Finding ESD Storage Solutions
There’s a classic scene that appears, with some variation, in every James Bond film. Bond gets assigned a new mission and he goes to see MI-6’s Quartermaster, or “Q.” Q gives Bond everything he needs to complete the mission, including a few items that seem unusual or out of place.
Of course, as Bond fans know, these elements will at some point be combined to facilitate a distraction so Bond can escape. And usually that distraction is a rather large explosion.
One wonders how he was transporting the items before so that they didn’t explode in his Armani suit.
Of course, in real life, when items combine, the result isn’t usually an explosion. Or is it?
As we’ve mentioned before, the amount of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) required to cause significant damage to sensitive electronics is far below the threshold where a human being can feel it.
By the time our bodies create a static charge that we can feel, it’s somewhere between 3 & 17 times stronger than what most electronics can handle without suffering damage.
Even just the controlled blowing of air, like the old canned air computer dust removal techniques can cause static ESD build-up that can be transferred to your sensitive electronics. And that tiny electrostatic discharge can cause latent or catastrophic failure, costing you time and money.
We’ve discussed selecting the proper shielding bags in a previous post. Another important weapon in your Electrostatic Discharge defense arsenal is anti-static ESD storage containers.
ESD Storage Containers
ESD storage containers are typically made of a conductive material, such as polypropylene or high density polyethylene and provide an added layer of protection, shielding your work areas and personnel from the harmful effects of ESD.
The conductive material provides a barrier which these fields cannot penetrate and prevents the build-up of electrostatic charge. The bins, totes and miscellaneous storage containers come in both static dissipative and conductive. Both control a potential electrostatic discharge, one by resisting it, the other by neutralizing it.
Additionally, be on the lookout for non-ESD protected items that may stray into the Electrostatic Protected Area – transparent tape, plastic sandwich bags, water bottles, Styrofoam coffee cups, even just pieces of paper – can be the source of an uncontrolled electrostatic discharge.
Of course, all of these storage solutions should be used within the minimum guidelines of an Electrostatic Protection Area, that is, wrist straps, ESD mats and a common ground.
We would love to be your full service, seamless ESD solution provider; contact us today for more information.