ELECTROSTATIC DISCHARGE (ESD), is the spontaneous transfer of this electrostatic charge from one item to another. It can generate heat and melt the circuitry in electronic components.

As little as 100 volts can damage an electronic component. To feel an ESD event it must be 2,000 volts.

As we use more electronic components in more compact designs, our ESD risk increases. The smaller a component, the more sensitive it is, and therefore more likely to be destroyed or damaged by a sudden surge of static charge.

Types of damage:

In a catastrophic failure the component is destroyed. This can normally be detected in an inspection and therefore repaired or replaced. Latent defects pose a more serious problem: a component is damaged but not destroyed, may pass the inspection phase undetected and then be installed in the field.

Early field failure can involve costly repair work for the customer, and a loss of business and reputational damage for the supplier.

One study calculated the repair costs to fix a component failure as:

£7 if the device fails

£70 if the device fails on the board

£700 if the device on the board fails in the system

£7000 if the system fails due to the device on board

ESD controls limit and prevent ESD events, saving you time and money. 

• Identify the types of materials in your ESD protection area, and how to protect them:
  • Conductors (including people) – electrical current passes easily through them, and they can be grounded. See our range here:
    • Personnel grounding devices:
      • Wrist straps
      • Foot grounders
      • Personnel grounding test devices
    • Workstation grounding devices:
      • Dissipative work surfaces (and associated ESD cleaners)
      • Conductive floor mats
      • ESD workstation monitors

   

  • Insulators – electrical current does not flow easily through them, they hold the charge, and cannot be grounded. These items must be removed from the EPA, ‘neutralised’ with ionisers, or replaced with an ESD protective version.
    • Ionisers:
      • Bench top ionisers
      • Neutralizing air nozzles / hand gun
      • Overhead ionisers                 
    • ESD protected products:
      • ESD garments and gloves
      • Conductive foam and shunt bars
      • Conductive and dissipative flooring
      • ESD carpeting, tiles, etc.
      • Dissipative floor finishes
      • Dissipative binders and document protectors
      • ESD workstation equipment
    • • ESD packaging:
        • Bags, boxes, etc.
        • ESD tape
      • ESD material handling containers
      • ESD Field service kit
      • ESD sensitive items – must be shielded when stored or transported outside the EPA.
        • ESD packaging:
          • Bags, boxes, etc.
          • ESD tape
        • ESD material handling containers
        • ESD Field service kit