Part storage

[Simon]

At work we are accumulating stuff by the reel due to the shortages of anything 0805 or auto silicon. But now that we have this growing stock how do we store it? At the moment our electrical working area is a container with poorly sealed windows. I do keep stuff in ziplock bags but every time I use a part to make a prototype the bags will be opened. I don't want to have to bake stuff every time I go to use it.

What is the best way to store this stuff considering I will use parts from time to time and yet the reel may be shipped off to be used by a supplier if they cannot get stock to build our boards.

[IconicPCB]

its not the components that will need careful storage..the paper tape will move with moisture to the point where the feeders might object transporting it.

[Simon]

The parts also need careful storage, the ceramic in capacitors will absorb water that when heated in minutes to over 200C will turn to steam and internally damage the part. Same for many IC's apparently. We have just gone through a phase with our supplier who picked up a dodgy batch of caps and 20% of parts failed despite little to show on the outside.

[X]

If possible, see if you can find a military surplus store, or camping store that sells empty ammo boxes:

They are often sealed containers, so a bit of sillica gel can absorb the moister that's within the container and no more gets in anyway. They are also made of iron which will protect the components from stray magnetic fields to a degree (like screened speakers on ye olde computere speakerse).

[Simon]

We don't have that around here. I can put a pack of silica in each bag but I'll have over 100 bags soon so we will need to dry them out again I guess. my main problem in that the environment they are kept in is totally uncontrolled. So every time a pack is opened they can get damp again.

[Eka]

I've taken plastic tubs that have lids, and added a closed cell foam weatherstripping to the lid to make them air tight.

What would be best is to put them into moisture blocking anti-static bags, with a desiccate gel pack or two. Then store them in conductive boxes. Put labels on the bags and boxes saying exactly what is stored in them. That way you don't have to open the plastic bag to find out what the real is.

Go get the manufacturer's specification sheet for every part, and find out if they need baking out before use, and place stickers on the bags telling what needs to be done before use. Some parts gain moisture, and others don't care. For those that gain moisture, have the bake out instructions on a sticker on the bag.

You can get moisture sensing cards that you can stick in to the bag to figure out if it has been exposed to to much moisture over time, and needs baking out.

[jc101]

I've often wondered how one of the cheap kitchen vacuum sealers would be for part storage.
Throw a silica gel bag in, suck the air out and heat seal the edge.

This kind of thing https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077SV6Q9H/ref=s9_acsd_zgift_hd_bw_b3cFLI7_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=7Z9ZADGCR15NGXFK15KE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=9bab2219-826a-5af8-a6f8-889fb6fbf60b&pf_rd_i=3313556031

Anyone given something like this a try?

[Eka]

I've often wondered how one of the cheap kitchen vacuum sealers would be for part storage.
Throw a silica gel bag in, suck the air out and heat seal the edge.

This kind of thing https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B077SV6Q9H/ref=s9_acsd_zgift_hd_bw_b3cFLI7_c_x_w?pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-5&pf_rd_r=7Z9ZADGCR15NGXFK15KE&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=9bab2219-826a-5af8-a6f8-889fb6fbf60b&pf_rd_i=3313556031

Anyone given something like this a try?

No, but from what I know from food storage where some foods it is bad for them to gain or loose moisture, use mylar bags that have aluminum foil layers to greatly slow moisture absorption. With a desiccate pack, I'm not sure you would need to suck the air out. I'd just remove most of it, unless I wanted the pillowing to provide some protection. I wouldn't suck the air out of bags with aluminum electrolytic capacitors stored in them. I'd only consider the method for long term storage.

Adding an oxygen absorbing pack would slow corrosion of the exposed metal bits.

Using a moisture barrier anti-static bag with a zipper closure would be much better for parts in use.

[Simon]

I'll just be using zip lock bags with silica sachets.