying to work out what all these white tapes are and trying to read minute values through the plastic to find out.  Not to mention that things like capacitors are not labeled at all!

Writing on the back of the tapes is tricky.  I might have to buy an A4 binder and poly pockets and just coil the tape up and pop it in a poly pocket, then label the poly pocket with a marker.  I can put dividers in to segment the sets into decades, for example.

For chips that come in the little black tapes I can just drop those into a normal parts box, still in the tape.  There are quite a few parts coming in individual anti-static bags, but these concern me less as they, at least have there part no, and often readable values labelled on them.

My night mare is pulling two dozen white strips out of a part box with no idea what so ever what type of capacitors they are!

That said, buying then in packs of 25s or 50s for £1 or £2 makes the left overs quite often close to disposable.

[mikeselectricstuff]

https://youtu.be/xDVtrxvia20?t=1442

[eliocor]

I prepare by myself my A4 components strips holders (Buffetti 7076L14): 12 pockets for sheet so one set of E12 values can be put in one page.
Every pocket can contain a strip with at least 74 components. Several strips can be put in one pocket (as in picture).
Every sheet/holder costs less than 0.30 € and can be made in few minutes with a solder iron set (IIRC) to about 120°C
Much cheaper than the ones sold by Farnell (>15€/5pcs)

P.S.: Sorry, color artifacts are due to the scanner!