ESD Systems - Questions And Answers

What ESD protection method, equipment, & packaging do you recommend for servicing electro-mechanical equipment at a customer site? The equipment is not easily moved to an ESD controlled area and therefore usually serviced where it is used. The equipment is typically used in the hospital environment, nursing homes, and sometimes (though infrequently) at a patients home. The equipment is connected using hospital grade 3-pin 120V AC outlets during troubleshooting. The power is then disconnected before removing and replacing the defective IC or circuit board. - Anonymous, Batesville, IN

The recommended ESD Control Field service methods, equipment, & packaging for servicing electro-mechanical equipment at a customer site would consist of the following: METHODS: Employ proper ESD Control techniques. Ground all conductors, remove all unnecessary insulators and other charge generators and control necessary charge generators. Shield all ESDS devices in ESD protective packaging. And use a dissipative work surface to perform the field service operation. PACKAGING: Shield all ESDS devices in ESD protective packaging. Do not open ESDS devices without first wearing a grounded wrist strap and placing the package on a grounded dissipative surface. EQUIPMENT NEEDED: (1) Field Service Kit or equivalent, which provides a dissipative worksurface, ground cord and wrist strap kit. Component shippers or shield bags of appropriate size to use to protect electronic item brought or returned. Portable wrist strap continuous monitor or monitor operator ground and wrist strap. AC Outlet analyzer, ground point and wrist strap tester or Polarity ground checker and ground point to make easy common point ground connection to a duplex outlet and check power ground. Reztore™ topical antistat to temporarily coat non-conductive surfaces to help remove charges/charge generator from the area. If a security badge is worn then use static safe badge holders. And if notes are taken or papers are needed then static dissipative clip board, static dissipative document holders or static dissipative paper and possible dissipative binders.

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