Antistatic device

An antistatic device is any device that reduces, dampens, or otherwise inhibits

electrostatic discharge; the buildup or discharge of static electricity,[1][2] which can
damage electrical components such as computer hard drives, and even ignite
flammable liquids and gases.

Many methods exist for neutralizing, varying in use and effectiveness depending on
A label on an antistatic bag featuring
the application. Antistatic agents are chemical compounds that can be added to an
the circle symbol on the left and the
object, or the packaging of an object, to help deter the buildup or discharge of static reaching symbol on the right
electricity.[3] For the neutralization of static charge in a larger area, such as a factory
floor or workshop, antistatic systems may utilize electron emission effects such as
corona discharge or photoemission that introduce ions into the area that combine with and neutralize any electrically charged
object.[4] In many situations, sufficient ESD protection canbe achieved with electrical grounding.

Contents
Symbology
Reach symbol
Circle
Examples
Antistatic bag
Ionizing bar
Antistatic garments
Antistatic mat
Antistatic wrist strap
See also
References

Symbology
Various symbols can be found on products, indicating that the product is electrostatically sensitive, as with sensitive electrical
components, or that it offers antistatic protection,as with antistatic bags.

Reach symbol
ANSI/ESD standard S8.1-2007 is most commonly seen on applications related to electronics. Several variations consist of a triangle
with a reaching hand depicted inside of it usingnegative space.

Versions of the symbol will often have the hand being crossed out as a warning for the component being protected,
indicating that it is ESD sensitive and is not to be touched unless antistatic precautions are taken.

Another version of the symbol has the triangle surrounded by an arc. This variant is in reference to the antistatic protective
device, such as an antistatic wrist strap, rather than the component being protected. It usually does not feature the hand
[5]
being crossed out, indicating that it makes contact with the component safe.
Circle
Another common symbol takes the form of a bold circle being intersected by three arrows. Originating as a U.S. military standard, it
has been adopted industry-wide. It is intended as a depiction of a device or component being breached by static charges, indicated by
the arrows.[5]

One version on the circle with three arrows can be seen at the left of this picture.

Examples
Types of antistatic devices include:

Antistatic bag
An antistatic bag is a bag used for storing or shipping electronic components which may be prone to damage caused by electrostatic
discharge (ESD).

Ionizing bar
An ionizing bar, sometimes referred to as a static bar, is a type of industrial equipment used for removing static electricity from a
production line to dissipate static cling and other such phenomena that would disrupt the line. It is important in the manufacturing and
[6][7]
printing industries, although it can be used in other applications as well.

Ionizing bars are most commonly suspended above a conveyor belt or other apparatus in a production line where the product can pass
below it; the distance is usually calibrated for the specific application.[4] The bar works by emitting an ionized corona onto the
products below it.[4][8] If then a product on the line has a positive or negative static charge, as it passes through the ionized aura
[8][9]
created by the bar, it will attract the correspondingly charged positive or negative ions and become electrically neutral.

Antistatic garments
Antistatic garments or antistatic clothing is required to prevent damage to
electrical components or to prevent fires and explosions when working with
flammable liquids and gases.

One of the ways to bond or electrically connect personnel to ground is the use of an
ESD garment. ESD garments have conductive threads in them, creating a wearable
version of a faraday cage. ESD garments attempt to shield ESD sensitive devices
from harmful static charges from clothing such as wool, silk, and synthetic fabrics
on people working with them. For these garments to work properly, they must also Antistatic shoes
be connected to ground with a strap. Most ESD garments are not conductive enough
to provide personal grounding so antistatic foot straps and antistatic wrist straps are
also worn. ESD garments are considered an optional method to controlESD.

An ESD protected area is a defined location with the necessary materials, tools, and equipment capable of controlling static
electricity to a level that minimizes damage to ESD susceptible items. In the ESD protected area, all conductors in the environment,
including personnel, shall be bonded or electrically connected and attached to a known ground or contrived ground. This attachment
creates an equipotential balance between all items and personnel. Electrostatic protection can be maintained at a potential above a
"zero" voltage ground potential as long as all items in the system are at the same potential.
Antistatic garments are used in many industries such as electronics, communications, telecommunications and defense applications.
As computers and electronics become ever more pervasive in consumer products so an increasing number of manufacturers will need
to apply anti-static control measures. One such measure is antistatic apparel because people are the greatest source of static charge in
the workplace.

Transportation of electrostatic sensitive devices also requires packaging that provides protection from electrostatic hazards in the
transportation or storage system. In the case of an ESD protected area designed with continuous grounding of all conductors and
dissipative items (including personnel), packaging may not be necessary
.

The amount of static electricity we feel varies according to factors such as our body and foot size. A larger body and bigger feet
require more charge to be stored to produce the same voltage. The material our clothes are made from and the soles of our shoes can
influence static electricity too. Weather affects it as well. There is more build-up of static charge when the air is dry. Most people feel
harmless shocks at around 2,000-4,000 volts. However electrical components can be damaged by as little as a few volts. It is
estimated that between eight percent and 33 percent of product losses—-the proportion of products which are rendered faulty—-are
due to static electricity. Static electricity is generally harmless to the individual but if not controlled, electrostatic discharge can cause
product damage to electrostatic sensitive devices and lead to machinery downtime, lost man-hours, returned products and warranty
costs particularly in the semiconductor and electronics industries, which caused 5 billion USD worth of damage to products each
year.

Antistatic mat
An antistatic floor mat or ground mat is one of a number of antistatic devices designed to help eliminate static electricity. It does
this by having a controlled low resistance: a metal mat would keep parts grounded but would short out exposed parts; an insulating
mat would provide no ground reference and so would not provide grounding. Typical resistance is on the order of 105 to 108 ohms
between points on the mat and to ground.[10][11][12] The mat would need to be grounded (earthed). This is usually accomplished by
plugging into the grounded line in an electrical outlet. It's important to discharge at a slow rate, therefore a resistor should be used in
earthing the mat. The resistor, as well as allowing high-voltage charges to leak through to earth, also prevents a shock hazard when
working with low-voltage parts. Some ground mats allow you to connect an antistatic wrist strap to them. Versions are designed for
placement on both the floor and desk.

Antistatic wrist strap

An antistatic wrist strap, ESD wrist strap, or ground bracelet is an antistatic
device used to safely ground a person working on very sensitive electronic
equipment, to prevent the buildup of static electricity on their body, which can result
in electrostatic discharge (ESD). It is used in the electronics industry by workers
working on electronic devices which can be damaged by ESD, and also sometimes
by people working around explosives, to prevent electric sparks which could set off
an explosion. It consists of an elastic band of fabric with fine conductive fibers
woven into it, attached to a wire with a clip on the end to connect it to a ground
conductor. The fibers are usually made of carbon or carbon-filled rubber, and the
strap is bound with a stainless steel clasp or plate. They are usually used in Antistatic wrist strap connected to a
conjunction with an antistatic mat on the workbench, or a special static-dissipating bench mounted grounding socket
plastic laminate on the workbench surface.

The wrist strap is usually worn on the nondominant hand (the left wrist for a right-handed person). It is connected to ground through
a coiled retractable cable and 1 megohm resistor, which allows high-voltage charges to leak through but prevents a shock hazard
when working with low-voltage parts. Where higher voltages are present, extra resistance (0.75 megohm per 250 V) is added in the
path to ground to protect the wearer from excessive currents; this typically takes the form of a 4 megohm resistor in the coiled cable
(or, more commonly, a 2 megohm resistor at each end).
Wrist straps designed for industrial use usually connect to earth bonding points,
ground connections built into the workplace, via either a standard 4 mm plug or
10 mm press stud, whereas straps designed for consumer use often have a crocodile
clip for the ground connection.

In addition to wrist straps, ankle and heel straps are used in industry to bleed away
accumulated charge from a body. These devices are usually not tethered to earth
ground, but instead incorporate high resistance in their construction, and work by
dissipating electrical charge to special floor tiles. Such straps are used when workers
need to be mobile in a work area and a grounding cable would get in the way. They An antistatic wrist strap with crocodile
are used particularly in an operating theatre, where oxygen or explosive anesthetic clip.
gases are used.

"Wireless" or "dissipative" wrist straps are available, which claim to protect against ESD without needing a ground wire, typically by
air ionization or corona discharge. These are widely regarded as ineffective,[13][14][15] if not fraudulent, and examples have been
tested and shown not to work.[16][17] Professional ESD standards all require wired wrist straps.
[13]

See also
Electrostatic sensitive device
Antistatic agent

References
1. "What is antistatic device?"(http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/a/asd.htm). www.computerhope.com. Retrieved
2016-01-20.
2. "How do anti-static products work? - Explain that Stuf
f" (http://www.explainthatstuff.com/howantistaticcoatingswork.ht
ml). www.explainthatstuff.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
3. Allen, Ryne C. (August 1999)."ESD BAGS: TO SHIELD OR NOT TO SHIELD" (http://www.esdjournal.com/techpapr/
ryne/esdbags.htm). EE-Evaluation Engineering. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
4. "Ionizers and Static Eliminators Information"(http://www.globalspec.com/learnmore/manufacturing_process_equipm
ent/electronics_microelectronics_manufacturing/static_eliminators). IEEE GlobalSpec. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
5. "ESD Labels – Have A Look At The Various Symbols For ESD Labels"(http://www.shippinglabels.com/esd/ESD_tip
3.aspx). www.shippinglabels.com. Retrieved 2016-04-04.
6. "Static Eliminators" (http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary%20Navigation/Products/Static%20Eliminators/Page
s/Stati
c%20Eliminators.aspx). EXAIR. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
7. "Static electricity, dust and particle problem"(http://www.swedishelectrostatics.com/leaflet_antistatic_electrostatic.ht
ml). www.swedishelectrostatics.com. Retrieved 2016-05-02.
8. Robinson, Kelly (2009-12-01)."How Static Bars Work" (http://www.pffc-online.com/static-beat/7708-paper-static-bars
-work-1209). Paper, Film & Foil CONVERTER. Retrieved 2017-07-02.
9. "Static Control Components: Static Bars"(http://www.airtx.com/static-bars/). AiRTX International. Retrieved
2017-07-02.
10. http://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20Sheets/3M%20PDFs/8200_Series.pdf
11. "Archived copy" (https://web.archive.org/web/20150618013640/http://aclstaticide.com/datasheets/DualmatTDS_081
0.pdf) (PDF). Archived from the original (http://aclstaticide.com/datasheets/DualmatTDS_0810.pdf)(PDF) on 2015-
06-18. Retrieved 2013-01-11.
12. http://media.digikey.com/pdf/Data%20Sheets/3M%20PDFs/8800_Series.pdf
13. Namaguchi, Toshikazu; Hideka Uchida (1998). "Wrist strap designs and comparison of test esults
r for MIL-PRF-
87893 and ANSI EOS/ESD Association S1.1"(https://books.google.com/books?id=z3IP2eqLGXoC&pg=PT258&dq=
wireless+ESD+%22wrist+straps%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gSj-UI-CA6X7iwLd5oCQBQ&ved=0CDgQ6AEwAA) .
Electrical Overstress/Electrostatic Discharge Symposium Proceedings, October 6–8, 1998, Reno, Nevada . USA:
ESD Association, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). pp. 3B.4.3. 1878303910.
14. mctsolchris (June 10, 2011)."Antistatic Wrist Straps" (http://microcentertech.com/byopc/?p=73). BYOPC Blog. Micro
Center Tech Support Online. Retrieved January 21, 2013.
15. Laumeister, Bill (March 2, 2011). "Tutorial 4991: Oops...Practical ESD Protection vs. Foolhardy Placebos"(http://ww
w.maximintegrated.com/app-notes/index.mvp/id/4991). Application Notes. Maxim Integrated. Retrieved January 21,
2013.
16. "Evaluation of Wireless Wrist Straps" (http://www.esdjournal.com/techpapr/sfowler/wireless.htm). ESD Journal (htt
p://www.esdjournal.com/). Fowler Associates, Inc. October 27, 2005. Retrieved January 21, 2013. External link in
|work= (help)
17. "Question #17" (http://esdsystems.descoindustries.com/QuestionsAndAnswers/ShowQuestion.aspx?i=17)
.
Questions and Answers. Desco Industries. Retrieved January 21, 2013.

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