How to pack a PCB for shipment

1 How to pack a board for shipment

A PCB packed in an ESD safe bag, which protects the board from static electricity discharge.

A PCB properly wrapped in aluminum foil, which protects the board from static electricity discharge.

Pinball boards (PCBs) are sensitive to Electro-Static Discharge (ESD). Static electricity that builds up in your body or via packaging material that rubs together can "shock" the sensitive components on a PCB, damaging them in doing so.

Board repair techs go through great pains to ground themselves while working on PCBs.

If you need to store or to ship a PCB, enclose it in an ESD safe bag. If a bag isn't available, wrap the board in aluminum foil. Both will protect the board from ESD.

When packing a board for shipment, there are a few important considerations.

1. Remove all batteries. The single exception is Gottlieb System 3 MPU that has the battery soldered to the board. If the battery remains on a System 3 MPU board, you MUST notify the postal service (US) that there is a lithium battery in the package!
2. Prevent damage to the integrated circuits on the PCB by using an anti-static bag or wrapping the board in aluminum foil. Do NOT use aluminum foil for Gottlieb System 3 MPU boards. The on-board battery will discharge and quite possibly make a mess of things.
3. Wrap the board in bubble wrap using as little packing tape as possible. Alternatively, packing peanuts or "craft paper" can be used to "suspend" the board in the center of the box.
4. Be sure to tape all open edges of the box. Reused Amazon boxes should have the Amazon tape removed first. It is sometimes difficult for packing tape to adhere to used Amazon boxes.
5. Insure your board for an appropriate amount. Better safe than sorry.

2 How NOT to pack a board for shipment

This poor PCB was encased in bubble wrap, with no protection from static electricity discharge.

The board shown at left was packed without any electrostatic discharge protection.

Bubble wrap itself can generate static electricity.
This is definitely not the way to pack a board.

This PCB has been mummified as it it were King Tut. While this offers excellent protection, your board repair guy is going to hate, hate, hate unwrapping all of those layers. Even worse, an excessive amount of packing tape was added to the mummy mixture.

The board shown at left has been "mummified". Gack!

Remember that too much of a good thing is still too much!

Time taken away from the repair process unwrapping boards that have been mummified adds turnaround time and cost.