What does ESD actually mean?
ESD is the abbreviation for Electro Static Discharge We have all experienced electrostatic discharge many times. This occurs, for example, when a person comes into contact with a conductive object, e.g. a metallic door handle, after walking across a carpeted floor. The electrostatic charge generated when walking or standing up then flows off abruptly and, depending on the level of body voltage, we feel a discharge. If the generated body voltage is correspondingly high, electrostatic discharge does not even require contact, often the approach of the different potentials is enough for a charge transfer.
Electrostatic Sensitive Devices, so-called ESDS, can be permanently damaged or pre-damaged by ESD due to their fine structures. External ESD protection is therefore so important. In the form of conductive and dissipative materials that prevent or dissipate the electrostatic charge in a controlled manner.
In nature, we encounter ESD in the form of thunderstorms and their lightning discharges. A lightning strike into a tree has approximately the same energy density as an ESD discharge by a person into an electronic component. The damage that occurs to the tree is comparable to the damage that occurs inside the microchip.
Why ESD protection is so important for electronic components!
Electrostatic discharges remain mostly undetected by humans, because we can only perceive them from a body voltage of approx. 3.000 V. It is precisely this circumstance that makes humans a major risk factor, because they are not aware of it. Electrostatic charges occur on normal clothing, especially if they contain synthetic fibres, on hair, through shoes with rubber soles and on insulating objects such as transport containers made of insulating plastics. These charges can cause considerable damage to electronic components and assemblies – even at relatively low voltages. This is why it is so important to implement ESD protection in electronics manufacturing and to define an ESD protected area and equip both workplaces and people with ESD-safe materials and appropriate measuring devices.
This includes, for example:
- Dissipative occupational shoes and floor coverings
- Dissipative furnishings, e.g. tables, chairs
- Shelves and transport trolleys
- ESD garments
- ESD packakging
- Air Ionizers
- ESD Test and Measurement Equipment
To prevent unwanted charges and ESD damage, Wolfgang Warmbier GmbH & Co. KG offers all ESD materials that are required in an ESD Protection Area, a so-called EPA.
We have over 40 years of experience in this field and offer professional support in solving a wide range of ESD problems. In the Hegau community of Hilzingen near Lake Constance, we produce and distribute high-quality Static Control Materials and Systems. Founded in 1982, the company has become the market leader in Europe over the past 3 decades and now translates its product catalogue into 14 languages. The ESD protection systems are supplied to more than 30 countries worldwide and are used in a wide range of industrial sectors. First and foremost in the electronics industry, the automotive industry and medical technology, to name but a few.
Since 1998, Wolfgang Warmbier GmbH & Co. KG has been ISO-certified, most recently updated in 2017 according to ISO 9001:2015, by DQS. In the ESD range you will find, among other things, floor materials, personnel grounding systems, foams, storage and transport systems, measuring devices, and service equipment. Our qualified team advises you on setting up ESD protected areas and supports you in their planning and implementation. At our location in Hilzingen, we also offer ESD training and workshops.