Commitment to ESD-safe machinery and tooling validated by industry survey
May 29, 2013 – In a recent survey of more than 10,000 Universal Instruments customers, an overwhelming number of respondents noted the importance of electrostatic discharge (ESD) nozzle properties for their surface mount operations. A staggering 97% of survey respondents noted that ESD-safety is important or very important to them. Predictably, the vast majority of those surveyed indicated they buy 100% ESD-safe nozzles.
“These survey results confirm how important ESD management is to our customers and their Universal nozzles,” said Justin Poet, general manager, Universal Production Tooling Group. “This validates our painstaking efforts to make our nozzles ESD safe. After all, without an ESD safe nozzle, an ESD safe machine or operation is not possible.”
Poet explained that unlike the visible sparking typically associated with electrostatic discharge, some forms of ESD are neither seen nor heard yet are large enough to damage sensitive electronic devices.
Universal has a long history of providing ESD safe machinery and production tooling. The company uses special materials in the design and manufacturing of its nozzle tips and bodies, as well as conducts stringent testing to ensure compliance. Universal nozzles meet strict standard for ESD safety, including standard and custom nozzles. Poet noted that Universal nozzles have a surface resistivity (ESD rating) between 104 ohms and 108 ohms.
ESD-safety cannot be presumed, said Poet. In fact, of all the nozzles we have tested, only those that were designed and produced by Universal have shown ESD-safe properties.
“We have often found that manufacturers assume that all nozzles are ESD safe, and unfortunately for the majority of non-Universal nozzles, that’s simply not the case,” noted Poet. “We hope this information will help educate our industry and place a spotlight on an area that can cause significant disruption and expense to our customers,” he added.
To learn more about the survey results or Universal’s Production Tooling Group, contact Justin Poet, general manager, at justin.poet@uic.com or 607-779-7206 or visit http://parts.uic.com.