The Why and How of Protection from ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)
The Why and How of Protection from ESD (Electrostatic Discharge)
" Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) is a momentary, unwanted electric current running between two objects. In many types of production facilities ESD can cause major problems such as damaged electronic components, equipment downtime, attracted contaminants, safety concerns and parts handling issues. Each of these can lead to expensive money losses and embarrassing quality problems.
Considerable choice is available in methods to diffuse ESD problems, ranging in investment and suitability for your production environment. The potential of ESD is always present; your countermeasures knowledge, budget and acceptable risk level will determine what means you use to combat it.
The most straightforward method of static control is to have personnel wear wrist straps. These are manufactured with a built-in resistor to block current flow, and can be purchased with a ground cord to ensure unwanted static electricity is given an appropriate exit from the facility. Sole grounders, fitting over shoes, can also be worn. As personnel walk about the facility, static charges-instead of building up-are released into the ground. The best types are employed with a conductive floor material that dissipates electrical charge. Floor mats can be purchased individually, as kits, or in rolls to act as continuous runners. Certain vinyl tile flooring is alternately available to conduct away and dissipate static charges. Similar in nature, laminate sheeting products can be used as a static-dissipating work surface. Grounding hardware such as snaps and adapters, as well as cords which connect mats to ground or to one another, can also be utilized.
Air ionizers are used to blow a stream of ionized air through a workstation, combating the buildup of static charges. However, they are typically employed when non-conductive parts are being worked with. An adaptation of this method is the ionized air gun. Using clean, dry air or nitrogen with antistatic technology, the air gun ionizer loosens particles by neutralizing the static charge on the part, and then blows those particles away.
When parts are being moved between workstations in assembly, or are finished and ready for packaging, a number of products are available to control static. These include bags, labels, tapes, containers, covers and liners that shield the part from static and can resist puncture, moisture, and humidity.
The above ESD countermeasures might be called ""passive"", as they do not provide a feedback loop nor any measure of current conditions. Those below might be called ""active"", as they can provide real-time measurements.
Many different instruments from a number of manufacturers are available to test and monitor workstation grounding and electrostatic conditions. An effective workstation ESD monitor will help you diagnose and troubleshoot any static control issues at a critical location (especially in a clean room), and can be selected for specific part handler/machine types. These will typically measure ionization balance and decay, static voltage, and ESD events. Some can even determine, in the case of an ESD event, which parts have been damaged and indicate these for removal from shipping.
Other types of workstation monitors are grounding testers, checking operator body voltage, whether wrist straps have been plugged in correctly, and if specific work surfaces and tools are properly grounded. An alarm will sound if something is wrong. Some monitors can be programmed to monitor for compliance to certain specifications of your facility.
Both types of devices are quite small and some are portable. Products solely designed for monitoring the grounding of multiple tools and wrist straps at workstations are also available.
The number of options and degree of monitoring available for static control and preventing ESD are extensive. They range from straightforward ""passive"" discharge and grounding methods to ""active"" continuous monitoring technology with Windows-based software feedback. Those suitable for your facility depend on your specific situation (such as if you have a clean room or not), your budget, and the acceptable level of risk you are willing to work with. "
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