Electronic components do not only age once they are in operation. Humidity, electrostatic discharge and material-related changes can also affect their later functionality during storage. The risk becomes particularly relevant when a component is discontinued, spare-parts supply must be secured for years, or a last-time-buy is planned.
Long-term storage therefore means more than placing inventory on a shelf. It combines protective measures, regular controls and documented processes so that components can remain available and processable throughout the intended storage period.
Protection to DIN EN IEC 62435
DIN EN IEC 62435 sets an important standard for long-term storage. btv technologies goes beyond that baseline: components are checked at goods-in and then stored under controlled conditions – with vacuum packaging, additional protective packaging and nitrogen.
Temperature and humidity are monitored, while the storage environment is shielded against external interference. Fixed repacking cycles, documented process steps and independent validation complement the protection concept.
Long-term storage at btv technologies therefore does not stop at meeting a standard. It is actively managed throughout the agreed storage period.
Long-Term Storage or Long-Term Preservation?
The difference lies in the process.
Long-term preservation primarily describes the measures used to protect a component from external influences – for example, moisture protection, vacuum packaging, nitrogen atmosphere or suitable packaging materials.
For a component supply strategy that remains usable over the long term, preservation alone is not enough. Components need to be checked at goods-in, stored under controlled conditions, monitored on fixed cycles and repackaged where necessary. For control units or other assemblies, power cycling and functional testing may also be required.
Long-term storage at btv technologies therefore combines preservation with a documented process. This includes checking identity, quantity and original packaging; controlled storage conditions; defined repacking cycles; agreed test measures; and traceability of storage movements and process steps.
The difference does not become visible on the day of storage intake. It becomes visible years later, when the component is needed again: Is it still available? Is it still processable? And can it be traced how it was protected and managed during storage?
| Long-Term Preservation | Long-Term Storage at btv technologies |
| Protection against humidity, oxidation and other external influences | Protective measures plus a controlled storage environment and a documented process |
| Focus on packaging, atmosphere and material protection | Focus on component, packaging, storage period, test cycles and later usability |
| Preservation at a defined point in time | Active management throughout the agreed storage period |
| Vacuum packaging, nitrogen atmosphere, desiccant or moisture protection | Repacking cycles, possible power cycling and functional testing, plus packaging-unit-level traceability |
| Starting point for value retention | A building block of a long-term supply strategy |
Which risks arise in storage?
- Humidity: Oxidation and diffusion at component leads can affect later solderability.
- ESD: Electrostatic discharge can cause latent damage that is not visible at storage intake.
- Chemical aging: Components continue to change over long periods, even when packaged and powered off.
- Assembly aging: For control units and populated assemblies, capacitors and solder joints can also become relevant.
The appropriate protection tier is therefore not determined by quantity alone. Component type, storage period, application, assembly criticality and the required duration of supply all matter.
Three Protection Tiers Compared
| Element | btv Standard Storage | Long-Term Storage | btv LONGEVITY® |
| Typical storage horizon | Up to approx. 2 years | 3–15 years | Over 50 years |
| Protection | Climate-controlled, ESD-safe, FM Global fire protection | Nitrogen atmosphere, vacuum sealing, intelligent repacking | Long-term-storage standard plus an anti-off-gassing bag with sacrificial material |
| Validation | Exceeds EN 62435 | Fraunhofer ISIT testing since 2000 | Builds on the validated long-term-storage baseline |
| Traceability | Packaging-unit-level traceability, 30-year archiving | Identical | Identical |
Repacking, Testing and Documentation
Long-term storage at btv technologies does not mean that components remain untouched on a shelf for years. Components are checked and repackaged on defined cycles. Repacking is performed every two years – well before the three-year minimum shelf life of the moisture barrier bags used expires. This helps ensure that not only the component itself, but also its protective packaging, remains reliable.
For control units and other assemblies, scheduled power cycling and functional testing can also be agreed. Storage movements, checks and further process steps are documented. This makes it possible to trace when a specific packaging unit was stored, checked, processed or delivered.
The effectiveness of this storage process was examined by the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicon Technology (ISIT) using SMD components that had been stored at btv technologies since the end of 2000. The aim was to assess their current processability and test their solderability under additional artificial aging conditions.
Even after dry heat exposure at 155 °C for 16 hours, as well as damp heat exposure at 85 °C and 85 percent relative humidity for 24 hours, no wetting deficiencies were found in the subsequent reflow soldering process.
The study relates to the components and conditions examined. It shows that the protection and storage processes used at btv technologies can support the processability of components even after long storage periods.
When Does Long-Term Storage Make Sense?
Long-term storage becomes relevant when component availability and product lifetime no longer align. This may be the case when a component is approaching end-of-life, a product must remain supported for many years, or a redesign would require extensive technical changes, renewed approvals and additional effort.
A long-term protection concept can also be relevant for spare-parts supply, planned end-of-life production or strategically critical assemblies. Long-term storage is one of several options in obsolescence management. Depending on the situation, a redesign, last-time-buy, licensed manufacturing or end-of-life production of assemblies may also be considered.
The right decision depends on several factors: How long does the product need to be supported? Which components are critical? Which alternatives are technically permissible? And what changes would be required for engineering, quality, approvals and production?
btv technologies supports companies in assessing component availability, storage period and protection requirements. This provides the basis for determining whether and which components should be protected over the long term.
Not every component needs the same protection tier. Component type, packaging, intended storage duration, application environment and importance to the assembly determine which measures are appropriate. btv technologies therefore aligns the protection concept with the specific bill of materials, intended use and relevant risk profile.
Your Components Deserve Protection That Thinks Ahead
Would you like to assess which components in your bill of materials should be protected over the long term? Together, we look at component type, intended storage period, product lifetime and protection requirements – and identify the storage strategy that fits your inventory.
Frequently asked questions on long-term storage for electronic components
btv Standard Storage is designed for planned storage periods of up to approximately two years. It already provides controlled storage conditions, ESD protection and fire protection measures.
Long-Term Storage adds further protective measures for longer periods, including nitrogen atmosphere, vacuum sealing, regular repacking, agreed test concepts and documented protection cycles. The objective is not only to keep components available, but also to support their processability throughout the agreed storage period.
Long-Term Preservation primarily describes measures designed to protect components from external influences, such as vacuum packaging, nitrogen atmosphere, desiccant or moisture protection.
Long-Term Storage goes further by covering the complete process: goods-in inspection, controlled storage conditions, defined repacking cycles, possible power cycling and functional testing, as well as traceability of storage movements and process steps.
btv Standard Storage is designed for a horizon of up to approximately two years. Long-Term Storage typically covers three to 15 years. For particularly long-term requirements, btv LONGEVITY® is available with a storage horizon of over 50 years.
The appropriate storage period depends on factors such as component type, packaging, application, protection requirements and intended use.
btv technologies operates two storage locations in Germany: the logistics hub in Werl with 6,000 m² of storage space, three independent fire compartments and an AutoStore system, as well as the company headquarters in Unna with a further 20,000 storage locations.
Both locations operate independently. Together, they form a redundant storage structure for critical inventory and enable storage capacities and protection concepts to be aligned with the requirements of the respective project.
Suitability depends on factors such as component type, packaging, material, application and intended storage duration. It also matters whether the item is an individual component, a circuit board or a control unit.
Suitability and the appropriate protection tier should therefore be assessed before storage intake, based on the specific bill of materials, product lifetime and relevant risk profile.
Electrolytic capacitors in control units and other electronic assemblies can lose functionality during long periods without power. Over time, the oxide layer of the dielectric can degrade. This can lead to increased leakage currents and, in unfavourable cases, affect the function of the assembly.
Regular, documented power cycling supports the reformation of this oxide layer and can help maintain the functionality of an assembly throughout the intended storage period. At btv technologies, an appropriate power-cycling and functional-testing concept can be agreed as part of btv LONGEVITY®.
