When working with electronics, electro-static discharge is one of the major concerns for any hobbyist or professional. Static can build up on electronic equipment or on the body of the person working with them. If the static is allowed to build up to a significant level then a transfer of charge can take place that can damage electronic equipment. This can be particularly problematic if the damage isn’t apparent straight away and only manifests itself later on down the line.
This is why proper anti-static tools and devices are vital to safeguarding your projects and ensuring that your workspace is ESD safe. Below are some tools that are often recommended for static control:
Simco Aerostat XC Workstation Air Ionizer
Positive or negative charge can build up on the surface of electronic objects until they reach critical mass and discharge. Ionizing blowers can be set up on workbenches to blow positively and negatively charged ions onto the surface of objects, combining with the opposing ions and neutralising them before they can do any damage.
Simco is one of the best brands for static control available on the market today. Their tools are made with quality, durability and smart design in mind, making them some of the most effective ways of deionizing electronic equipment in workshops. The Simco Aerostat XC is small but packs a serious punch covering an area as large as 3’ by 6’, making them a good way to actively dissipate charge and safeguard equipment.
Simco Top Gun Forced Air Ionizer
Sometimes charge can build up faster than workstation air ionizers or general environmental controls can dissipate. Similarly charge can build up in some hard to reach places that ionizing heaters weren’t designed to reach. In these cases forced air ionizers can be especially helpful.
Forced air ionizers like the Simco Top Gun are hand held machines that force air out of a nozzle, allowing the user to direct the flow and dissipate the charge on electronic equipment. They work faster than environmental controls and also come with the added benefits of blowing off dust and dirt.
Bernstein ESD Table Mats & Desco Wrist Straps
Aside from active deionizers, there are also other ways to make your workstation more ESD safe. Passive methods of dissipation like Bernstein ESD Table Mats or Desco Wrist Straps can help provide safe and controlled dissipation of charge. Rather than allowing charge to build up, these anti-static tools help to slowly transfer charge from equipment and prevent more damaging discharge from occurring all at once. Table mats help discharge equipment while wrist straps help discharge ions building up in the body.
Techspray’s Licron Crystal ESD Safe Coating
Many tools are not created with ESD safety in mind, meaning that even something as simple as rubber gripped pliers can do significant damage. Techspray’s Licron Crystal is designed to help coat tools that are not ESD safe with a layer that forms a dissipative matrix on their surfaces. It is a cost effective way of taking normal tools and turning them into ESD safe devices.
