What is Electrostatic Discharge?

What is Electrostatic Discharge, or ESD?

Have you ever walked across a fuzzy carpet with socks on, only to touch someone else and have them yell “Ouch! You shocked me!”? Or maybe the kids can be found scooting across the floor in their socks or slippers only to attack you with that bolt of electricity? This is Electrostatic Discharge or ESD, for short. Electrostatic Discharge happens everywhere, all the time, but most of the time, we simply don’t know about it. Just by walking across the carpet, you can generate up to 15,000 volts (or more)!
Imagine what that “shock” could do to an electrical device. Have you ever seen that little blue arc that happens when you shock someone (or yourself)? Depending on different factors, that “little shock” can generate quite a number of volts and has the potential to harm your electronics.
When applying this information to the electronic industry, such as we here at Global Mechtronics serve, you might figure out why ESD might play an important role in our daily work and activities.

Even a small jolt can damage an item such as a printed circuit board.

Since many of the items Global Mechtronics works on come from some type of computerized or automated machine, we know we have to take some precautions to prevent ourselves from “shocking” that item and possibly doing more damage to the equipment.
ESD “events” happen when two materials are in contact and are then separated, and negatively charged electrons move from the surface of the first material to the other. One material will lose electrons and become positively charged, while the other material will gain electrons and become negatively charged. This process is known as the “Triboelectric Charge”.
The strength of the charge will depend on the materials and other factors, such as humidity, and material type. Once the triboelectric charge has been created on the material, it becomes the “electrostatic charge”. Once the Triboelectric charge becomes an electrostatic charge, it creates the “jolt” we feel when we’ve scooted across the carpet and touched our spouse or friends.
You can probably now understand why Global Mechtronics would need to consider ESD when we work. Stay tuned for part two of this series “What can we do to control Electrostatic Discharge?”

What controls Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)? Anti-Electrostatic bags and anti-electrostatic bubble wrap help dissipate the charges that exist in everyday activities such as when we ship items at our jobs, and at our homes. When you walk into a well equipped logistics facility, you can identify the special, anti-static bubble wrap the fact that it is pink. This is the industry’s way of making sure you know a packing item is safe for electronics. If it’s pink, its anti-static.
Grounded wrist straps and floor mats help slow down a discharge when working with your electronics, so even though you might be carrying a charge of some kind, it will dissipate safely, and not affect your equipment. We see and work on tons of parts with exposed electrical components that could be potentially damaged simply by picking the item up.
Other ways to control Electrostatic Discharge:
Ionization – The process for removing or adding particles – is used to neutralize charges on insulating materials, such as common plastics. The process generates negative & positive ions that are attracted to the surface of the charged object, which neutralizes the charge.
Implementing an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Control Program at your job site to familiarize your employees with the precautions and possible “dangers” Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) can have on electronic equipment and parts. (More information can be found on how to form a program at http://esda.org/Documents.html#s2020 You must register for free on their website for the information to become available.)

Avoid wearing clothing made of synthetic fiber. They are likely to contribute to the static charges in the body. Wearing materials of 100% cotton or a blend of cotton/polyester blend at some 50% ratio helps reduce possible “events”.

Using humidifiers in your building, can help prevent further possible “events”.