Small ESD mistakes – big consequences: how to avoid them

 

Why ESD Protection Remains One of the Most Critical Elements in Modern Electronics Manufacturing

ESD – electrostatic discharge – is far from a new problem in the electronics industry. Nevertheless, experience shows that ESD continues to be one of the most frequent causes of both internal production failures and latent defects that only become apparent after extended use by customers.

Most electronics manufacturers already operate in controlled environments and routinely measure earth connections as part of their daily operations. However, even minor deviations in setup, behaviour, or equipment can cause invisible and critical damage to modern components.

This blog provides a comprehensive overview of why ESD is still a real risk, what standards require – and how you can strengthen your ESD setup in practice.

Why ESD Still Causes Problems – Even When You "Have It Under Control"

ESD occurs when two objects with different charges touch each other. In a production line, this typically involves an operator, a tool, or a surface making contact with an unprotected IC pin, pad, or trace.

The danger is that humans can only detect discharges at around 3,000 volts.
Modern electronics can be damaged by just a few hundred volts.

Therefore, ESD can occur:

• without sound
• without a spark
• without anyone noticing

… and still result in:

• catastrophic failures
• latent defects, which only appear after weeks or months

Latent defects, in particular, are costly because they lead to RMA cases, breakdowns, and loss of customer trust.

Stricter Standards – and Greater Customer Demands

IEC/DS/EN 61340-5-1 is the most important guideline for establishing and maintaining an ESD Protected Area (EPA). The standard includes, among other things:

• flooring and furniture with documented dissipative properties
• ESD-approved clothing, shoes, wrist straps, and heel grounders
• ESD-safe tools, bench accessories, and packaging
• ionization of insulators
• ongoing tests, measurements, and documentation

Many customers – especially within medical, automotive, telecom, and aerospace industries – now expect full documentation of ESD control as part of their auditing process.

This means that ESD is not just about quality – but also about competitiveness.

The Hidden Costs of Insufficient ESD Control

Many ESD-related problems are never registered as “ESD failures”. Instead, they appear as:

• more defects in final testing
• increased rework
• unstable components
• unexplained failures in customer equipment
• costly RMA cases and support work

The true cost of one damaged component can be far higher than the component's own value.

How to Build Strong ESD Control

An effective ESD program consists of three main areas:

1. Layout Design – The Work Environment Must Dissipate Safely

A stable EPA area requires, among other things:

• ESD flooring (e.g., STO)
• ESD bench mats and coverings (e.g., Desco)
• anti-static furniture from Treston, DESCO, BSC, etc.
• ESD-safe magnifying lamps, fume extraction, and PCB holders (e.g., Weller, Alsident)

Many problems arise when inventory is replaced with "non-ESD-approved" solutions – even small changes make a difference.

2. Personnel Control – The Most Important Factor

The operator is often the biggest source of static electricity. Therefore, one should always use:

• ESD shoes or sandals (Birkenstock, Sievi)
• wrist straps and coiled cords (Desco, BSC)
• ESD-approved clothing with interwoven conductive fibers
• heel grounders for visitors

Regular personnel control with an ESD tester is part of the standard.

3. Process Control – Measurements, Ionization, and Packaging

Even in perfect environments, charges can accumulate on insulators. Therefore, ionization is necessary.

Recommendations:

• ION blowers
• Kapton and anti-static tape
• anti-static bags and MBB bags (Desco, BSC)
• grounding boxes and connecting cables

When the entire chain functions effectively, the failure rate decreases significantly.

Free Webinars: Get Help from the Experts

Several major manufacturers – including Desco – regularly offer free webinars and online training, where they cover:

• how to correctly implement IEC/DS/EN 61340-5-1
• typical errors in EPA areas
• best practices for measurements, material selection, and documentation

This is an excellent opportunity for both new and experienced ESD managers, and many companies achieve concrete improvements by participating.

Subscribe to the HIN newsletter, check the ESD box, and receive direct invitations to these free webinars.

ESD Protection is an Investment, Not an Expense

Companies with strong ESD control experience:

• fewer internal failures
• faster error correction
• strengthened customer trust
  

Therefore, ESD protection pays off – both technically and financially.

Do you need sparring?

At HIN, we work with a wide range of ESD-safe products from Desco, Treston, Weller, BSC, Artigo, Alsident, UIR, Ideal-Tek, etc. – from flooring and mats to tools, clothing, packaging, and ionization.

Brian Nielsen is happy to advise and has extensive experience with ESD measurements at customer sites – where most are surprised by the charges he finds.

Contact:
📞 +45 31 41 51 52
📧 bn@hin.dk