Hello everyone.
Section 8.4 establishes that a packaging plan must be established to define packaging requirements, both inside and outside the EPA, in accordance with ANSI/ESD S541 and Table 4 of ANSI ESD S20.20-2021.
Currently, in one EPA zone, low-charge pink foam is being used inside a Protectipack dissipative box (photo attached). This pink foam does NOT meet dissipation or conductivity requirements.
Questions:
Would we violate this measure in a certification audit process?
Are there any risks to using this pink foam, which is NOT dissipative or conductive?
All of your comments are very helpful and help us make informed decisions.
Thank you.
Yes, this pink poly foam would make the resistance measurements outside the limits for conductive and dissipative packaging per ANSI/ESD S20.20. The biggest issue is if the pink poly foam can charge up and create an electric field that could inductively charge the product which would then discharge in handling.
The tray in its current condition may not have caused any ESD events. The pink poly foam is generally low charging although this property goes away over time (usually a few months). Also, the dissipative tray may suppress any electric field that comes from the pink poly foam. You may want to take an older tray and attempt to artificially tribocharge it by rubbing it and then measure the electric field. You would not want to see anything above 125 volts/inch (the insulator limit in ANSI/ESD S20.20).
Hello ,
Greetings of the day to all from India
As Andy Sir has made it clear already, the Pink EPE foam is normally losses its property over a period of time because in most of the cases the EPE foam is only surface coated with Anti static agents but not homogeneously impregnated which is possible in case of PU foam only.
I would strongly recommend using the Conductive Bins with Homogeneous ( volumetric ) Conductive foam but to ensure that the modules packed shall not be with batteries or power banks . EPE /EVA foam items are to be avoided preferably both in an EPA as well outside EPA as they cannot be volumetriclly ESD safe and not preferred with surface coating which goes off soon with one or two usage
