ESD Solutions for Assembly and Repair

Static electricity, the buildup of electrical charges on the surface of an object or material, is a serious problem. Significant risks occur when large charges accumulate in the presence of sensitive materials or devices. These charges cause damage to electronic equipment. TESSCO carries antistatic products plus everything else you need for your workstation, including the bench.

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ESD Damage Costs the Electronics Industry Billions of Dollars Each Year

Fundamentals of Electrostatic Discharge

Courtesy of the ESD Association

To many people, static electricity is little more than the shock experienced when touching a metal doorknob after walking across a carpeted room or sliding across a car seat. However, static electricity has been a serious industrial problem for centuries. As early as the 1400's, European and Caribbean forts were using static control procedures and devices to prevent electrostatic discharge ignition of black powder stores...
[Continue Reading on ESD Association's web site]

Let TESSCO Help You Keep Your Work Environment Static Free to Avoid Costly Damage

These static tips, provided by 3M Electronics and the ESD Association, will help control static electricity and electrostatic discharge (ESD). Keep your work environment static free to avoid costly damage.

Wrist Straps

• The most common cause of wrist strap failure is poor fit.
• Never use a wrist strap if the AC equals or exceeds 250 volts.
• It doesn’t matter on which arm the wrist band is worn.

Using Testers

• It doesn’t matter which hand is used to press the test paddle on a wrist strap.
• The person using a static meter must be grounded even when a meter is “zeroed out” before use.
• Test shoe straps and footwear one foot at a time.

Static Bags

• NEVER use a static bag as a “potholder” or tray to carry a board or assembly!
• Always close a static bag but never with a staple (tapes, labels, heat sealing, rubber
  bands, etc. are safe).
• Holes in the static bag do NOT affect its shielding unless the parts protrude.

Hand and Power Tools

• Use a three-prong ground type AC plug for electrical tools and equipment.
• Use ESD safe hand tools together with an ESD work surface and wrist straps for safe controlled dissipation of static buildup.

Cleaners and Antistats

• Use ionized or topical antistats to control generation and accumulation of static on
  insulated materials.

Table Mats

• The table mat should be connected to a “third wire” electrical ground (not a water pipe or building ground).
• Do not clean a static mat with any cleaner containing wax.
• Clean a static mat once a month for maximum performance.

For more information contact TESSCO
at 800-472-7373 or email us today.

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