What should happen to products affected by process indicators?

In the context of IPC-A-610 and the handling of products affected by process indicators, it is critical to understand the implications of those indicators. When products are marked with process indicators, it highlights that a specific aspect of the manufacturing process has been monitored or has reached a certain condition that may warrant review or verification.

Opting to use the products as-is, while ill-considered in this instance, might imply that the indicators do not necessarily indicate a failure or defect but rather serve as alerts that an inspection or verification might be needed. However, this approach overlooks the importance of assessing the impact of those indicators. Compounding this misunderstanding, it can lead to the shipping or use of potentially compromised assemblies, which could affect overall product quality and reliability.

The appropriate action under standard electronic assembly practices is to carefully check affected products for defects. This thorough inspection process can determine if the indicators signify a true concern that necessitates rework or if the product can be accepted as is after validation. Therefore, the emphasis should always be on evaluating the implications of the generated process indicators rather than proceeding blindly with use, which focuses on quality assurance and minimizing risk to the end product.