FAQ

ESD-safe, anti-static materials built for handling and storing populated and unpopulated PCB assemblies. Depending on the series that means conductive plastic, aluminum and spring steel; the 300 °C high temperature series is all aluminum.

No. We stock a fixed catalog of standard sizes that cover the most common board dimensions in aerospace, automotive, medical and contract manufacturing. Not sure which size fits your boards? Send the dimensions and we confirm the right model before you order.

Rack orders placed on PCBRacks.com before 12:00 PM PST ship the same business day, subject to stock. Orders placed after 12:00 PM PST, or for items temporarily out of stock, ship the next business day.

Yes, on rack orders of $1,000 or more, shipped ground within the continental US. Below that, shipping is calculated at checkout and paid by the buyer. Free shipping does not apply to depaneling: machines, blades and depaneler spares always ship at freight, quoted on the order.

Racks are warranted to be free of defects at delivery. If yours arrives damaged, defective or not what you ordered, tell us within 48 hours with photos and we replace it once at no charge; you cover return shipping of the defective item. Normal wear from production use is not a defect. Wear parts ship from the USA as spares.

Returns are accepted within 30 days of delivery on racks, spares, kits, blades and bundles, for unused items in original packaging. Buyer covers shipping both ways, including on defect returns. Request a return authorization first. Full details are in our Returns and Warranty Policy.

Bare boards do not have a fixed expiry date. What ends their life is oxidation of the surface finish, contamination from handling, and mechanical damage, all of which are storage problems rather than time problems. Assembled boards are different: anything carrying moisture-sensitive components runs on a floor-life clock defined by IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033, and that clock starts when the dry pack is opened. Keep bare boards clean, dry and on edge, keep moisture-sensitive assemblies sealed or in a dry cabinet until they are used, and bake to the J-STD-033 schedule if the clock has run out.

Stable room temperature is fine for storage itself. The number that actually decides your purchase is what the rack can take, because a rack usually sees more than the storeroom: our series are rated 80 C, 120 C, 200 C and 300 C, and you should choose from the hottest process the rack will ever sit in, not from the shelf it rests on the other 23 hours. A rack rated exactly at your bake temperature is a rack running at its limit every cycle.

Dry and stable, and the drier the better for anything with moisture-sensitive parts. For bare boards the risk is the surface finish degrading, so a normal, dry, climate-controlled room is usually enough. For assemblies with moisture-sensitive components the governing document is IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033, which is what tells you the floor life and the dry-storage requirement for that specific part. Garages, basements and unconditioned warehouses are where boards go wrong, because the temperature swing drives condensation.

On edge, in slots, every time. A board laid flat and stacked carries the weight of everything above it through its own components and solder joints, and the damage that causes is usually invisible until test. Stored on edge in a slotted rack, each board carries only itself, nothing touches its faces, and any board can be pulled without disturbing its neighbours.

They solve different problems. A bag handles static and, if it is a moisture-barrier bag, moisture; the material standard for that is MIL-B-81705-B. What a bag does not do is hold the board off other boards, and bagged boards in a tote still press against each other every time the tote moves. Bags are for shipping and sealed storage. Racks are for boards that are in process, being moved between benches, or waiting on a line.

Do not stack populated boards at all. Components and solder joints are not designed to be a load path, and the board at the bottom of the stack is the one that fails later. A slotted rack replaces the stack: 50 slots at 10 mm pitch on a standard magazine rack, 25 slots on the wider bench racks, each board carried on its edges with air on both faces.

Yes, and that is exactly what slot pitch is for. Check the tallest component against the pitch before you order: 10 mm between slots on the magazine racks, 15 to 16 mm on the slotted-edge bench racks. If a tall connector or an electrolytic makes a board wider than its slot allows, either move up a pitch or use every second slot and accept the lower count.

Match the slot to the board rather than forcing the board into the slot. Too tight and the edge gets scraped every insertion; too loose and the board rattles and walks. Slot width and depth are on every spec sheet for this reason. Boards that get pulled and replaced all day are also better on a rack with a wider pitch, because a hurried hand is what chips an edge.

Lead time is 4 to 5 weeks for 1 to 2 units, and the ship date is confirmed by email within one business day of the order. For larger quantities, contact info@pcbracks.com for a custom estimate.

No, and none is needed. Every machine is designed for out-of-the-box operation and ships with a complete operation manual. If a question comes up during setup, an engineer is an email away.

Every depaneler carries a 1-year warranty from the date of delivery covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal operation. Wear items such as cutting blades are excluded; they are consumables and sold as spares.

Depaneling machines and starter kits are not returnable for change of mind or application fit. A return is accepted only for a confirmed manufacturing defect, under the 1-year warranty. Buyer covers shipping both ways, including on a confirmed defect.

No. Every unit is sold new. If you want to validate cut quality first, send us a sample board profile and we will tell you exactly which machine and blade fit it.

No. Machine freight is quoted individually and paid by the buyer. You see the quote before you commit.

No minimum quantity; a single rack is a fine order. Checkout does have a $300 minimum order value. For volume pricing, ask us.

Every payment method Shopify supports, including major credit cards. Approved returning customers can also buy on Net 30 terms.

Yes. Checkout is open to 28 countries: DHL Express or USPS rates are calculated at checkout and you pay for the goods and the freight. Import duties, taxes and customs clearance in your country are handled by you or your broker. Other destinations are quoted in writing. Risk passes when the goods reach the carrier.

Send your board size, process temperature and throughput to info@pcbracks.com, or ask Sam on any page. We confirm the exact part number before you order, so nothing ships wrong.