Electronic component storage - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: Prime
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2017, 08:57:39 pm
content: So I'm looking for advice and experience from hobbiests and people who work with parts semi professionally on how to store components for prototyping and testing.I have a mix of through hole and SMD parts on strips and reals to loose pieces and I need a better way to manage it.Currently it's split between systema boxes, raaco drawers and plastic trays.What do you guys do to keep track of stuff and keep it neat?Sent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

author: Ysjoelfir
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2017, 10:57:01 pm
content: Quote from: Prime on December 30, 2017, 08:57:39 pmI don't bother anymore. Didn't find any suitable way.Quote from: Prime on December 30, 2017, 08:57:39 pmI tend to order SMDs for prototyping, at least passives and the standard stuff like diodes and transistors, on reels. That helps in keeping it tidy - just stick the reels on a pole and hang that to the roof of the lab. Other parts are sorted in the well known drawers like raaco etc... I don't think that there is a better way in doing that.

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2017, 11:24:03 pm
content: I log everything into an Excel spreadsheet though I don't do this every time I get new parts. So, my spreadsheet is usually behind until I do a periodic inventory which might be a year or more later. I don't have nearly the expansive inventory that many others do and my storage consists of a couple Akro-Mils cabinets with 64 bins and 44 bins as well as a couple binders with SMD capacitors and resistors and then larger plastic boxes from Sistema (a New Zealand company) for the more bulk type storage as well as to store test leads etc.I made a video about setting up a home electronics lab that goes into detail about storage so you may wish to check that out...Brian

author: Terry01
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 30, 2017, 11:26:04 pm
content: I'm still building my components and tools collection up so I only have 1 small corner as my "workspace".I have a desk in the corner of 1 room, I use proper legs to hold 1 side of it up and a proper fitted drawer stack to hold the other side up. I got it from Ikea as a work station so it's quite handy the way it's made up.I manage to keep everything in the 6 drawers, 3 large tote boxes and a big cardboard box too.I keep my scopes and power supply on top of my bench.I keep my boxes stored under my desk when i'm not working so it still keeps the place quite tidy. I just pull out what I need when i'm doing stuff then it goes back easy when i'm finished.I got 2 spot lights on bendy arms when I got my desk that are great for a bit focused light if I need it. I'm going to get one of those big magnifying glasses on a stand with the ring of lights around the magnifying glass part. My friend has one and they are awesome for seeing small soldering joints and things like that.I have seen pictures of some guys set ups though and they are like a lab set up, but in their home! I'd need a bigger house for that. I've also seen pictures of stuff hanging from the roof and trussed up on walls etc! Maybe you could think about going down that route?

author: raptor1956
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2017, 01:05:46 am
content: I should add that since I have the parts generally organized that doing an inventory isn't as big a deal as the first time since the parts are already organized. So, I can go from bin-to-bin and box-to-box, count each item, and update the database in the spreadsheet. As of my last inventory, completed on 09Aug2017, I have 174 unique part numbers which is, I'd guess, a fraction of what many others have. That is not counting the two SMD binders which could increase the part count to 304. The addition a another couple dozen parts would increase that further to about 330ish. I do have some miscellaneous parts not inventoried that mostly consists of parts that were previously used and since reclaimed.Brian

author: rrinker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2017, 01:12:23 am
content: I actually took some time to clean up my work area this week, I have several of those large 'boxes of drawers' things, and I organized a lot of my parts and modules I had just sitting in their bags or boxes they came in. I put the inventory all in PartsBox. I still need to get my old label printer set up so i can label the drawers but it's a basic grid A-whatever vertically and the bigger one is 1-6 across. I need more of them to organize resistors and caps, still not sure how I am going to do that. Resistors probably by decades. Caps, not sure, since there are multiple types, then all the values. The biggest unit I have doesn't have sub dividers for the drawers but some of the older ones I have do have that, so I can put say all 1n400x series diodes in one drawer, divided by specific model. Otherwise I could fill up a wall with drawers and not have enough - some components just HAVE to be combined.

author: bd139
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 31, 2017, 10:36:20 am
content: Zip lock bags. Put them in bigger zip lock bags labelled with the class of device (0805 resistor, ceramic capacitor etc). . Write the value, part number, supplier code on them. When you get something, enter it on a spreadsheet. Use google sheets then you can check it on your phone when you are out if you have an idea.Why all this? From experience:1. Can’t spill ziplock bags. Boxes and drawers do spill. Especially when you have kids.2. Not knowing what you have and then buying more is expensive and delays projects.3. Zip lock bags don’t have any dead space like drawers and boxes. Less space required!4. Zip lock bags are sealed against the elements.5. You can get anti static ziplock bags for semiconductors and ICs.6. Easy to move around if you have to reorganise stuff.7. Neatly fit in drawers.8. Don’t be afraid to throw anything you haven’t used for years in the trash.9. None of that time consuming cancer of organising drawers into rows. You know when you buy a full set of E12 values then you get a 250 ohm resistor and it won’t go into your neatly organised decades.Keep TH ICs in static foam filled boxes. Write the date you bought the box on a label on the top and replace the foam every 5 years without fail. It can turn into a corrosive mush.A second to this is using thick paper envelopes and then sticking these in trays in drawers. All the advantages of the above as well. I never bothered with this myself.As for unique part numbers, I have 537 lines in my spreadsheet and only three drawers.

author: IanJ
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 31, 2017, 11:25:33 am
content: Here's what I do,I have a bunch of RAACO wall mounted shelves for mostly non-SMD parts as I find I can safely remove the item from the packaging and pop it in a drawer and still have an idea of what it is by looking at it. Also use this if I've removed parts from old boards or aquired from somewhere.With SMD this is not so easy, so I have a load of A4 archive boxes that are perfect when laid flat and can be stacked. The lid on them is integrated so no mucking about, and there's a writeable label on the side.I have marked the boxes in relation to the groups of products in them i.e. "DAC/ADC", "LOGIC IC's", "LOW TCR RESISTORS" etc etc......all parts still in their original packaging.When manufacturing (quantity run) then it's a different story. For any given project I am working on I'll use a large cardboard box to hold all my parts and will remove most parts from the supplied packaging and decant into zipable anti-static bags and write the info on the side, that way I'm in and out of the bag quickly & easily.I tend to try and buy from Digikey as the bags they use are re-sealable.......I wish RS/Farnell would do the same, however, zipable anti-static bags are available cheap on Ebay.For normal SMD resistors & caps I work mostly out of those small 100 segment trays.Nuts and bolts of this is there's no perfect way I found due to the wide variety of size and type of parts.......but the above works for me.Ian.

author: texaspyro
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2018, 08:02:37 pm
content: Quote from: IanJ on December 31, 2017, 11:25:33 amGenerally that's a horrible (but convenient) way of doing it. It's way to easy for parts to sneak into adjacent bins... either by them sneaking between the lid and the bins while handling the tray or dropping a part when picking them up with tweezers or parts bouncing around when you open the lid.I've seen people build a bunch of boards only to find out that the bins were cross-contaminated with the wrong part.

author: Rutherfordium
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: January 01, 2018, 11:13:07 pm
content: My solution to the cross-contamination is to use little baggies. It works.

author: Prime
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 05:34:19 am
content: Quote from: raptor1956 on December 30, 2017, 11:24:03 pmThanks. I'll take a lookSent from my HTC One M9 using Tapatalk

author: Insatman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 22, 2018, 06:08:10 am
content: My god it's a constant battle keeping organized when you have both component and instrument addiction. I use a lot of those little hobby drawer sets and lots of those little plastic organizer boxes. Plus, Digikey sends me what seems like 1000's of little plastic bags on every order which I re-use too. A bow to the contributor that keeps track of things on Excel...I just don't have the energy for that.

author: Prime
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2018, 04:10:27 pm
content: Quote from: Ysjoelfir on December 30, 2017, 10:57:01 pmThe best solution to keeping track of individual parts seems to be partsbox.ioI've tried to order reels where possible but it depends on the parts and costs.Quote from: raptor1956 on December 30, 2017, 11:24:03 pmThose Akro-Mils cabinates look very nice. But not available in South Africa to my knowledgeI'm using Systema boxes for my IC's in Antistatic packaging and some of my other parts but I'm going to get some more and sort them more extensively based on what I've seen in your video.Very nice video BTWQuote from: raptor1956 on December 31, 2017, 01:05:46 amI've been eyeing the SMD binders on Ebay. Not sure what the quality is like but probably fine for stuffing aroundQuote from: bd139 on December 31, 2017, 10:36:20 amInteresting idea. I use zip lock bags from the local plastics shop in some of my drawers for odd parts. I guess if I kepts bags grouped by part type, it would be somewhat manageable. It's worth doing for the odd parts I have at least.Quote from: IanJ on December 31, 2017, 11:25:33 amI think I prefer the Systema boxes to archive boxes.Please post a picture of the hundred segment trays if you don't mind? If they're what I think they are, I'll skip. I tried some tiny canister jobs once. They were a total pain to use.Quote from: Insatman on January 22, 2018, 06:08:10 amI know I don't have the organisational skills to maintain an excel spread sheet but kudos to the people who doThanks for all the input guys and girls

author: JacquesBBB
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: January 29, 2018, 04:47:13 pm
content: For me the most important is to know whether you already have a part or not, and although to be able to browse through your parts.For this I use small zip lock bags with white stripes to be able to write the main characteristics of the parts.Then zip locks go to larger ziplocks or plastic boxes, or drawers.Most of the parts, I register them in a excel spreadsheet, with several sheets, per categories. I do not keep tracks of the parts that I use.If it happen that a part is registered but does not exist any longer, I just order some more and update the number of remaining ones.There is no need to erase the record, as if it is empty, it means that this part is often used. So better order some more.