FAQ

ESD-safe 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.

Yes, in some cases. Most boards fit one of our stock racks, and the rack finder shows which one in seconds. When yours doesn't, we can build a custom magazine rack for boards up to 24 × 21 in (610 × 533 mm). Email info@pcbracks.com with the board length and width and the hottest temperature in your process. The numbers are all we need. We confirm what we can build and send you a quote.

Racks are typically in stock and ship from the USA in under 24 hours: orders placed before 12:00 PM Pacific ship the same business day. Only if a rack is not in stock, the max lead time is 2 to 4 weeks, depending on quantity. Depaneling machines ship in under 3 business days when in stock, and in 2 to 4 weeks at most when they are not.

Yes. US orders of $1,000 and up ship free, delivered to your dock with the freight paid. It applies by itself at checkout, with no code. Under $1,000, shipping is priced at checkout from the weight of what you order: a single spare pays the lowest ground tier, a few racks pay a little more; depaneling blades and parts, and a Rack Wear Kit on its own, ship at a flat rate. Or ship on your own UPS or FedEx account: tick freight collect in the cart, we ask you for the account number by email before the order ships, and no freight is charged. Depaneling machines ship at the freight stated in your quote.

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 15 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.

60% RH or less at up to 30 °C (86 °F) on the open floor, and 10% RH or less in a dry cabinet for anything with moisture-sensitive parts. Those are the conditions IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033 works to for floor life and dry storage. 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, J-STD-033 is also 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-PRF-81705. 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 (0.394″) 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 (0.394″) between slots on the magazine racks, 15 to 16 mm (0.591″ to 0.630″) 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.

Ships from the USA in under 3 business days if in stock, 2 to 4 weeks at most. We confirm your ship date on the quote, by email within one business day.

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.

Machine quotes are delivered pricing: freight to your US site is in the written quote (DDP), so there is nothing added later. Blades and spares ship free on US orders of $1,000 and up, and at a flat charge under that.

No minimum. A single rack or a single spare part is a fine order. US orders of $1,000 and up ship free; under that, shipping is priced at checkout by weight. Volume pricing applies automatically in the cart: magazine racks 10% off at 20 or more; slotted racks, angled holders and Karry-All 35 5% at 5 packs and 10% at 10; ESD turntables 10% at 10 or more; rack spares 10% at 20 or more. Major purchases get a bigger discount than the cart applies: send us the list for a quote, and we can split it to fit a capped PO.

Get a quote for a major purchase →

Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club), PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Shop Pay or ACH at checkout, or a purchase order: ask for a formal quote and pay against it.

Yes, up to 70 lb. Checkout ships to Canada and Mexico: an express rate is shown at checkout by the weight of your order, and import duties and GST or IVA are billed to you on delivery. Over 70 lb to either country is handled on a purchase order, quoted separately before shipping. If you have a customs broker, you can ship to your US forwarder in Laredo, El Paso or Otay Mesa and pay the US ground rate. Other countries 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.