best way to ship single IC's

Hello folks,

thought i'd throw this one one -- eXPaT auDio will be shipping a product soon, where a pre-programmed IC will be shipped either individually, or as part of a kit.

I'm trying to find the lowest cost way of shipping the IC in an ESD protected way.
Typically, at TI, we ship using little plastic cases (that include ESD safe foam etc). However, the cheapest I've seen is about $4. Fine if I'm shipping a dozen IC's, but for a single one, it's a big chunk of the price.

I've seen these little things...
http://www.protektivepak.com/ProtektivePakCatalog/PPKimpregnated/SmallComponentShippers/37000/

but I'm wondering if just a little piece of ESD foam, and a esd bag would be enough.

The device is a 14pin DIP.

your thoughts would be appreciated.

thanks

/R

but I'm wondering if just a little piece of ESD foam, and a esd bag would be enough.

Click to expand...

Yes.

You can buy a big foam and cut it into little pieces. And buy ESD bags in quantity. Stick the IC in the foam, put everything in the bag.

Another option is cut some IC tubes to length a bit longer than your 14PDIP, cut small pieces of foam to stuck at each ends of the tube, and put the 14PDIP inside.  - But this is more suitable for shipping several ICs. For single ICs, it might be a pain.

The protectivepak you linked to looks good. But $1.00 a box, it would be spendy. IF that was priced $.50, I'll be all over that.  Again, if shipping several ICs, it is a good solution. But storing 100pcs of these little boxes will take up a lot of storage room.

Back in the '80s I used small hard plastic snap cases, not sure if that's what they are called, black bottom and clear top and snap closure.. Then I would cut a square of conductive foam that fit inside the plastic case, and the IC would press into the foam.  The plastic cases were robust enough that the post office hard a hard time destroying them, while I used light weight foam padded mailer.

The plastic case would break out of of a paper envelope going through the mail sorting machines, so you need to use in combination with padded mailers but mainly to keep them away from the machines.

I have about 20-30 sitting around if you only need a few.. I don't think I paid more than $0.25 for the cases and foam (a few decades ago).

JR

cheap way
Aluminum foil wrapped?

best is the ESD plastic boxes as others posted.

 You could cut up the plastic tube the ICs came in(if they did use a tube)it should be antistatic like Owel posted.

At my former job we shipped IC(s) in the plastic tube in a box to sites:however it did not go US mail

A hacksaw with a fine blade cuts the tubes well.

Aluminum foil wrapped?

Click to expand...

Oh man... that brought back memories. 

80's, digital CMOS chips wrapped in foil, Truth Tables, building stuff.

but I'm wondering if just a little piece of ESD foam, and a esd bag would be enough.

Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that's what Mouser does with small batches-that's how some 5532s came to me the other week.

okay, bags and ESD foam ordered.

many thanks gents.

/R

owel said:

Aluminum foil wrapped?

Click to expand...

Oh man... that brought back memories. 

80's, digital CMOS chips wrapped in foil, Truth Tables, building stuff.

Click to expand...

No doubt!  I remember my first MOS project--a digital alarm clock using that MOSTEK chip.  You could destroy one of those chips just by looking at it wrong.    Radio Shack packaged them with a piece of aluminum foil between the chip and a chunk of plain old white Strofoam in far-from ESD-protecting blister packs.  After blowing up two of them, I ended up getting it work only after inserting the last one while kneeling bare-footed in the lawn in drizzling rain. 

I ended up becoming a TTL hacker after that--those chips were bulletproof.  That was, as long as the power supply didn't exceed 5.000001 volts. 

-bob

Rochey said:

The device is a 14pin DIP.

Click to expand...

What's THAT! 

-a

I would use a short piece of anti-stat IC tube, rubber band around the ends, in a small jiffy envelope.  You could probably get away with a thick paper envelope.
Mike

Andy Peters said:

Rochey said:

The device is a 14pin DIP.

Click to expand...

What's THAT!  

-a

Click to expand...

(although this seems to be a 24-pin version)  ;D

Sadly, I know how he did that trick. ^