ESD Control Program
ESD Control Program
(OP)
I'm a QC Tech for a Communications Equipment Assembly plant in Connecticut, responsible for the ESD Training Program, which I've been teaching for a while now.
Recently a question was raised that begged an answer that I am unsure of:
Employees who are working at a properly designed ESD Workstation, who are wearing their wrist straps and ankle straps, can still accumulate electrical charges on their body?
Although I tend to agree that additional ESD potential can still be possible:
1. Doesn't this imply that our wrist straps and ankle
straps are inferior, or at the very least insufficient
with regard to truly "grounding" the employee?
2. Wouldn't this be a good justification for Ionizers
even if they ARE $800.00 a pop?
3. Shouldn't there be an additional effort to ground
any of the computers, analyzers, meters, electric
screwdrivers, etc..beyond just having them plugged
into the common ground?
Suggestions, ideas, imput??????
-soupy1957
Recently a question was raised that begged an answer that I am unsure of:
Employees who are working at a properly designed ESD Workstation, who are wearing their wrist straps and ankle straps, can still accumulate electrical charges on their body?
Although I tend to agree that additional ESD potential can still be possible:
1. Doesn't this imply that our wrist straps and ankle
straps are inferior, or at the very least insufficient
with regard to truly "grounding" the employee?
2. Wouldn't this be a good justification for Ionizers
even if they ARE $800.00 a pop?
3. Shouldn't there be an additional effort to ground
any of the computers, analyzers, meters, electric
screwdrivers, etc..beyond just having them plugged
into the common ground?
Suggestions, ideas, imput??????
-soupy1957





RE: ESD Control Program
Ionizers are probably good for ensuring that charge buildup is further minimized.
User equipment tends to be more robust than unpackaged circuit boards, since there's usually much more capacitance to spread the charge across, thereby limiting the ESD voltage.
TTFN
RE: ESD Control Program
RE: ESD Control Program
Seats that are grounded, and that are using leather instaad of synthetic materials is a good thing to do. As with cotton, leather will not generate ESD with humidity levels over 30%.
In Canada, during cold winter days the humidity drops to very low levels. A humidifier has been added to the forced air heating system.
RE: ESD Control Program
RE: ESD Control Program
2. Nylon lab coats (etc.) are the worse.
3. Buy the Electronic Assembly Hand Lotion. And buy the disposible assembly (Cotton?) gloves.
4. Buy good wrist straps. etc. (3M). There is some real junk available for the unwairy.
5. Add the humifier to the HVAC first before Ionizers. Some people are really sensitive to Ozone.
RE: ESD Control Program
There's a safety issue here: we are trying to bleed charge away not provide a solid ground.
Solid grounds are dangerous in the event of a fault ocurring that makes something in the workstation live...
RE: ESD Control Program
Currently, our arsenol of safety gear consists of the Blue Nylon Coats; gloves; wrist straps; ankle straps or ESD shoes; Blue mats on the ESD Table, (grounded of course) and in some cases floor mats; Carts with chains dragging on an ESD paint floor; Conductive cream; Constant monitors; Test stations for testing the Ankle straps and wrist straps (daily)......
I'm in Connecticut, as I indicated, so although we have an A/C control to our facility, it is constantly compromised, and we DO get some fairly significant humidity during the year.
"Thanks" again, as I stated......
-Soupy1957