Controlling ESD in Automated Handling Equipment

Category: Electrostatic Discharge (ESD)
Post Date: July 20, 2004
Author(s): Donn G. Bellmore, Universal Instruments Corporation

Description
Manufacturers of automated handler equipment (AHE) are or should be continually striving to control ESD in their equipment and protect products being processed with that equipment. As product sensitivities to ESD become increasingly lower, controlling ESD is becoming a more significant problem in electronic assembly equipment. This paper deals with research and experimentation of many types of materials, finishes, grounding methods, and testing using the ESD Associations Standard ESD SP10.1-2000. The results were a reduction in voltage levels in a magnitude of several thousand volts to less than 10 volts in prototype equipment.