In the fast-paced world of manufacturing, static electricity often goes unnoticed until it becomes a significant issue. This invisible force can disrupt production, damage sensitive electronic components, and even pose safety risks to workers. Effective ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) control in electronic manufacturing plays a critical role in safeguarding sensitive devices from potentially catastrophic failures. This article explores six common problems caused by static electricity in manufacturing environments and offers practical solutions to mitigate its impact.

▶ Foreign object adhesion

Principles of Foreign Object Adhesion:

Adhesion on Conductors:

In conductors, charges can move freely within the material. When a positively charged or negatively charged foreign object approaches a conductor, the surface of the conductor will exhibit a static electrical state with an opposite polarity to the foreign object. This phenomenon, known as “electrostatic induction,” leads to a Coulomb force acting between the foreign object and the conductor, causing the foreign object to be adsorbed and adhere to the conductor. Even if the static electricity on the surface of the conductor is eliminated, electrostatic induction will still occur due to the inherent properties of the conductor. Therefore, it is necessary to eliminate the static electricity of the foreign object itself.

Adhesion on Insulators:

When both the foreign object and the charged insulator carry charges of opposite polarity, the Coulomb force causes the foreign object to adhere. Simply eliminating the static electricity on either the insulator or the foreign object will prevent adhesion.

Countermeasures for Foreign Object Adhesion

For foreign objects floating over a wide range in a large space

• A rod-type static eliminator can be used to perform wide-range static elimination throughout the room, eliminating the static electricity of the foreign objects themselves.

For foreign objects floating locally near the product

• For insulators, local static elimination can be performed to reduce the number of static eliminators used.
• For conductors or insulators, eliminating the static electricity of either the foreign object or the object itself will prevent adhesion.

Countermeasures for Human Body Electrification

Human activity continuously generates static electricity, requiring wide-range static elimination of the entire space using low-frequency static eliminators.

We’ve conducted a study on the static electricity generated by human walking. The results are shown in the attached graph. As you can see, the charge level fluctuates even during a single step forward.

In summary, the principles of foreign object adhesion differ based on material properties, and countermeasures vary according to the environment and the objects involved. The key is to identify the root cause of the problem and perform targeted static elimination.