Within the high-technology manufacturing industry, ionizing refers to the control of charged electrical particles. Ions are electrically charged molecules that, when conditions are right, discharge. When discharging, ions produce an electric shock that can damage high-tech components. Kimco helps companies that manufacture and repair hard disks, flat-panel displays (FPDs) and other parts that use microprocessors reduce the ions in their manufacturing facilities.
Kimco Distributing Corp. carries both
grounding equipment and ionizing fans.
The easiest way to eliminate ions is to ground equipment, people and parts. Grounds give ions a pathway to discharge from these pieces and people, harmlessly sending them into the ground. Grounding equipment and personnel is easy. Manufacturing equipment often comes with the necessary grounds, and companies can find
wrist straps and
ESD-safe gloves from Kimco for people to wear.
Small electrical parts, however, can be difficult to ground. A brief list of insulators often used in computer manufacturing and repair includes:
- Semiconductor devices packaged in an epoxy
- Silicone wafers coated with an oxide
- Component leads with insulation
- Circuit boards with glass epoxy
- FPDs with glass panels
- Teflon, quartz and plastics
As insulators, these materials cannot be grounded.
Even though the above insulators cannot be grounded, Kimco Distributing stocks fans that remove the ions around these materials. Rather than releasing the ions through a ground, ionizing fans remove them from the immediate area. Just as there are a variety of ESD-safe gloves available at Kimco, there are several different ionizing fans. Kimco has a
large ionizing fan with four individual fans that neutralizes the ions in a sizeable area, as well as a
two-fan model. They even carry an
ionizing fan that mounts on flexible arms for precise targeting. Regardless of the model’s size, all of these fans quickly neutralize ions and effectively prevent harmful discharges.
