CCI looks at the ‘Real Cost’ when making ESD packaging recommendations. First and foremost, all physical and ESD requirements must be met. The cost of the package must be reasonable in proportion to the value of the product packaged and handled. The following lists other factors that CCI considers in making its final recommendations.
Labor cost of loading and unloading the package
Storage space and the associated cost
Shipping cube
Purchase price of the package
Potential for static damage
Potential for physical damage
Reusability
Recycling and environmental issues
Packaging shelf-life requirements
BULK BOARD SHIPPING/RETURNABLE/SUSTAINABLE
A common problem in the electronics industry is the movement of static sensitive circuit boards in-plant and from subcontractor sites to OEMs. The traditional method has been to bag all the boards, load the board into a kraft corrugated tote and ship in this manner. The more recent trend is toward eliminating the bags by procuring conductive Corstat® corrugated boxes. While the initial purchase price of Corstat® is more than kraft, the long run savings can be very substantial. To survive repeated handling, it is important that the totes are built from the appropriate materials. CCI’s Corstat® coating actually extends the life of corrugated. In addition, it is important to design the package with all die-cut and bent over wall construction.
BULK BOARD SHIPPING/ONE WAY
In many situations boards are shipped long distances and it is not practical to reuse the packaging. In these applications the box should be built to withstand the abuse of transportation, but not for continuous reuse. A sturdy but much more economical style of package can be designed. Here it is sufficient to use single wall construction. An anti-static foam pad on the top and bottom are excellent for shock and vibration. Labor can be a large percentage of the cost of bulk shipping of circuit boards. The best package is likely to minimize labor on the shipping and receiving end. Yet, the package must get the contents to their destination safely with respect to the physical and electrical sensitivity of the product.
