What a factory reel label tells you before you pay

Before you pay, the label on the moisture-barrier bag usually carries more information than the part number does. Every field on it maps to a question worth asking. Below is a walk-through of the actual label on a reel of Marvell 88PG867 in our Shenzhen warehouse.

MSL level and floor life

The CAUTION block at the top is the moisture-sensitivity level.This reel is Level 2, which carries a one-year floor life: once the bag is opened, the parts should be mounted within a year at under 30°C / 60%RH, and past that they need baking per IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033 (the 125°C / 48h step).

So “has the bag been opened” is a real question, not fussiness.If the bag is intact with desiccant and humidity card inside, the floor-life clock has not started. An opened bag is not disqualifying — you just need to know how long ago and how it was stored since.

Two date codes, not one

Assy D/C is the assembly date; Test D/C is the test date.This reel reads Assy 2232 (week 32 of 2022) and Test 08/26/22. A few weeks apart is normal; a year or two apart is worth a question.

There is also an MSL D/C (10/10/22 here) — the bag seal date. Floor life runs from opening, but the seal date tells you how long the parts sat in the bag.

Lot, serial and traceability

Lot/Serial identifies this specific reel.Here it is GFBK0611 0JW1. Together with the part number, quantity and date codes it forms a set you can cross-check: the marking on the parts should agree with the label, and two lot codes on one reel means the reel has been made up from pieces.

Country of Origin is a customs matter, not just provenance.This label says CHINA. Combined with your destination it decides whether you need a certificate of origin and which duty line applies.

The quantity has to reconcile

Bag Qty is the quantity in this bag — 3000 here.It should equal a full reel. The manifest says 3000 pcs/reel, the label says 3000, and the weight is in the same range: three sources agreeing is what makes the number real. Partial reels are perfectly buyable, but the manifest has to say they are partial.

The HF and RoHS marks

This label carries HF (halogen-free) and RoHS marks. They speak to material compliance of the device. They say nothing about whether the goods are new, or whether storage was sound — the bag condition and date codes are what answer that.

What this label cannot tell you

It cannot prove the reel was never repackaged. A genuine label can sit on a reel whose contents were swapped — which is why the label has to be read together with the device marking, the physical count and the bag seal. A seller who will show you the label but not a close-up of the marking is not protecting the goods; they are choosing what you get to see.