Antistatic foam

[giovanni]

Hey guys! Trying to get a bit more organized with my ICs, currently sitting in plastic tubes or on pieces of foam (that I got from the vendor) in various organizer bins. If I could just stick them to foam it would be much easier for me to organize them in the bins (and print labels etc) rather than what I do right now, which is half chaos. So I guess I just need to buy some antistatic foam right? I found a very high rated one on Bezos' marketplace but I was wondering what you guys use. Another question is whether we need to worry about using foam or not? My inclination is to be better safe than sorry, but what are your thoughts on the matter?

 

[Erik S]

@bean did some searching on this a while back…

Where to get this foam?

The foam backing Tayda uses for sockets is absolutely perfect for the small number of ICs I send out with some projects. I've found other types but they are never quite the right size or thickness. Anyone have a recommendation on where to find this stuff? I use ESD bags so the foam itself...

forum.pedalpcb.com

 

[Robert]

Double posting, but whatever, report me.


I get my ESD foam from Foam Factory.

1/2" thickness, half a roll will probably last you a lifetime unless you're shipping a lot of ICs.

Anti-Static Polyethylene Foam - 1.7LB Pink

Check out the deal on Anti-Static Polyethylene Foam - 1.7LB Pink at Foam Factory, Inc.

www.foambymail.com

 

[Robert]

You folks never disappoint.

 

[Betty Wont]

I’ve never been to a component shop where ICs were stored on any antistatic or in foam. They are all just thrown in the bins like jellybeans. The anti-static foam is about shipping conditions not storage.

 

[Robert]

I've worked in a place where we weren't allowed to lay a sheet of paper on the same bench with any form of electronic component.

 

[giovanni]

Oh boy two completely opposite experiences!

 

[Betty Wont]

I've worked in a place where we weren't allowed to lay a sheet of paper on the same bench with any form of electronic component.

Did people’s lives depend on those components? I’d agree with that level of prophylaxis in automotive, aerospace, heavy industries… but for trinkets… seems overkill, like who stores their pedals in humidors?!

 

[fig]

Did people’s lives depend on those components? I’d agree with that level of prophylaxis in automotive, aerospace, heavy industries… but for trinkets… seems overkill, like who stores their pedals in humidors?!

A silicate pkg goes in every pedal.

 

[benny_profane]

Did people’s lives depend on those components? I’d agree with that level of prophylaxis in automotive, aerospace, heavy industries… but for trinkets… seems overkill, like who stores their pedals in humidors?!

With some of the threads recently, you’d think people’s lives do indeed depend on them.

 

[giovanni]

I couldn’t survive without my weekly dose of TL072s!!! And don’t get me started on the LM386, it saved my life!