12 Electrostatic Discharge Prevention Strategies for Electronics Manufacturers

AUSTIN, Texas - Oct. 28, 2021 - PRLog -- As a society, our lives are increasingly dependent on powerful yet microscopic electronic circuits that power the smartphones, computers, automobiles, appliances, or aircraft that we depend on every day.

Progress in miniaturization is at the heart of increasing the performance of integrated circuits, with the latest designs built around transistors that are so small that they are approaching the size of individual atoms.

Yet, as electronics become smaller, the risk of accidental damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD) increases, and, given the ubiquity of electronic components in nearly every consumer and industrial design in use today, the problem of how to prevent ESD damage has grown beyond the bounds of computer chip manufacturers to the industry at large – which must grapple with how to handle, test, assemble, diagnose, repair, or pack and ship electronic circuit boards without damaging them internally.

We take a look at twelve steps you can take to organize an ESD protection program at your facility.

1. Understanding The Need For ESD Standards Compliance

The first question to address is why you should invest in an ESD-proof protection program at all.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is like a hidden tax on the electronics manufacturing industry, with some analysts calculating that ESD losses reduce industry revenues by 6.5% on average.

In an ideal world, any ESD damage to microelectronics could be identified at the factory through quality assurance testing; however, ESD damage is a pernicious foe – oftentimes, ESD-damaged electronics fail later, often during the burn-in phase, e.g. once they are in consumers' hands or embedded in mission-critical industrial products.

The consequences of ESD-caused electronics failure can vary depending on the industry sector – for consumer-electronics companies, it can drive up the warranty costs while it drives down a company's brand reputation. For mission-critical components in industries such as aerospace or healthcare, ESD-caused failures can literally become a matter of life or death.

The logical place to start any new ESD protection program is to study the relevant ANSI/ESD S20.20-2016 standard for the protection of electrical and electronic parts, assemblies, and equipment. This document can be purchased on the ANSI web store, and it's a highly recommended investment for creating your own ESD Control Program.

2. Perform A Needs Assessment / Risk Measurement

The next step is to perform a needs assessment to establish your particular ESD protection requirements, including quantifying the potential risks.

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