IC Tubes
IC Tubes
Importance of Antistatic Shipping Tubes
Integrated circuits are highly sensitive to static electricity, which can cause significant damage and malfunctions. Antistatic shipping tubes are designed to dissipate static charges, ensuring the safe transport and storage of ICs. The clear material allows for easy identification of the contents without opening the package, which is vital for efficient inventory management and quality control.
Features and Benefits
- Protection Against Static Electricity: These tubes prevent the buildup of static charges, safeguarding ICs during transportation and storage.
- Durability: Made from high-quality materials, such as Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Polycarbonate (PC), and PETG, these tubes offer robust physical protection.
- Transparency: Allows for quick identification of contents, improving efficiency in handling and inventory management.
- Customizability: Available in various sizes and profiles to accommodate different types of ICs, ensuring a snug fit that minimizes movement and potential damage.
- Environmental Considerations: Many antistatic tubes are made from eco-friendly materials that support the 3R concept – reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- Available for: DIP, PLCC, LCC, SOIC, SOJ, SOP, SSOP, TSSOP, QNF, MFL, LPCC
Stoppers and end plugs also available.
Quote Parameters for Tubes
- There are a ton of different configurations and there is not a one tube fits all scenario
- Tubes are used for transporting components from vendor to user
- Tubes are also used for loading into machines that assemble boards
- Tubes are usually made of clear anti-static PVC with writing printed or imbedded on the tube stating they are anti-static
- I have two vendors I work with – one will have ready-made tubes or can get them and the other vendor, located in the US, can manufacture them from scratch
- For quoting tubes, I would need one of the following please:
- Spec drawing of the tube
- Spec drawing of the component going into the tube – the customer cannot just make a quick hand scratched drawing and expect a quote
- A sample tube from the customer if there is no drawing
- If none of the above is available, I would need a physical component that goes into the tube so my vendor can take measurements
- Please note that my vendors will not sell direct……..they will only work with the distributor that gave them the project
Tubes That Need to be Manufactured
- First and foremost, there will be a tooling cost
- Tooling is not a cost we have any control over
- Because tubes are extruded. tooling must be designed & manufactured based on the shape of the extrusion
- Tooling remains property of the vendor
- Tooling is a one-time up front cost – I do not add anything to the cost of the tooling and that charge is not negotiable
- There will always be a minimum number of tubes required for order
End Caps/Stoppers for Tubes
- Tubes will have some form of stopper at each end
- They are not included into the price of the tube – they are always quoted as a separate orderable item
- Types:
- Rubber caps that go over the tube
- Rubber stoppers that are pushed into the end of the tube
- Hard plastic caps that are pushed into the end of the tube
- Plastic pins that are pushed/pulled into holes that have been drilled into the tube
- There are colors for stoppers – I had a customer that required black on one end and red on the other
- The easiest way for me to quote these is for the user to provide a picture or drawing of what they have
Please call us at 800.858.1379 or 512.267.0100 for questions or request for quotes. Please send drawings of your part to [email protected] so we can make sure the tube will be the perfect fit for your parts!
Material Options
- PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride): Commonly used for its good impact strength and stable dimensions. It provides excellent static protection and is available with antistatic surfactant treatments.
- Polycarbonate (PC): Known for its high impact strength and superb clarity. It is ideal for high-precision applications due to its tight dimensional tolerances.
- PETG: Offers the highest impact strength, suitable for heavy-duty packages. It is also halogen-free, making it environmentally friendly.
Customization and Design
Antistatic shipping tubes can be tailored to specific needs. For example, tubes may have “riding rails” to protect fragile leads or come with end plugs and tacks to secure ICs within the tube. The dimensions and profiles are carefully designed to ensure that the ICs do not move excessively during transit, which can cause damage.
Variety of ICs Packaged
We offer a wide range of antistatic shipping tubes suitable for different IC packages:
- DIP (Dual In-line Package) Shipping Tubes: Ideal for standard ICs with two parallel rows of pins.
- Flatpack Shipping Tubes: Suitable for ICs with flat, leadless packages.
- TO-220 Shipping Tubes: Designed for transistor outlines with three leads.
- Cerquad Shipping Tubes: For ceramic quad flat packs.
- LCC (Leadless Chip Carrier) Shipping Tubes: Designed for ICs without leads.
- PGA (Pin Grid Array) Shipping Tubes: Suitable for ICs with a grid of pins.
- PLCC (Plastic Leaded Chip Carrier) Shipping Tubes: For ICs with leads on all four sides.
- PQFP (Plastic Quad Flat Pack) Shipping Tubes: Designed for ICs with leads on four sides.
- PSOP (Plastic Small Outline Package) Shipping Tubes: For smaller IC packages.
- SOIC (Small Outline Integrated Circuit) Shipping Tubes: Ideal for ICs with gull-wing leads.
- TSSOP (Thin Shrink Small Outline Package) Shipping Tubes: Designed for thin, compact IC packages.