Printed Circuit Board Assembly & PCB Design SMT Electronics Assembly Manufacturing Forum

Printed Circuit Board Assembly & PCB Design Forum

SMT electronics assembly manufacturing forum.


Dry Storage Options

Michael Larsen

#12839

Dry Storage Options | 22 January, 1999

I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week.

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Michael Allen

#12840

Re: Dry Storage Options | 22 January, 1999

I've had good luck with cabinets sold by Stanley Storage Systems (800-523-2449). This is a sturdy, steel cabinet (no windows) that is intended for nitrogen purge. It's less expensive than the specialty acrylic cabinets sold by other companies. We paid around $2500 for a large cabinet (59"Hx30"Wx28"D, exterior dims), including drawers and dividers ($20 flow-meter not included). They sell a couple of smaller sizes too.

| I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. |

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Dave F

#12841

Re: Dry Storage Options | 22 January, 1999

| I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | Michael: Let's take a different angle on this. Why not have your circuit board fabricator pack clean, dry printed circuit boards in vapor barrier bags and heat seal the bags closed, removing all excess air? Have the fab leave excess material when sealing the bag, so that it can be opened and resealed.

Baking boards adds no value, actually it reduces the value of the boards by increasing corrosion and intermetallic layers. But if you insist, here are some post-bake choices:

1 You pack clean, dry printed circuit boards in vapor barrier bags and heat seal the bags closed, removing all excess air and leaving excess material when sealing the bag, so that it can be opened and resealed. 2 Put the clean, dry printed circuit boards in an environmentally controlled room or chamber. A nitrogen desiccant chamber for moisture sensitive parts would work for this, providing it had the capacity. You can build a room fairly inexpensively.

TTYL

Dave F

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Michael Larsen

#12842

Re: Dry Storage Options | 22 January, 1999

| | I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | | | Michael: Let's take a different angle on this. Why not have your circuit board fabricator pack clean, dry printed circuit boards in vapor barrier bags and heat seal the bags closed, removing all excess air? Have the fab leave excess material when sealing the bag, so that it can be opened and resealed. | | Baking boards adds no value, actually it reduces the value of the boards by increasing corrosion and intermetallic layers. But if you insist, here are some post-bake choices: | | 1 You pack clean, dry printed circuit boards in vapor barrier bags and heat seal the bags closed, removing all excess air and leaving excess material when sealing the bag, so that it can be opened and resealed. | 2 Put the clean, dry printed circuit boards in an environmentally controlled room or chamber. A nitrogen desiccant chamber for moisture sensitive parts would work for this, providing it had the capacity. You can build a room fairly inexpensively. | | TTYL | | Dave F |

That would work great except that our need is for boards that need to have rework done on them after the assembly process.

Thanks anyhow

-Mike

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Chris G.

#12843

Re: Dry Storage Options | 22 January, 1999

| I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | Here is what I did. Provided you have nitrogen, get an old or new chest freezer or refrigerator and gut it. Seal all holes and connect a nitrogen purge controller. Works great.

Chris

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Sarah Marshall

#12844

Re: Dry Storage Options | 29 January, 1999

| I've had good luck with cabinets sold by Stanley Storage Systems (800-523-2449). This is a sturdy, steel cabinet (no windows) that is intended for nitrogen purge. It's less expensive than the specialty acrylic cabinets sold by other companies. We paid around $2500 for a large cabinet (59"Hx30"Wx28"D, exterior dims), including drawers and dividers ($20 flow-meter not included). They sell a couple of smaller sizes too. | | | | I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | | | |

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Sarah Marshall

#12845

Re: Dry Storage Options | 29 January, 1999

| I've had good luck with cabinets sold by Stanley Storage Systems (800-523-2449). This is a sturdy, steel cabinet (no windows) that is intended for nitrogen purge. It's less expensive than the specialty acrylic cabinets sold by other companies. We paid around $2500 for a large cabinet (59"Hx30"Wx28"D, exterior dims), including drawers and dividers ($20 flow-meter not included). They sell a couple of smaller sizes too. | | | | I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | | | | Mike,

We use the same oven to store our baked cards in for rework. The operators have programmed the ovens for the bake time required to dry the components and then the oven automatically shuts down to 40 deg C, which is warm enough to keep a dry atmosphere. This way we do not need to pump nitrogen into our ovens, and we didn't need to buy another oven either. Of course, if you still require the oven for other baking purposes, I like the last idea of the nitrogen atmosphere for only $2500.

Sarah

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Charles L. Morehouse

#12846

Re: Dry Storage Options | 29 January, 1999

|I aggree with Sarah, I have found that Stanley sells a good configurable product for the money.

| I've had good luck with cabinets sold by Stanley Storage Systems (800-523-2449). This is a sturdy, steel cabinet (no windows) that is intended for nitrogen purge. It's less expensive than the specialty acrylic cabinets sold by other companies. We paid around $2500 for a large cabinet (59"Hx30"Wx28"D, exterior dims), including drawers and dividers ($20 flow-meter not included). They sell a couple of smaller sizes too. | | | | | | | I was just wondering what solutions are out there for dry storage. Our basic need is to be able to store boards that have been baked and need to remain moisture free for up to a week. | | | | | | | | Mike, | | We use the same oven to store our baked cards in for rework. The operators have programmed the ovens for the bake time required to dry the components and then the oven automatically shuts down to 40 deg C, which is warm enough to keep a dry atmosphere. This way we do not need to pump nitrogen into our ovens, and we didn't need to buy another oven either. Of course, if you still require the oven for other baking purposes, I like the last idea of the nitrogen atmosphere for only $2500. | | Sarah | |

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