Liberty Intercept Blog

CSI ESD: Electronics and Static

Posted by Joe Spitz on Jan 15, 2013 8:00:00 PM

Sometimes it just takes a trained eye. Ted Dangelmayer has that in the field of electro-static discharge prevention (ESD or static charges):  a trained eye.  Ted and his team of scientists hunt factory floors, shipping rooms, or wherever there is potential for ESD strikes that ruin circuits, create defects, and/or endanger workers. Like the CSI TV shows, they follow a formulated procedure, based on their many years of experience, to find the systems’ weaknesses.  Ted and his team then recommend corrective action to their clients, typically a small expenditure when compared to the return the company receives in better product quality and reputation. Many times such a change requires retraining personnel, which Ted and his team will expertly do.

ESD is a destructive force to electronics. Think of small lightning bolts. As a consideration; the ESD shock from touching the doorknob after walking across a carpet is a considerably large event compared to how small the amount of transferred energy it takes to harm electronic devices. Electronics are getting smaller and faster and can become damaged, or worse, by the smallest of these ESD events. This problem arises mostly for electronic components, circuit boards, and with energetics such as munitions in production or shipment.

As an aside: No worries about touching your home and personal electronics; once a product is assembled for use, a well-designed product will have solid grounding outlets.

The ESD problem has been in existence for many years and companies have been taking precautions to combat it by grounding personnel and work stations, using anti-static bags and special totes, etc. But new information is now known about ESD. Some of what was thought to be correct before is not necessarily the best way. The old means and products may actually be exacerbating the ESD problem. Since ESD is invisible to the human senses, unlike the afore-mentioned TV shows where clues are left behind, Ted and his team of ESD management experts locate the unseen for their clients using advanced tools and knowledge, then reveal the best ways to solve the issue.

Here's a video of a typical Dangelmayer Associates case study:

 

View Intercept Video

Topics: consumer products, IEEE, ESD, quality

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