Across many sectors static charges negatively affect advanced production processes. For the electronics sector static charges result in high levels of defects and failing final products.

For some time, this Industry has developed companywide static control programs with perhaps the best known one being ANSI/ESD s20.20. This seeks to reduce defects and failures caused during the manufacturing process.

Within the Auto electronics sector this is a fundamental part of the zero defect/zero rework strategy. As the implications of both ESD and EOS events have become more widely understood, and at the same time electronics have become more susceptible to those static events attention has been focused on the Automatic Handling Equipment used in the production of both PCB’s and PCB assemblies. 

Minituartistion, along with embedded components and new materials requires a low static production process, including the contamination removal equipment.

Static events are not only not well understood, but they are also unseen. Many rely on measuring the residual charge on a panel or board after it exist the process, for example as it leaves the cleaner. However, this does not represent the environment within the machine as most equipment makers fit an ionizing bar on the exit. So, whilst the residual charge at the external measuring point may well be 100 volts or lower, at the point whereby the cleaning roller touches the panel/board the local charge may well be greater than 20,000 volts. Any damage, particularly EOS damage, will not be detected until the product fails in the field, these particularly problematic failures are referred to as latent defects.

The static event damages the product, but it still operates at final test before shipping. However, it’s not long before the weakened product fails in the field.