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Sometimes damage to electronics is not apparent. Sometimes parts that fail after weeks or months while in normal use, were damaged in factory production, during transportation or even before the first system was installed. Hidden ESD Damage or latent defect is when a static event has damaged a component, but has not caused immediate failure. The component has currently passed the last test, yet does not work in the field. Premium ESD foam is an important element in avoiding both hidden and visible damage. Shanghai Leenol has developed high-quality ESD foams, which are able to substantially minimize the hidden damage of electronics products in supply chains. Premium ESD foam can significantly make a difference, see how?
Controlling Triboelectric Charging During Transit
Most damage is a hidden damage, usually starting with the static electricity caused by two materials rubbing, which is known as triboelectric charging. Friction static charges form between the inside of the container and the electronic components as the electronics travel through normal packages. These charges could be discharged into the device, resulting in latent and apparent damage that only crops up once the product goes to the end-user.
Leenol's Premium ESD foam is designed to reduce Triboelectric charging. The surface resistivity of the foam material is carefully controlled to allow static charges to bleed off at a rate lower than if they were to accumulate to a high voltage then discharge all at once. Furthermore, the conformability of the foam keeps parts in place and they will not slide against each other during pressing, thereby avoiding the tribology charging that occurs to begin with. Frictional charging during transport is a root cause of hidden ESD damage. Premium foam eliminates this source of latent defects.
Eliminating Faraday Cage Gaps for Complete Shielding
Conductive shielding allows the protection of sensitive components from outside static fields in many electronics packages. Unfortunately, there are usually gaps formed between the foam and the sidewalls in the container, or the surface of the component and the foam in the standard foam inserts. These openings add up to a gap within the Faraday cage which allows external static charge to get to the component.
Preferably premium ESD foam in which is precision cut and is filled in the container without any gaps. The foam itself is conductive and thus extends the Faraday cage to all surfaces touching the component. If this conductive, lined container is properly made to be sealed, the component is completely wrapped in a conductive foam envelope. This added protection is guaranteed for both direct discharge and induced static fields which regular foam cannot cover.
Maintaining ESD Performance Over Extended Storage Life
Damage may be imparted months after the component is packaged. Aging, compression set, and environmental exposure can reduce the anti-static properties of standard ESD foam. Products that are accepted at packaging time may not start the job when it reaches the final time of removal.
Leenol's top-tier ESD foam material is created using permanently anti-static materials. The dissipative properties will not change with topical coatings that will fade or break down over time or with moisture or humidity. The foam continues to hold the desired level of surface resistivity even after many years of storage, and does not change with temperature change or humidity. This is long term stability for manufacturers who stockpile components or deliver products to remote warehouses that may experience different environmental conditions, otherwise there is potential for damage to be hidden from their view.
Providing Repeatable Protection Across Supply Chains
Electronics supply chains mean that there are many touch points: packaging at the component manufacturer, moving to the assembly factory, being stored in a warehouse, picked for manufacturing and taken to the finished goods. The component has the potential for ESD in each process step. The standards for foam that matches different samples is so inconsistent that it is not possible to predict the location of hidden damage.
Leenol premium ESD foam provides repeatable measurable performance in each and every batch as well as shipment. The foam Inserts are produced under ISO 9001 quality assurances and tested to IEC61340-5-1 and ANSI/ESD-2020 standards. This translates to consistent ESD protection the first time, and 10,000 times. This uniformity makes it easier for quality managers who monitor failure rates in the field to identify other factors and continuously improve. Premium foam is not a variable anymore, it is a part of the ESD control program that is known, expected, and trusted.
Conclusion
Premium ESD foam provides repeatable protection through complex supply chains, effective control of tribo-electrically generated damage to electronics in transit, guards against a Faraday cage gap for all-out coverage, and maintains ESD performance throughout its extended storage life. Shanghai Leenol products are the products of a complete ESD product lineup of products, including ESD foam storage products, packing materials, ESD factory furniture, personal protection, clean room products and testing products. All products meet IEC61340-5-1 and ANSI/ESD-2020 standards while certified to ISO 9001, SGS and ROHS. Contact Leenol right now on how premium ESD foam can help you decrease your field failure rates and shield your brand's faux pas.
