Address, At Hitachi we perform extensive reliability tests and with regards to the medium to store components; the plastic tape is more susceptible to ESD build up than paper tape and a charge can be transferred to the PCBA during pick and place. John Gulley Hitachi Computer Products Division email: [log in to unmask] ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: RE: Murata Erie Changes Author: JOHN GULLEY at HICAM-HDQ-OK Date: 10/30/95 9:12 AM Following from our pick n'place engineer at the EMPF in Indy: 1) non-marking of chip caps with a value code has always been the norm for most vendors. As a user, I've appreciated the vendors who DID mark their caps as it makes it easier to identify and inspect 2) As far as changing to all paper delivery media for their caps, yes you are correct in the observation that it is "dirtier". The paper tapes generate paper dust which accumulates somewhere, usually in the feeder drive mechanism. Paper tape will deteriorate over time if not used quick enough (12 months maybe). My experience has been if you have other choices for delivery media (i.e. plastic of metal foil type,) have purchasing get that. The slight increase in cost can be offset by less feeder maitenance and reduced problems with improper feeding of tape through the feeders. As paper tape ages the tendancy is for the "peel-back" tape to seperate from the paper carrier and causes jamming in the feeder. This seperation can also cause lost or dropped components and contributes to improper component pickup by the head. If I were issuing specs for surface mount components to purchasing and I had a choice between two vendors, one offering choices other than paper, and one offering only paper, I would pick the one with the options and justify the added expense with lower feeder maintenance and lower operator handling problems. You can contact the EMPF HelpLine at 317.226-5616 for additional discussion. ---------- From: TechNet-request To: technet Subject: Murata Erie Changes Date: 25 Oct 95 2:52PM Return-Path: <[log in to unmask]> Resent-Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 22:12:57 -0500 Old-Return-Path: <miso!most.fw.hac.com!jlhemp> Message-Id: <[log in to unmask]> X-Sender: [log in to unmask] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 14:52:44 -0500 To: [log in to unmask] From: [log in to unmask] (Jeffery L. Hempton) Subject: Murata Erie Changes X-Mailer: <PC Eudora Version 1.4b18> Resent-Message-ID: <"E_iAN2.0.VWG.fLjZm"@ipc> Resent-From: [log in to unmask] X-Mailing-List: <[log in to unmask]> archive/latest/1524 X-Loop: [log in to unmask] Precedence: list Resent-Sender: [log in to unmask] ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Murata Erie has published a letter to all their customers through their manufacturing representatives announcing that, in order to reduce production costs and remain cost competitive through standardization, they intend to implement the following changes to their ceramic chip capacitors effective April 1,1996: 1. Discontinue all marking of ceramic capacitors. This is not totally unexpected, as the 0603 and smaller sizes cannot be marked. 2) Discontinue all packaging tapes except paper for sizes 1206 and smaller. Note:Other changes were stated, but these are the two that I would like to address. What I would like to ask readers of the forum, is: A) What is the general concensus of Murata Erie discontinuing marking on SMD chip caps? B) Is Changing to paper tape only something the industry is leaning toward, or is Murata Erie alone in this?Does this cause a problem with your feeder unit allocations? If all vendors followed suit, we would be required to purchase many more paper tape-type feeders. Also, paper is a somewhat dirtier process. Hope to get some feedback from others on these matters. Thanx! Jeff L. Hempton Magnavox Electronic Systems Company -------------------------------------- Jeffery L. Hempton Phone: 219-429-7335 Mail Stop:25-31 Fax: 4688 Email: [log in to unmask] MESC, 1313 Production Road, Fort Wayne, IN 46808 "And the men who hold high places, must be the ones who start, To mould a new reality, closer to the heart. Philosophers and Ploughmen, each must know his part, To sow a new mentality, closer to the heart."--Rush-A Farewell to Kings.