For the Electronics Guys, Packaging for Static Sensitive Devices

[Triple Jim]

In a shipment from Arrow I got today:

[gooseontheloose]

Well protected resistors! 

[Triple Jim]

That's what I thought too.  It's too bad they waste money like that.  They were the cheapest supplier I could find, but they could charge even less if they'd be sensible.  They also packed some surface mount resistors in a conductive bag.

[gooseontheloose]

I guess it must cost less to have the pickers and packers send everything out in static safe packaging, than it is to educate them as to which components contain semiconductors etc ?

[drums4money]

I guess it must cost less to have the pickers and packers send everything out in static safe packaging, than it is to educate them as to which components contain semiconductors etc ?

True words.  Anything out of routine and it's like an open sewer cover with a marching band working its' way down the block.

[Triple Jim]

Well, I've gotten pots like them before, from various suppliers.  When they come in conductive plastic bags, I understand the standardization of packing, but to add a conductive cardboard box lined with conductive foam is above and beyond standardization!  It did brighten my day when my son brought it to me, laughing.

[normzone]

The box and foam probably have such low levels of conductivity as to be approved for ESD control use - there's a thriving market in such specialty materials.

[Wayne Orwig]

Somewhere there is a salesman laughing all the way to the bank.

[Triple Jim]

I thought you'd get a kick out of it, Wayne.

[Wayne Orwig]

I thought you'd get a kick out of it, Wayne.

I see it all of the time.

I assume it is the standard packaging thing, and it is easier to just use safe packaging 100% of the time. Hiring people in shipping that know what is and isn't static safe is probably more expansive then just shipping everything in a conductive box.

[Dilliw]

I see it all of the time.

I assume it is the standard packaging thing, and it is easier to just use safe packaging 100% of the time. Hiring people in shipping that know what is and isn't static safe is probably more expansive then just shipping everything in a conductive box.

This.  When I worked in a connector shop it was just easier to have everyone follow the same procedures and use the same materials.  The cost of one warranty repair (aircraft radar systems) far outweighed the extra cost in shipping materials, bags, sprays, lotions, pink this and that, etc.....

[Triple Jim]

I see it all of the time.

Well, as I said, I'm used to things like resistors showing up in conductive plastic envelopes, but the conductive box with conductive foam, inside a conductive plastic envelope has previously been reserved for things like microcontrollers or other devices that are actually static sensitive.  This is the highest level of unnecessary protection I've had delivered to my shop.