There\u2019s a classic scene that appears, with some variation, in every James Bond film.\u00a0 Bond gets assigned a new mission and he goes to see MI-6\u2019s Quartermaster, or \u201cQ.\u201d Q gives Bond everything he needs to complete the mission, including a few items that seem unusual or out of place.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
One wonders how he was transporting the items before so that they didn\u2019t explode in his Armani suit.<\/p>\n
Of course, in real life, when items combine, the result isn\u2019t usually an explosion.\u00a0 Or is it<\/em>?<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n By the time our bodies create a static charge that we can feel, it\u2019s somewhere between 3 & 17 times stronger than what most electronics can handle without suffering damage.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0 And that tiny electrostatic discharge can cause latent or catastrophic failure, costing you time and money.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve discussed selecting the proper shielding bags<\/a> in a previous post. Another important weapon in your Electrostatic Discharge defense arsenal is anti-static ESD storage containers.<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Additionally, be on the lookout for non-ESD protected items that may stray into the Electrostatic Protected Area<\/a> \u2013 transparent tape, plastic sandwich bags, water bottles, Styrofoam coffee cups, even just pieces of paper \u2013 can be the source of an uncontrolled electrostatic discharge.<\/p>\n Of course, all of these storage solutions should be used within the minimum guidelines of an Electrostatic Protection Area, that is, wrist straps<\/a>, ESD mats<\/a> and a common ground<\/a>.<\/p>\nESD Storage Containers<\/h3>\n