Assess Component Date Codes Together with Storage and Packaging Evidence

A manufacturing date code is useful traceability information, but it does not describe everything that happened to a component afterward. Recent material can be mishandled, while older material may have remained in controlled packaging. Evaluate the evidence relevant to the actual component and storage history.

TI’s product shelf-life guidance distinguishes its controlled internal storage from customer storage and identifies packaging and moisture sensitivity among relevant factors. Do not extend a manufacturer’s semiconductor policy automatically to connectors, batteries, adhesives, or other component classes.

Identify the rule that actually applies

Read the manufacturer’s instructions for the exact product and package. Check any project-specific age restriction in the purchasing specification separately. An agreed date-code requirement may govern acceptance even when engineering believes the material remains usable; resolve the difference through the responsible approval process.

Record the manufacturing code, receipt date, packaging seal information, and available storage history as distinct fields. Avoid relabeling a recent reseal date as the manufacturing date or assuming that a distributor shipment date resets every relevant exposure clock.

Inspect evidence before disposition

Follow the actual package instructions when interpreting humidity indicators or deciding whether additional conditioning is required. Do not apply one generic bake schedule to every device or carrier. The materials, package, and manufacturer’s handling guidance determine the permitted procedure.

Document uncertainty instead of guessing

1. Separate known records from missing history, including uncertainty about when sealed packaging was first opened and how partial quantities were subsequently stored.
2. Ask the supplier for the specific missing evidence.
3. Determine whether inspection or testing can address the remaining concern.
4. Obtain a documented disposition from the responsible owner.
5. Preserve restrictions when material is released for use.

A visual inspection alone cannot reconstruct unknown storage conditions. Conversely, an old code alone does not identify a particular physical failure mechanism. Additional work should answer the unresolved question rather than simply produce a general pass statement.

Close the review with the basis for acceptance, rejection, or controlled evaluation. Keep the conclusion specific to the identified material and its intended process. The discontinuance planning guide covers the related decision of how much material to hold and how to coordinate that stock with a replacement design.