# IPC-A-610 Class 1, 2 and 3 Reference Table

> Source: https://netray.co/tools/ipc-a-610-acceptability-class-reference-table
> Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems.
> Section: Free Tools

## Short answer

A searchable reference of how IPC-A-610 Class 1, 2 and 3 differ in intent, service expectation and how conditions are labeled, for contract reviews and inspector briefings.

## Category

industry-templates

## Industry

Defense Electronics

## Audience

- Quality engineer
- IPC inspector
- EMS program manager

## Tool

**Kind:** worksheet

**Mode:** reference

**Columns:**

#### Topic

**Key:** topic

**Type:** text

#### Class 1 (General)

**Key:** c1

**Type:** text

#### Class 2 (Dedicated service)

**Key:** c2

**Type:** text

#### Class 3 (High performance)

**Key:** c3

**Type:** text

**Rows:**

#### Product definition

**C1:** General electronic products

**C2:** Dedicated service electronic products

**C3:** High performance / harsh environment electronic products

#### Primary requirement

**C1:** Function of the completed assembly

**C2:** Continued performance and extended life

**C3:** Continued high performance or performance on demand

#### Downtime tolerance

**C1:** Failure is an inconvenience

**C2:** Uninterrupted service desired but not critical

**C3:** Equipment downtime cannot be tolerated

#### Typical end use

**C1:** Consumer and low-cost products with limited life

**C2:** Communications, business machines, instruments, industrial controls

**C3:** Aerospace, defense, medical life support, critical infrastructure

#### Operating environment

**C1:** Benign

**C2:** Normal, not expected to fail from environment

**C3:** Uncommonly harsh, must not fail under stress

#### Who sets the class

**C1:** The customer, on the drawing or purchase order

**C2:** The customer, on the drawing or purchase order

**C3:** The customer, on the drawing or purchase order

#### If no class is stated

**C1:** Not assumed

**C2:** Not assumed, ask the customer in writing

**C3:** Not assumed, ask the customer in writing

#### Strictness trend

**C1:** Widest allowances

**C2:** Tighter than Class 1

**C3:** Tightest allowances on most criteria

#### Same condition, different class

**C1:** May be Acceptable

**C2:** May be Acceptable or a Defect

**C3:** Often a Defect

#### Condition label: Target

**C1:** Near-perfect, ideal result

**C2:** Near-perfect, ideal result

**C3:** Near-perfect, ideal result

#### Condition label: Acceptable

**C1:** Meets the class without being ideal

**C2:** Meets the class without being ideal

**C3:** Meets the class without being ideal

#### Condition label: Defect

**C1:** Insufficient to ensure form, fit or function

**C2:** Insufficient to ensure form, fit or function

**C3:** Insufficient to ensure form, fit or function

#### Condition label: Process Indicator

**C1:** Not a defect, trend to watch

**C2:** Not a defect, trend to watch

**C3:** Not a defect, trend to watch

#### Process Indicator handling

**C1:** Record and monitor, no rework required

**C2:** Record and monitor, no rework required

**C3:** Record and monitor, no rework required

#### Disposition of a Defect

**C1:** Rework, repair, use-as-is or scrap per customer

**C2:** Rework, repair, use-as-is or scrap per customer

**C3:** Rework, repair, use-as-is or scrap per customer

#### Related workmanship standard

**C1:** J-STD-001 for process requirements

**C2:** J-STD-001 for process requirements

**C3:** J-STD-001 for process requirements

#### Related inspection tool

**C1:** Visual, magnification per standard

**C2:** Visual, magnification per standard

**C3:** Visual, magnification per standard, AOI as support

#### Space and military add-ons

**C1:** Not applicable

**C2:** Not applicable

**C3:** Addendum requirements may apply when the contract invokes them

#### Typical audit evidence

**C1:** Inspection records

**C2:** Inspection records, trained inspectors

**C3:** Inspection records, certified inspectors, traceability

#### Training expectation

**C1:** Operator awareness

**C2:** Trained inspectors

**C3:** Certified IPC specialists commonly requested by primes

**Notes:** This table summarizes the intent of each class and the condition labels. It does not reproduce the standard. Numeric acceptance limits (fill percentages, wetting angles, lead protrusion) change by revision, so always read them from your licensed copy of IPC-A-610 at the revision your contract names.

## Content

**Intro:** IPC-A-610 is the workmanship acceptance standard for electronic assemblies, and the class on your drawing decides how strict every inspection call is. This table lays out what the three classes mean so engineers, buyers and inspectors use the same words.

**Sections:**

#### How to use the table

**Body:** Type a word in the search box such as defect, Class 3 or training to filter rows. Read across a row to see how the class changes the expectation. Use the export buttons to create a one-page brief for new inspectors or to attach to a quote review. The class is always set by the customer, so the first row of any program kickoff should be confirming it in writing against the purchase order and drawing notes.

#### What the three classes actually mean

**Body:** Class 1 is for products where the assembly simply has to work. Class 2 is for products that must keep working for an extended life, such as industrial controls and telecom equipment. Class 3 is for products where failure is unacceptable, which covers most defense, aerospace and life-support electronics. The classes are not quality levels of your shop. They are the customer's statement of risk.

**Bullets:**

- Class 3 is not simply Class 2 plus a margin: some criteria are identical across classes
- The same visual condition can be Acceptable in Class 2 and a Defect in Class 3
- A product may mix classes by assembly only if the drawing says so

#### Target, Acceptable, Defect and Process Indicator

**Body:** Every illustrated condition in the standard carries a label. Target is the ideal. Acceptable meets the class. Defect fails it and needs a disposition. A Process Indicator is not a defect, but a rising count of them means the process is drifting. Smart shops log process indicators in the same defect log they use for defects so they can see trends before rejects appear.

#### Common mistakes

**Body:** The most common error is inspecting to Class 2 because that is what the shop usually builds, when the contract says Class 3. The second is mixing up IPC-A-610, which is the acceptance standard, with J-STD-001, which defines the process requirements. The third is using an old revision after the contract has moved on. Record the revision and class on every traveler.

**Bullets:**

- Confirm class and revision on the PO, not from memory
- Keep the licensed standard at each inspection station
- Train and certify inspectors for the class you build

**Cta:** If your ERP carries the IPC class on the part or work order, Netray can show it on travelers and inspection plans automatically. Ask for a short review of how your quality data flows.

**Faq:**

#### Who decides which IPC-A-610 class applies?

**Answer:** The customer decides and states it on the drawing, purchase order or contract. The manufacturer should not assume a class. If none is given, ask for it in writing before building, because it changes inspection criteria and acceptance decisions.

#### Is Class 3 required for all defense electronics?

**Answer:** Not automatically. Many defense programs specify Class 3, but the contract and drawing control. Some ground-support or non-critical assemblies may be Class 2. Read the contract flow-downs rather than assuming from the industry.

#### What is the difference between IPC-A-610 and J-STD-001?

**Answer:** J-STD-001 sets requirements for how soldered assemblies are made: materials, methods and process controls. IPC-A-610 describes how the finished assembly is judged, with pictures of acceptable and defective conditions. Most shops use both together.

#### Is a Process Indicator a reject?

**Answer:** No. A Process Indicator is a condition that is not a defect but shows the process is not ideal. It should be recorded and monitored so the cause can be corrected, but the assembly is accepted as is.

## Search terms

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