ESD Protection in the Assembly Bay

  • Thread starter karthika subramaniam
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karthika subramaniam

Hello,

Just checking some clarification point on how to ensure the ESD protection during integration testing in the assembly bay?

Can anyone please advise?

Thanks in advance!
Karthika.cs
 
D

DRAMMAN

You can't eliminate ESD, only manage it. There is a global ESD organization but I forget its name. It is a great place to start your ESD education. Another is the IPC organization. ESD management involves multiple levels with the most fundamental being grounding the employee with a wrist strap system. From there you can take many more actions....ESD work mats, grounded floor coatings, ESD shoes, ESD totes for material handling, grounding all mobile carts and vehicles, constant monitoring, ESD bags for parts/PCBA's, ESD air fans, hand lotions, gloves, training programs, audits, performance metrics, company certifications, etc, etc. To what extent you go depends on the products you make and impact of field failure. If you are coffe makers your ESD counter measures will usually not be as extensive as if you are producing aviation electronics.

Check you tube. There are alott of free trainings videos out there.
 
V

Vthouta

ESD management involves multiple levels with the most fundamental being grounding the employee with a wrist strap system. From there you can take many more actions....ESD work mats, grounded floor coatings, ESD shoes, ESD totes for material handling, grounding all mobile carts and vehicles, constant monitoring, ESD bags for parts/PCBA's, ESD air fans, hand lotions, gloves, training programs, audits, performance metrics, company certifications, etc, etc. To what extent you go depends on the products you make and impact of field failure. If you are coffe makers your ESD counter measures will usually not be as extensive as if you are producing aviation electronics.

If these are followed strictly, ESD damage could be prevented. We have continuous monitoring at our ESD work stations, if someone doesn't pass the ESD, they are not allowed to work on the job until unless the system passes them. Foot straps and wrist straps must be used strictly and who ever sits they should be plugged in .This is one of the best practice.

Link: http://www.eis-inc.com/files/pdf/su...loads/3mesd/EOS_ESD_Management_Assessment.pdf
 

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karthika subramaniam

Thank you all!

In the soldering station, we have regular ESD practices in place (mats, wrist strap).

But at our test area where we integrate the boards with machine and perform tests and shop floor we don?t implement ESD because
- the plant is a "shop environment", not a "electronic environment" ;
- the product that is being tested is on (maybe not continuously but a specific amount of time).
- it is our understanding with ESD protection devices that there is a risk for electrical shock and could even be dangerous for technicians if they were wearing ESD protection (mat, wrist strap, etc.).
 

harrysons

Realistic Quality
Better you check with the facility or electrician guy for grounding of electrical connection, then you can ensure not only the ESD risk but even the electrical shock for your technician too. As you have mentioned for "Shop Environment" shall be categorized as the Test environment means the ESD control shall controlled properly.

the electrical grounding connection for your solder station must checked regularly.
 

DanteCaspian

Quite Involved in Discussions
In the soldering station, we have regular ESD practices in place (mats, wrist strap).

But at our test area where we integrate the boards with machine and perform tests and shop floor we don?t implement ESD because
- the plant is a "shop environment", not a "electronic environment" ;
- the product that is being tested is on (maybe not continuously but a specific amount of time).
- it is our understanding with ESD protection devices that there is a risk for electrical shock and could even be dangerous for technicians if they were wearing ESD protection (mat, wrist strap, etc.).

- the plant is a "shop environment", not a "electronic environment" ;
Sounds like a strawman argument, if I understand you correctly. If you are building or working with components that are sensitive to electrostatic charge, then you need ESD controls to mitigate product failure..

- the product that is being tested is on (maybe not continuously but a specific amount of time). Static charge only needs a millisecond.

- it is our understanding with ESD protection devices that there is a risk for electrical shock and could even be dangerous for technicians if they were wearing ESD protection (mat, wrist strap, etc.)Not if you have your wiring properly set up! I have never heard of this being an issue or excuse.
 
D

DRAMMAN

ESD protection methods are not a risk for electrocution. Unless your ground is energized which would cause you much greater safety problems.

Anytime you are handling a circuit board you should have protections in place. The best ESD programs have multiple levels of protection. It all depends on what you make and balancing the ESD damage risks, impacts, and costs. When I was making mission critical electronics the entire factory (500K sqft) had an ESD floor, everyone issued ESD shoes, floor straps, wrist straps, air deionizers, smocks, ESD totes, grounded forklifts, constant monitoring, training, ESD engineers, etc, etc. My current employer would go broke doing all of this.
 

howste

Thaumaturge
Trusted Information Resource
- it is our understanding with ESD protection devices that there is a risk for electrical shock and could even be dangerous for technicians if they were wearing ESD protection (mat, wrist strap, etc.)Not if you have your wiring properly set up! I have never heard of this being an issue or excuse.

If the device is inactive and ESD sensitive, ESD protection is very appropriate. If the device is being used or tested with a live current or with charged capacitors, ESD "protection" can be very dangerous. If you touch a live circuit while strapped up, YOU become the path for the current to ground.
 

Pads38

Moderator
ESD "protection" can be very dangerous. If you touch a live circuit while strapped up, YOU become the path for the current to ground.

Which is why there are 1 Meg ohm resistors in the wrist strap lead. And in the lead from the mat. And the mat's top surface is "static dissipative" whilst the under-surface is conductive.

Electric shock risk can be reduced by using "earth free zones". ESD protection measures can still be used within earth free zones. (Note this applies to "low voltages". High voltage / energy systems would need extra protection means).
 
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