ESD protection guarantees a safe working environment
Particularly in the electronics industry, work is often carried out in an ESD protected area (EPA) that is protected from static discharge.
To create and maintain an EPA, one needs to pay special attention to furniture and personnel, which need to be grounded. Protection can involve earthing equipment and painting the frame of the workstation with semi-conductive paint. Elbest Kaubandus OÜ, in cooperation with Treston Oy, have extensive experience in developing, manufacturing, supplying, installing and assembling ESD furnishings. All our supplied ESD products are made using special ESD materials (semiconductive plastic and fabrics, electrically semi-conductive paint). We supply furnishings, seats, accessories and earthing components for ESD-protected workstations. All our ESD-protected products meet the requirements specified in the IEC 61340-5-1 standard.
Basic concept of static electricity
The abbreviation ESD stands for Electrostatic Discharge, a process that occurs between two objects of differing electric potential. Normally, electric charges are discharged slowly from objects’ surfaces. If the difference in electric potential becomes too great, the electrical current accelerates resulting in a sudden current surge. An ESD protected area is called an EPA. In an EPA, ESD protection must be observed in all materials, employees’ clothing and air humidity. Employees in an EPA must also be earthed with protective resistance (1 Mohm) to an ESD earth.
Some basic facts of how ESD (electrostatic discharge) can be harmful in electronics industry
Common walking movement of a person creates static electricity. When static carge accumulates, a skin contact with a conductive material will discharge static electricity from the body rapidly. This is ESD = ElectroStatic Discharge. Usually this passes unnoticed because our bodies do not feel discharges below 3000 volts. You can see ESD above 5000 volts as a blue spark.
Static electricity has become a major problem in the electronics industry. The most sensitive electronic components (integrated circuits a.k.a. microchips) may be damaged by a charge of just 30 volts, and many standard components are sensitive to charges of 100...200 volts. The presence of inherent ESD is not easy to detect. Product-related defects can often be latent and become active over time. An unbroken ESD safety chain is essential to guarantee the quality of the final product. An ESD-protected production chain is called an EPA (= ESD Protected Area). Employees must be able to implement the right policies in an ESD protected work environment.
Watch this detailed video about ESD workstation management by TRESTON's ESD specialist Pekka Horsma-aho.
Investing in an EPA is important
There are two types of ESD damage in industrial and technical environments. Firstly, a fatal defect that is usually easily detected during assembly or handling, or at least through product testing. Such products are usually rejected and not delivered to customers. Secondly, another type of ESD damage is latent damage. The latent defects are difficult to detect, the product might pass all tests and might also function normally until the first ESD occurrence by the end customer. Latent damages can also just affect the product to perform poorly or shorten it's life cycle.
Static charge management of EPA
• Basic EPA requirements fulfilled: ESD flooring, grounding points, markings and labelling.
• ESD-protected furniture (benches, chairs, shelves, trolleys etc.). ESD safe storage, moving and packing.
• Personnel protected with ESD clothing (shoes, coats, wrist straps and other relevant ESD accessories).
• Staff training, work instructions and quality control.
• Cleanliness of ESD-protected equipment and EPA. Dust and dirt insulation.
• Commitment to continuous improvement in static electricity management.
Example of an ESD-protected area (EPA)
1. Common point ground
2. ESD floor
3. Semi-conductive table
4. Wrist strap + earth bounding point
5. Chair with ESD castors
6. Semi-conductive ESD shelf
7. Trolley with ESD castors
8. ESD garments (e.g. jacket and shoes)
9. EPA sign
If you have any further questions about ESD and EPA, we will gladly help you. Contact our sales team.
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In industry, uncontrolled static electricity can cause significant problems and material damage. Particularly in the electronics industry, work is often carried out in an ESD protected area (EPA) that is protected from static discharge.
