Why do you need to measure an Electrostatic ( ESD ) Field and How?
Anyone who works in the high-technology manufacturing or repair industries is well acquainted with the damage a static discharge can have on semiconductors, motherboards, microprocessors and other parts – not to mention the pain of being shocked. Even though employees take the appropriate precautions to prevent an electric field from building up, the only way to be sure there is no electrostatic field is to use a meter.
An electrostatic field meter measures positive and negative electrostatic charges. One can be used to measure the charge potentials on products, parts, people, equipment and packaging. Anything that might come into contact with a valuable part and cause an electrostatic discharge, damaging that part, can be measured.
When selecting an electrostatic meter, companies should consider the manufacturer, as well as the product. Since the meter will be used to determine whether items are safe to use around expensive parts, it must be reliable. Many people in high-tech manufacturing and repair trust both ACL Staticide and Simco-Ion. Customers can feel confident that every meter stocked by Kimco Distributing Corporation is built by a reliable manufacturer.
In addition to performing reliably, an electrostatic meter must be easy to use. Virtually all meters on the market are handheld, so portability is not an issue. However, different models use different types of batteries. Many less-expensive models, such as the ACL 300B Precision Electrostatic Analog Meter that Kimco Distributing Corp. offers, use 9-volt batteries. These are excellent solutions for companies looking to save money or situations where a meter is only occasionally needed. More sophisticated models, like Simco-Ion’s FMX-003 Fieldmeter with Charge Plate that Kimco Distributing also carries, come with a built-in battery that is charged while the unit is not in use.
In most situations, the reliability of the meter and its power source should be a company’s primary considerations. There are other variances among models, such whether it has an analog or digital display and its accuracy. For, any meter sold by Kimco Distributing will meet most companies’ needs.