Strict ESD 20:20 Standards Help Curtail Costly Damage on Electronics (Demo)

Studies show that over one-third of field failures in the semiconductor industry are caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD). For some manufacturing firms, such a yield loss can spell huge financial disasters, especially since ESD may not only damage electronics but employees’ lives too. This is why a well-defined ESD risk management system must be implemented, particularly one that complies with ESD 20:20 standards from ISO. ESD is a natural phenomenon that occurs when two objects with stored charges or static electricity come into contact. Anything from a floor surface to the fur of human skin can collect a charge of up to several thousand volts. When released, this electricity has enough energy to burn tiny metal pieces or cause electrical shock. In the case of electronics, the workers and other objects in the workplace are the ones that can trigger electrostatic discharge upon electronic items. Considering that metal pieces in chips and electronic devices are sensitive even to 5 or 10 volts of static electricity, it’s no surprise that ESD- which normally involves several thousand volts of electricity- can be truly damaging. In an article for About.com, Matthew Burris provides information on the methods for preventing or at least minimizing the damage caused by ESD.

“The best way to prevent ESD is to provide a way for static charges to bleed off safety to a reference ground. Electricity, like water, will take the path of least resistance. Typically a 1 megohm resistance to ground is used to bleed of static charges and prevent them from becoming large enough to present an ESD hazard for electronics. The 1 megohm resistance is a also great alternative for a charge to dissipate rather than jumping an air gap or across an insulator with a resistance of gigohms or more.”

A more active response to ESD is the use of anti-discharge materials in making assemblies, components, and gears, such as the following:

“While plastic is often thought of as a prime static generator, some plastics are designed to be partially conductive. The partially conductive plastics are called static dissipative plastics and have a resistance of millions of ohms per inch, making them a very poor conductor, but good enough to prevent ESD.”

In a nutshell, ESD affects a company’s bottom line and must therefore be prevented. The area where ESD may take place must be controlled for static electricity to protect both the company’s assets and workers. By implementing specific policies and guidelines based on any relevant ISO certification (such as the ESD 20:20) obtained from accrediting companies like International Standards Authority, Inc,, ESD-related losses can be curtailed. (Source: Preventing ESD, About.com)