Board Guy Category: Medium Grade / Industrial Control / Data Logger
 

Notes: Boards commonly found in industrial equipment, automation systems, monitoring hardware, commercial machinery, and specialised electronic devices. Typically contain moderate-to-high component density, multiple ICs, industrial connectors, and layered PCB construction, but generally lack the dense ASIC and BGA populations found in telecom-grade boards.

Overview
 

Medium Grade / Industrial Control boards are used in systems designed for monitoring, automation, machine control, communications, and commercial operations. They are commonly found in industrial equipment, HVAC systems, security hardware, scientific devices, access control systems, and data logging equipment.
 

These boards generally contain a higher concentration of electronic components than standard appliance or power boards, including integrated circuits, communication chips, relays, and surface-mounted components. While not typically as valuable as dense telecom or server boards, they still contain worthwhile recoverable material and often grade well due to board quality and component density.
 

Industrial boards can vary significantly in appearance and value. Some appear visually simple while still containing quality circuitry and multi-layer construction that improves recovery potential.

Identifying a Medium Grade / Industrial Control / Data Logger Board

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Typical features include:

• Moderate-to-high component density

• Multiple integrated circuits or controller chips

• Surface-mounted components across large portions of the board

• Industrial connectors, terminals, or relay banks

• Gold-plated edge connectors or communication ports

• Multi-layer PCB construction

• Occasional conformal coatings for industrial protection
   

Found in automation equipment, PLC systems, commercial machinery, HVAC controls, and monitoring devices.
 

These boards are commonly green, blue, or dark-coloured fibreglass PCBs and are generally more densely populated than consumer appliance boards. They may include a combination of analogue circuitry, digital controllers, communication hardware, and industrial power regulation components.

Preparation for Recycling

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Before selling or recycling:​

 

1. Remove any batteries where practical.

2. Large aluminium heatsinks may be removed if easily detachable.

3. Separate large steel brackets or external housings where possible.

4. Keep boards intact and dry.

5. Do not excessively strip components from the board.
    

Boards with unusually high chip density, large BGAs, or heavy gold connector content may instead qualify for higher telecom or networking grades within The Board Guy system.

 

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