Which dry cabinet fits? How to choose humidity, size and equipment

A dry cabinet for moisture-sensitive devices (MSD) is an investment for many years. Choosing the wrong humidity class or size is annoying later. This guide shows which questions to clarify before you buy and gives guideline values from the datasheets of our cabinets.

1) Which humidity do you need?

For standard MSD, < 5% RH is usually sufficient. According to the manufacturer's datasheet, an X2B cabinet then meets the storage requirements of IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033. Choose < 1% RH if your component manufacturers or customers require it.

2) Which size is right?

The size depends on the number of reels, the reel size and the tape width. The following are guideline values for upright 7-inch reels with narrow tapes (8 to 12 mm), rounded down:

With 13-inch reels and wider tapes the number drops considerably because fewer levels are usable and the reels need more space. Also plan some reserve for growth. We confirm the exact loading with you before every quote. With the selection guide you get a recommendation for your number of reels in a few clicks.

3) Does it need to bake?

If components have exceeded their floor life, they must be baked before soldering. If you need this regularly, a baking dry cabinet of the T series (T50A, T70A) saves a separate oven and lets you keep the components dry in the same cabinet after baking. How baking works is described in our article Storing MSD correctly under IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033.

4) How important is documentation?

In quality assurance, auditors often want to know under which conditions components were stored. The cabinets offer an alarm function when limits are exceeded and a reminder to calibrate the hygrometer after 365 days. Data loggers and software record humidity and temperature. IoT variants (for F1 and X2B) are available for remote monitoring and should be clarified if you want to evaluate data centrally.

5) Which accessories are worthwhile?

• Drawers for reels (54 pieces of 7" or 27 pieces of 13" per drawer), PCBs and small parts: quick access and clear order.
• Nitrogen filling module with flow meter if the cabinet is also to be purged with nitrogen.
• Data logger and flash alarm for documentation and quick warning.
• Colorful storage bins for small parts and work documents.

We clarify which accessories fit your model when you inquire.

6) Installation and operation

The cabinets run on 110 V or 230 V (to be specified in advance) and have wheels with brakes. According to the datasheets they perform best at room temperatures up to 25 to 30 °C and at most 50 to 60% relative humidity; the exact figures are in the respective datasheet. Open the door only when necessary: after 30 seconds of opening, an X2B cabinet returns to below 10% RH within 15 minutes and below 5% RH within 30 minutes according to the datasheet.

Checklist: questions to answer

• Which humidity do component manufacturers and customers require?
• How many reels, which reel size and which tape widths do you store?
• Do you want to bake as well or only store dry?
• Do you need an alarm, data recording or remote monitoring?
• Which drawers or accessories do you want?
• What space and which power connection are available?

Send us your answers and we will recommend the right model: info@smt-sander.de. You can find all cabinets on the dry cabinets page.

Note: The reel numbers are guideline values and do not replace advice. The datasheets and the component manufacturers' specifications are decisive. As of: 16.10.2026.