Develop an Excellent ESD Control Program for Your Facility

ESD Standards

ESD Standard Information

Z-Mar Technology specializes in static control and ESD protection for electronics manufacturing. We have ESD certified engineers, technicians, and other specialists to help enhance your ESD control program to be in compliance with ANSI/ESD S20.20-2014.

Z-Mar representatives can perform an ESD audit at your facility and verify that you are in accordance with ANSI/ESD S20.20. We can also provide training to ensure that your ESD control products are being used properly.

Many find our ESD audits helpful prior to an upcoming customer or ISO audit. Our written report can help improve your productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

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JESD625-A Standard - Registration required
ANSI/ESD, S20.20-2014 Standards - Registration required

Why We Use ESD Standards

  • ESD standards help ensure consistency of the reported susceptibility of ESD-sensitive products.
  • ESD standards help ensure consistency of ESD control products and services.
  • ESD standards provide a means of objective evaluation and comparison among competitive ESD control products.
  • Reduction in conflicts between users and suppliers of ESD control products.
  • ESD standards are crucial in developing, implementing, auditing, and certifying ESD control programs.
  • ESD standards are also beneficial to reducing confusion in the Marketplace.

Importance of Training and Audit Programs

Training

  • 1 All employees benefit from successful training and audits, from assembly line employees to executive personnel. These programs are a necessity for a successful ESD environment.
  • 2 Effective training reduces confusion and helps assure conformance. A thorough, detailed ESD control program is crucial to identify each employee's role within the plan.
  • 3 All organizations are different, and each adapts to different methods. Choosing the correct method, from videos, live instruction, to interactive programs will be beneficial to your organization. Involving employees in this process will be most effective. Knowledgeable personnel should be available to instruct trainee questions.
  • 4 Training is Imperative. Establishing a system to retrain is also important to reinforce, remind, and provide opportunities to implement improved procedures.
  • 5 Feedback. Sharing productive data throughout the organization will demonstrate an effective ESD control program. Identifying and measuring performance goals will implement success.

Auditing

The benefits to be gained from regular auditing procedures are numerous.

  • Preventing problems before they occur rather than always fighting issues.
  • Audits allow problems to be identified and corrected.
  • Audits identify areas in which ESD control programs are weak and provide data for continual improvement.
  • Effective for leveraging limited resources.
  • Determines when employees need to be retrained.
  • Help improve yields, productivity, and capacity.
  • Auditing helps bind ESD programs into a successful effort.

ESD Facts

It's the sudden transfer (discharge) of electricity from one object to another. ESD is commonly known as "static electricity." Here are some examples:

  • Lightning
  • The "shock" you sometimes feel in the winter when you walk across a carpet and touch a doorknob
  • The crackling and sparks when you remove clothes from your dryer

ESD seems harmless, but it can damage electronic components (parts) and assemblies.

ESD usually results when two objects touch, rub, or slide together, or are separated. Even two charged objects coming close together--without touching--can cause ESD.
ESD is often caused by people.

  • Your body easily picks up charge (electrons).
  • Your skin, hair, and body can store relatively large amounts of static charge.
  • You can transfer (discharge) this electrical charge to components or assemblies - causing ESD damage.
  • Even a tiny charge of electricity -- one that you can't see, hear or feel -- is as damaging as a bolt of lightning to components and assemblies.

Three Rules to Follow

  • Assume that all components and assemblies are sensitive to ESD. If you have any questions, ask your ESD control coordinators.
  • Handle ESD-sensitive items only when you are properly grounded at a static-safe work area.
  • Store and transport ESD-sensitive items in static shielding containers.

Unfortunately, yes. However, ESD damage can be significantly reduced if everyone follows proper ESD control procedures.

The amount of static is measured using an Electrostatic Field Meter. Z-mar has a variety of Field Meters available.

The conductive range is from 10^0 - 10^5.
The dissipative range begins at 10^5 and goes to 10^12.
At this point (10^12), the insulative range begins.

An insulator is any material that prevents the flow of electrons.

Silver static shielding bags offer a metalized layer called a Faraday cage that shields the contents from a static charge. An anti-static bag is made of a neutral material that does not generate nor shield from static.

The ANSI S20.20 standard says that an insulator must be a minimum of 12". An easy measurement to determine a good distance is an arm's length.

All of these products are insulators and really should not be present at an ESD-safe workstation, however, if they MUST be there, then it is necessary they be kept a minimum of 12" away from ESD devices.

Anti-static tape is made especially for use in controlling static around ESDS devices. It does not generate a static charge, unlike other tapes. These tapes include Scotch and Kapton tapes.

If you are measuring the surface resistivity of an object, then use a Surface Resistivity Meter. Some call it a Megger or a Megohmmeter. Z-mar offers these meters.