Board A+ Grade (Industrial and enterprise Board) buying scrap price

Introduction, Construction, Components, and Recycling Value

This distinction is important. A circuit board does not receive A+ Grade pricing simply because it carries a well-known industrial brand, comes from expensive equipment, or has a particular model number. The board must satisfy the physical, structural, component-density, application, and condition requirements of the A+ Grade classification. Likewise, an unfamiliar or discontinued board may still qualify for A+ Grade pricing when its construction and component characteristics meet the required standard.

Typical A+ Grade materials include:

• PLC CPU boards

• CNC machine control boards

• Industrial control boards

• Industrial Ethernet and process-control communication boards

• Telecom switching and industrial network boards

• Robotics control boards

• Medical equipment control boards

• Apple laptop logic boards

• SATA hard drive controller boards

• WiFi and M.2 boards with gold-plated edge contacts

• Large multi-processor server motherboards with two or more qualifying CPU sockets

• Full integrated-circuit boards with exceptionally high IC coverage

• Selected middle-grade telecommunications boards

A+ Grade boards are normally manufactured for stable operation, accurate signal processing, continuous industrial use, or mission-critical equipment control. As a result, they often use multilayer printed circuit board construction, carefully controlled impedance traces, dense semiconductor placement, reinforced power-delivery circuits, high-quality connectors, industrial communication interfaces, and durable solder assemblies.

A+ Grade boards may contain several types of valuable electronic components, including:

• Microprocessors and industrial CPUs

• Digital signal processors

• Field-programmable gate arrays

• Application-specific integrated circuits

• Memory chips

• Communication controllers

• Network processors

• Programmable logic devices

• Large BGA semiconductor packages

• Gold-plated edge connectors

• High-density board-to-board connectors

• Relay and interface circuits

• Voltage-regulation modules

• Oscillators and timing components

• Multilayer ceramic capacitors

• Industrial I/O interfaces

• Non-metal CPU sockets

• Specialized control and communication ports

The recycling value of an A+ Grade board is created by the combination of recoverable metals, semiconductor density, connector quality, PCB complexity, and industrial application. Copper is usually the largest recoverable metal by weight and is present in internal PCB layers, traces, power planes, inductors, transformers, connector pins, and grounding circuits.

Gold may be found on edge contacts, connector contacts, CPU socket contacts, internal connector surfaces, selected relay contacts, plated pins, and microscopic semiconductor bond wires. Silver may be present in solder alloys, contacts, switches, relays, and selected electronic components. Palladium may occur in certain multilayer ceramic capacitors and specialized components, while nickel, tin, aluminum, iron, and other metals are also recovered during professional processing.

However, A+ Grade value should not be judged by visible gold alone. Many high-value industrial boards contain limited visible gold plating but have a high concentration of valuable integrated circuits, multilayer construction, premium connectors, industrial processors, and recoverable metals distributed throughout the board. A visually simple small PLC CPU board may therefore have greater recycling value than a much larger low-density appliance control board.

The purchase price is based on the board’s final verified grade. All boards that satisfy the official A+ Grade requirements are purchased according to the applicable A+ Grade price, regardless of whether they are Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Mitsubishi Electric, Omron, Fanuc, ABB, Honeywell, Rockwell Automation, Yaskawa Electric, Schneider Electric, Apple, or another recognized or lesser-known manufacturer.

Brand and model information can assist identification, but they do not replace physical inspection.

Ohata A+ Grade Classification and Identification Guide

Ohata classifies A+ Grade as an advanced industrial and enterprise circuit board category. These boards usually have stronger component density, more specialized functions, higher-quality construction, and greater expected recycling value than ordinary computer motherboards, consumer peripheral boards, and appliance control boards.

The first step in identifying an A+ Grade board is to determine its original application. Boards removed from industrial automation, manufacturing equipment, CNC machines, PLC systems, robotics, medical systems, industrial networking equipment, and professional telecommunications hardware are strong A+ Grade candidates.

Common qualifying manufacturers include:

• Allen-Bradley

• Siemens

• Mitsubishi Electric

• Omron

• Fanuc

• Honeywell

• Rockwell Automation

• ABB

• Yaskawa Electric

• Schneider Electric

A manufacturer name alone does not guarantee the grade. These companies produce many different products, including high-density processor boards, communication boards, power boards, simple terminal boards, display boards, backplanes, and low-component interface boards. Only boards that meet the A+ Grade construction and component requirements should be placed in this category.

PLC Boards

Qualifying PLC materials usually include CPU modules, processor boards, high-density communication boards, motion-control boards, and advanced industrial network controllers. A PLC power-supply board, empty terminal board, simple relay board, or low-density I/O board may not qualify for A+ Grade.

A qualifying PLC CPU board commonly contains a main processor, memory chips, programmable devices, communication controllers, numerous integrated circuits, industrial connectors, and multilayer PCB construction. The processor and major semiconductor packages should remain installed unless a specific exception has been approved.

CNC Control Boards

Fanuc CNC, Siemens CNC, Mitsubishi CNC, and other machine-control boards may qualify when they perform central processing, axis control, servo communication, data processing, memory control, or machine-network functions.

CNC boards frequently contain industrial CPUs, memory devices, custom ASICs, FPGAs, communication processors, large connectors, and dense support circuitry. Simple operator-panel boards, power boards, stripped boards, and heavily damaged interface boards should not automatically be treated as A+ Grade.

Telecom Switching and Industrial Network Boards

Industrial Ethernet controllers, SCADA communication boards, process-control network cards, telecom switching boards, and professional communication boards may qualify when they contain substantial semiconductor coverage and advanced communication circuitry.

These boards may include network processors, transceivers, optical-interface controllers, memory, switching chips, programmable devices, isolation components, and multiple high-quality connectors. Low-density modem boards, simple media converters, basic telephone boards, and ordinary consumer routers normally fall below A+ Grade unless their construction clearly satisfies the required standard.

Large Multi-CPU Server Motherboards

A large server motherboard may qualify when it has two or more appropriate processor sockets and advanced enterprise construction. The CPU socket condition described in the Ohata inspection standard includes large non-metal socket structures measuring approximately 5 cm × 5 cm or larger.

The presence of two sockets alone is not sufficient. Inspectors should also consider board size, socket type, integrated-circuit density, memory slots, server chipsets, power-delivery sections, enterprise connectors, and overall construction.

Modern server boards with extensive metal CPU retention hardware may require separate grading according to the detailed socket and server-board rules. Metal socket covers, attached heatsinks, excessive steel, and lower-value modern layouts can affect the final classification.

Full IC Boards

A board with integrated-circuit coverage above approximately 90 percent may qualify as A+ Grade when the board is genuinely populated with functional electronic packages rather than empty footprints, shielding plates, plastic housings, or low-value passive components.

The term “full IC board” refers to exceptional semiconductor density. The board should be substantially covered with ICs, BGA packages, memory, processors, programmable devices, and other valuable electronic components.

Apple Laptop Logic Boards

Apple laptop logic boards are recognized as A+ Grade candidates because of their compact multilayer construction, dense semiconductor placement, BGA processors, memory packages, power-control ICs, and high-quality connectors. The board must remain substantially complete. Missing processors, removed chipsets, large stripped areas, or severe physical damage may result in rejection or downgrading.

SATA HDD and Small Gold-Finger Boards

SATA hard drive controller boards and selected WiFi or M.2 boards with gold fingers may be included within the A+ Grade system. These are smaller than most industrial control boards, but their board type, gold-plated contacts, dense IC layout, and standardized recycling characteristics allow them to be classified under the applicable A+ purchasing category.

They should be separated from ordinary mixed low-grade peripheral boards, plastic housings, hard drive bodies, steel brackets, and unrelated e-waste.

Recoverable Materials, Buying Standards, and Handling

Ohata purchases A+ Grade circuit boards for professional material recovery. Working condition is generally not the main requirement. A board may be functional, defective, obsolete, untested, or removed from decommissioned equipment. Its recycling grade is determined primarily by construction, component content, completeness, cleanliness, and conformity with the buying standard.

Recoverable Materials

The principal recoverable material is usually copper. High-quality industrial boards may contain many internal copper layers, large grounding planes, reinforced power circuits, heavy traces, transformers, inductors, and copper-bearing connectors.

Gold-bearing areas may include:

• Gold-plated edge fingers

• CPU socket contacts

• Memory and expansion connectors

• Industrial backplane connectors

• Communication ports

• Board-to-board connectors

• Selected plated pins

• Relay and switch contacts

• Semiconductor bond wires

Silver can be recovered from selected solder alloys, contacts, relays, switches, and electronic components. Palladium may be present in multilayer ceramic capacitors and specialized electronic packages. Nickel and tin are commonly used as plating, barrier, connector, and solder materials.

Professional recyclers assess the whole board rather than attempting to value individual visible components. Removing chips or cutting off gold-bearing sections usually reduces the board’s grade and can destroy its original classification.

Buying Standards

For A+ Grade pricing, the boards should be:

• Substantially complete

• Properly identified or sortable

• Clean and dry

• Free from mud, oil, chemicals, and hazardous substances

• Free from severe fire damage or carbonization

• Free from excessive corrosion

• Free from large missing board sections

• Free from deliberate depopulation

• Separated from lower-grade boards

• Stripped of unnecessary batteries, housings, fans, and heavy metal attachments where required

Processors, BGA chipsets, memory packages, industrial controllers, and major ICs should not be removed. Boards with removed chipset ICs, scraped semiconductor areas, missing gold fingers, or extensive component harvesting may be downgraded or rejected.

A board that has been cut, crushed, broken into pieces, burned, chemically treated, or mechanically stripped cannot be assumed to retain its original A+ Grade. Physical damage makes identification difficult and may reduce recoverable yield.

Attachments and Foreign Materials

Sellers should remove unnecessary materials whenever practical, including:

• Steel chassis parts

• Large aluminum heatsinks

• Cooling fans

• Plastic covers

• Cable assemblies

• Batteries

• LCD panels

• Heavy transformers not forming part of the board

• Mounting frames

• Excessive screws and brackets

Small original connectors and permanently installed electronic components should remain attached. Sellers should not damage the PCB merely to remove a minor attachment.

Batteries require special attention. Lithium batteries, leaking backup batteries, and corroded battery packs should be separated safely. Boards contaminated by battery leakage may be downgraded or rejected depending on severity.

Sorting and Shipment

Different recycling grades should be packed separately. A+ Grade boards should not be mixed with A Grade laptop motherboards, B Grade desktop boards, C Grade trimmed cards, appliance boards, power-supply boards, or loose electronic waste.

Mixed loads create additional inspection and sorting work. When different grades or board types are mixed together, the shipment may be downgraded, individually sorted, or valued according to the lowest practical recoverable category.

Boards should be packed flat in strong containers. Large boards should be protected from bending and breakage. Small WiFi, M.2, and SATA HDD boards should be packed in sealed bags or small cartons so that they are not lost during handling.

Commercial sellers should provide clear photographs before shipping large quantities. Useful photographs include:

• Full top-side views

• Full back-side views

• Close-ups of processors and major ICs

• Connector and gold-finger areas

• Model labels

• Representative views of the complete lot

• Images showing contamination or damage

Preliminary identification from photographs is helpful, but final grading is based on physical inspection after receiving, sorting, and weighing the material.

Comparison and Official Ohata Classification

A+ Grade sits below the highest premium telecom and legacy precious-metal categories, but above most standard computer and consumer electronic boards.

A+ Grade Compared with SS Grade

SS Grade generally includes very high-value telecommunications and enterprise communication boards, such as advanced network switch control boards, fiber-optic communication boards, cellular base-station boards, and dense telecom processing boards.

These boards may contain multiple large BGA processors, exceptionally high component density, premium backplane connectors, and more advanced communication circuitry than typical A+ industrial boards.

A middle-grade telecom or industrial communication board may qualify as A+, while an exceptionally dense advanced telecom switching board may qualify as SS Grade.

A+ Grade Compared with S Grade

S Grade is commonly associated with legacy high-value computer boards containing multiple ceramic processors, abundant gold edge connectors, or other historically precious-metal-rich construction.

A+ Grade does not require three or more ceramic CPUs. Its value is based more heavily on advanced industrial function, dense integrated circuits, multilayer construction, specialized processors, and professional control applications.

A+ Grade Compared with A Grade

A Grade normally includes non-Apple laptop motherboards, large single-socket server motherboards, clean gold-finger expansion cards, backplane boards, and other high-grade computer boards.

The main difference is that A+ Grade generally represents greater industrial specialization, denser semiconductor content, multiple qualifying CPU sockets, Apple laptop logic-board construction, or advanced control and communication functions.

A standard non-Apple laptop motherboard may be A Grade, while a complete Apple laptop logic board may qualify as A+. A large single-socket server motherboard may be A Grade, while a qualifying multi-socket server motherboard may be A+.

A+ Grade Compared with B Grade and Lower Grades

B Grade boards may still contain useful processors, connectors, copper, and integrated circuits, but they generally have lower semiconductor density, lower precious-metal concentration, simpler construction, or less valuable socket and connector designs.

Ordinary desktop motherboards, lower-grade telecom boards, consumer peripheral cards, appliance boards, and low-density control boards should not be upgraded to A+ solely because they are large or originate from commercial equipment.

Official Ohata Classification Statement

Ohata A+ Grade is an official recycling and purchasing category for advanced industrial, enterprise, computer, telecom, medical, robotic, PLC, and CNC circuit boards that satisfy the applicable construction, component, completeness, and condition requirements.

The grade is not restricted to one photograph, manufacturer, part number, production year, or equipment model. Any circuit board that passes inspection and meets the Ohata A+ Grade standard may be purchased at the applicable A+ Grade price.

Conversely, a board associated with a recognized A+ product family may be downgraded or rejected when it is incomplete, stripped, contaminated, severely damaged, burned, mixed with lower-grade material, or inconsistent with the required physical characteristics.

Final classification is determined by Ohata inspection based on:

• Original application

• PCB construction

• Processor and IC density

• Socket and connector type

• Gold-bearing contact areas

• Recoverable material content

• Board completeness

• Cleanliness

• Physical condition

• Presence of foreign attachments

• Consistency of the shipment

The purpose of the Ohata classification system is to provide a consistent, transparent, and practical method for buying scrap circuit boards. Sellers receive pricing based on verified material quality rather than assumptions based only on brand names or equipment value.

When properly sorted and supplied in complete, clean condition, A+ Grade circuit boards represent an important source of recoverable copper, gold, silver, palladium, tin, nickel, and reusable industrial materials. Accurate identification protects the value of high-grade boards, improves processing efficiency, and supports responsible electronic-waste recycling.

View more Ohata's circuit board recycling classifications

Board SS Grade (high value telecom Board)

Board S Grade (high-end computer Board)

Board A+ Grade (Industrial and enterprise Board)

Board A Grade (premium computer Board)

Board B Grade (medium value board)

Board C Grade (Lower Premium Board)

Board D Grade (Lower computer Board)