Component safety is borne by the packaging. Beyond mechanical protection from bent leads and other physical damage, significant problems can arise from improper packaging, including coplanarity, solderability, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) damage, and popcorning . The problems are magnified by the climate here in South China, where it is hot and humid for a large part of the year.
One of the most common things we see is packaging that is intended to appear like original factory-sealed packaging which is not. It is relatively easy to prepare labels and re-seal original bags to look “as good as new”, but they are often not “as good as new”. For this reason, we recommend that all packages, regardless of outside appearance be opened and inspected – it is just too easy to fake the packaging, but not the parts inside.
White Horse provides a full range of packaging services to make sure your products are delivered in a condition ready to be used – baking, dry packing, taping, and transferring from tubes or trays to tape.. International standards are very clear for what is required for safe packaging and handling, and we comply with all such standards. The most important issues regarding packaging are detailed below while using the highest quality materials, strict attention to detail, and careful handling.
Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) is a rating from 0 to 6, assigned by the manufacturer after thorough life-cycle testing on every product they manufacture. It is a rating of the components’ susceptibility to damage caused by moisture. Humidity in the air can be absorbed by the component insulation material, leading to internal corrosion and hardware failure and a phenomenon called “popcorning”, when moisture within the part vaporizes and expands during the reflow process, leading to cracks in the insulation and frequently directly damaging the hardware (wires, wire bonds, and dice). The MSL standard is detailed about exactly how long components can be exposed (floor life depending on MSL level and ambient humidity and temperature) before requiring baking to remove the moisture.
Solderability is a failure of the solder to wick on the component terminal and make a good connection. This connection is both mechanical and electrical. Oxidation, or corrosion of the metal plated terminals on the component, can lead to poor solderability, as can any contamination on the terminals, including dust and oil. White Horse utilizes the JEDEC/IPC standard for testing a component’s solderability.
Re-taping of components packaged in reels is necessary when all of the components have been removed for inspection, testing, or baking. The temperatures required for proper baking would melt the carrier (pocket) tape, so the components must be removed from the tape prior to baking. When the components have been removed, it is not recommended to try and reseal the original cover and carrier (pocket) tapes. The sealing is usually a heat process, lightly fusing the two tapes together. This creates a small “rail” in the carrier tape which, when re-used can cause an imperfect seal resulting pares parts falling out of the pockets or tearing of the cover tape in the manufacturer pick-and-place equipment which jams the feeders (a frustrating and time consuming situation to fix, which also causes a line stoppage).
Logistics
When your products are not in your warehouse, they are not completely within your control. The globalization of industry has lead to footprints scattered throughout the world with parts coming and going all over the place. Maintaining a single distribution point is longer the most cost and time-effective model. White Horse provides a range of logistics services and expertise to give your company a global footprint, without your having to maintain global locations.
White Horse maintains logistics facilities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, with a network of logistics professionals spanning the globe. Regardless of where you are, from where the components are coming, or where they are going, we can help and maintain a one-stop solution for you. We provide transshipping, drop shipping, warehousing, pick and pack, and tracking services to provide with a complete logistics solution.
A global distribution network is necessary to excel in the global marketplace. The overhead expense of maintaining dedicated facilities is excessive. Our solutions provide you with the flexibility of a global network, without the expense of that network.
Drop Shipment - If you are located in, for example, North America, your supplier is in China with your customer is in Europe, does it make sense to ship the parts from China to the USA to be received and reshipped to Europe? No? It doesn’t make sense to us, either. Through our facility in Hong Kong, we can ship directly to end-user location at cull Customs value with any documentation and labeling requirements you may have. It’s that easy. Stop wasting money on excessive shipping expenses.
Transshipment – We ship all products through our Hong Kong facility, from where they are shipped in full compliance with receiving country’s documentation requirements. If you are purchasing from multiple sources, make sure you receive them without hassle at receiving declaration.
Warehousing – We do provide warehousing services in both Hong Kong and China when you have product that does not need to ship immediately. Hold it for consolidation on a larger shipment or when you know the final destination and again avoid redundant shipping expenses.
Other services include:
- Pick & Pack – Turns your warehouse into a full-service distribution centre.
- Freight/Shipping Agent – Who’s the right forwarder? What’s a good rate? Who’s looking out for you? Allow White Horse to take that burden off your shoulders.
- Domestic China Distribution – think UPS, FedEx, and DHL are the best way to get product around China and Hong Kong? Think again.
Logistics Modeling – Let us design an efficient logistics model for you, and our extensive experience with local Customs regulations makes it easy.
