Hi,

Can someone please offer me some guidance regarding some component damage
acceptance criteria from within EIA595 vs IPC-A-610.
I work for an electronics company releasing products to IPC-A-610 class 3
standard. We procure PWBs through a sub-contractor who also have to
release the product to IPC-A-610 class 3 (we do not impose any criteria on
the component quality, apart from type, value, tolerance etc). We have
recently noticed some surface damage to some surface-mount 1208 capacitors
on our PWBs from our sub-contractor which do not meet the requirements of
IPC-A-610 (no damage allowed for class 3 products). From persuing this
back through our PWB sub-contractor, they have advised us that the parts
are not being damaged through their process (tests have proven this) but
the parts are being received by them in this condition. The component
manufacturer release the parts to EIA595 standards which does allow
surface damage.
We have, to date,  no experience of electrical failure of these
capacitors, the issue is only of a difference of acceptability between the
IPC standard and the EIA standard. The component supplier has advised that
they can supply components which will meet the IPC class 3 standards, but
this will require an increase of 25% in the cost of the parts.
From review of the component manufacturing process, a visual inspection is
carried on the parts prior to electrical testing and any components that
fail the EIA specification are rejected at that stage.
My concerns are;
1. What are the reliability implications of using components which show
minor surface damage which are within EIA595 standards but do not meet IPC-
A-610 class 3 standards.
2. Which standard normally takes precedence.

Many thanks in advance for any feedback.

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