Electrostatic discharge (ESD) has become quite popular in the industry recently. It’s because many businesses today count on complex electronic devices in all areas of their operations. As a result, the damage caused by ESD on sophisticated components is becoming a greater issues for these companies. This occurs in a number of industries including electronic assembly, aerospace manufacturing, and industries requiring clean room environments like flat panel manufacturing. This is one of the reasons why many companies require such products that effectively minimize the damage caused by electrostatic discharge.
Highly demanded ESD products today include ESD bench, ESD mats, ESD chairs, ESD flooringand ESD workstations. They are designed to address ESD concerns in no time at all. However, you need to find the right manufacturing partner that will provide you with excellent products for your company. Before finding the right provider and quality ESD products, let’s understand what ESD is!
What is ESD?
Here comes the description of ESD and it can be quite useful for you if you are just learning about ESD, or you are a purchasing manager who is unfamiliar with the technical aspects of ESD. Electrostatic Discharge is a natural occurrence in which electricity is passed through our body, or other conductor, and discharges onto some object. For example, we can feel the shock anytime we touch a doorknob and this what we can call an ESD.
Static discharge is a growing problem for many industries as it can ignite flammable mixtures or vapors in laboratories, damage sensitive and expensive electronic components in electronics manufacturing
Why is this important?
A lot of sensitive devices with as little as 1 volt of electricity can get damaged by static discharge. However, there can be various devices that need up to 100 volts before they are damaged beyond repair. The static discharge should reach 2,000 volts and higher in order to be felt by people. So it can be said that even if you don’t feel that zap, doesn’t mean it didn’t occur.
A high-quality ESD bench is needed for industries that depend on the reliability of components working in extreme conditions, like aerospace manufacturing. Some manufacturers have no idea about how a static charge has damaged an assembled part, unless they test all components one by one or see it fail in the end product. That’s when a failed part can be catastrophic. Here we can say that ESD can become a big problem.
How to find the right partner
For your next purchase of an ESD bench, ESD mats, ESD chairs, ESD flooring and ESD workstations, you need to take care of a few key attributes like product quality, customization, lead times and pricing.
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Quality of the product
Your main concern should be first of all the quality of the product you are investing in. No matter you buy an ESD bench or ESD chairs, always pay attention to the quality. When you are buying an ESD bench, note that it has to be manufactured with high quality ESD Laminate with an imbedded carbon layer for dissipation of static.You can also choose to opt for an ESD rubber worktop which will work in a similar manner. Moreover, ESD dissipation rates should be greater than 10/6th but less than 10/9th and be capable of handling 100,000 ohms.ESD bench tops can be assembled with frames that come with grounding bolts attached to each end of the table provide the most strength and flexibility, and will provide the longest product life cycle. Choose a company like ours that is reputable and has gained people’s trust. Such a company should cater to all of your workplace demands.
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Customization
Another important factor is to choose such a manufacturer who can easily customise your workbench. In general, the bench top has a edged front end for safety and comfort with squared edges on the other three sides. However, a good manufacturing partner can easily customise size and shapes as per any client’s needs and demands. Colours of ESD workbench are mostly light grey or white but in case of customisation, different colours can be created to match design needs. Just remember that the alternative colour customisation will require a minimum order size.
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Lead Times
One of the most important factors in selecting a manufacturer for any project is product lead times. You should know when your product will be delivered at your facility to be assembled. Choose local manufacturers instead of foreign counterparts if you require shipment of your furniture in the shortest possible time. So working with a domestic manufacturer can help you handle your project on time and with less stress.
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Cost
Rates also matter a lot for many people. In fact, they can play a vital role in any product purchase. Remember that there is extra cost associated with ESD Laminate when you are buying ESD workbenches. You can expect to pay about 15% to 30% more for an ESD product over its non-ESD counterpart. We also find it important to say that you should choose a trustworthy manufacturer even if it requires a few more dollars for you. After all, saving a few pounds on a cheaper workbench will bring more issues and leave you dissatisfied with the results.
We also have another excellent suggestion for you. So, if you already have existing ESD workbenches and they are damaged because of harsh conditions and need some repair, then it’s more cost effective and highly recommended to replace the ESD worktops rather than resurfacing existing ESD worktops. It’s because resurfacing your existing anti static worktops is cheaper than buying brand new ESD workbench tops.
These are some of the most important things you should know before buying an ESD workbench & ESD flooring. Make sure you find a reliable manufacturing partner that has all of these attributes. Each of the above-mentioned points is important if you want your job done right and perfect. Pay attention to each of them and you can rest easy knowing that you get the quality of your purchase!