Product Qualification of packaging

Technical Questions
#1

Dear Experts,
would like to seek your expertise regarding product qualification. here is the scenario. i have plastic tray corrugated and slotted trays. would like to ask if the point-to-point measurement using 2-5lbs probe can be used to measure the surface resistance. Say tray has 6x6in dimension. Also same with tube with surface width of 2inches.

please let me know your thought.

thank you.

#2

Rosalie,

Product qualification of packaging per ANSI/ESD S20.20 can be done per ANSI/ESD STM11.11, 11.12, or 11.13. You specifically asked if two 5 lb probes could be used for surface resistance measurements. STM11.11 uses a concentric ring electrode and 11.13 uses the 2-point probe for surface resistance measurements. Using two 5 lb probes may work although you would need to show equivalence to the concentric ring electrode and need to write a tailoring statement in your ESD control program plan.

Another option, if you haven’t adopted S20.20, is to use compliance verification data. S20.20 states “Organizations that can verify the use of ESD control items before adopting this standard to certify their ESD control program can use compliance verification records to meet product qualification requirements. These records shall cover a minimum of one year and reflect a timeframe immediately before using as product qualification records. These records shall reflect test results that meet the compliance verification test limits identified in Tables 2, 3, and 4 of this standard.” So if you have a year’s worth of data using the 5 lb probes and they meet the requirements of S20.20, you could use these for product qualification. Thanks.

#3

Dear Andy,
thank you for the input.

#4

Dear experts,

If ESD package eg shielding bags comes with qualification data and OEM provide a simple COC (Certificate Of Compliance) eg Decos/SCS that link to the datasheet with verification specification , do we need to conduct incoming verification before use even single use practice?

#5

Greeting of the day to all from India

A detailed Product Qualification report with or without a certificate on PQ is different than COC.
For all EPEs ( electrostatic protective equipment ) it is mandatory to have *A detailed Product Qualification report prior to its use in an EPA or use for ESD control application per both the global standards ( ASNI ESD S 20 20 /IEC 61340-5-1) and so also the periodic compliance verification per ANSI ESD TR53 -01-22 at user defined frequency.

Now per the prevailing versions of both the standards just a data sheet details from any supplier is no longer acceptable as PQ report or PQ certificate.

Specifically packaging systems need to qualify both at low Rh% 12%+/- 3 and moderate Rh% 50%+/-5.
Thank you

#6

Hi Rachel, if the qualification report has all the data required for ANSI/ESD STM 11.31, then this could be used for product qualification. In looking at some of the SCS data sheets, they look very complete and the SCS lab has been certified by the ESD Association. This certification verified that the proper testing is done at the site. This would satisfy the product qualification requirement.

The second item, the COC is really up to the user. The requirement on the compliance verification of packaging is to test it to see if it still conforms. For shielding bags, a resistance test of the outer and inner material is required. This can be done on a sampling plan or the COC can be used as evidence of a compliance verification plan. The ESD Control plan would need to document that.

If you chose to perform the compliance verification plan, you can decided on how often to test incoming bags. It does not have to be every lot. This would be dependent on how well you know the supplier and maybe how long this has been done.

I hope this helps. Ask any other question that you would like.

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#7

Greetings of the day from India to JK Sir and all

A well detailed reply .and thank you very much :pray:
But , I am a bit confused on the following
Just because a company’s lab is certified by ESDA can we blindly consider their data sheets as PQ test report ? Does it satisfy the requirement of either of the two standards and will the facility certification Assessors accept it ?.

#8

To quote the standard,

Product qualification shall occur during the initial selection of the ESD control item and before initial use. It may use any of the following qualification methods:
(1) product specification review,
(2) independent laboratory evaluation, or
(3) internal laboratory evaluation.

The contents of the product specification can be done by the supplier. The report would still have to have all the information required, environmental conditioning, test method, limits and so on.

An accredited lab, no matter if it is independent or a suppler lab, has been reviewed by the ESD Association to ensure that the lab has the training, independence, equipment and environmental chambers required to do the test. The reports are reviewed to ensure that they contain all the information needed for qualification.
And yes, the assessors will accept the qualification from the suppliers if it is complete.

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#9

My company had been using Desco shielding bag for decades and didnt conduct any incoming verification as we so trusted on the OEM’s quality. If we decide not to conduct sampling incoming verification as we do not reuse the bag, are we non complicance to S2020?

#10

Hi Rachel, technically yes you are not compliant with ANSI/ESD S20.20. However, if you want to use the COC as proof of compliance, document that in your ESD control plan as a tailoring statement. The compliance verification for a shielding bag is simply to measure the outer and inner resistance of the bag. If the COC from DESCO has the information that could be used.
The compliance verification can also be a sampling plan. Every lot does not need to be tested. The company can determine how often the bags are verified.

#11

Greetings of the day from India JK Sir and to all the members on the forum

Once again thank you for your detailed clarifications .
Yes I am aware of the three methods you have mentioned .
But, my point is that can a data sheet from a supplier ( may be he has an ESDA certified PQ lab) be accepted as any data sheet normally do not have detailed test report .?
It may just highlight that the required parameter/s meets per etc etc standards and test methods but not actually a detailed test report of a particular lot of that defined item .

The PQ test report is required for every supply before it is put into use .

Well ; DESCO -Prostat these are all standard global ESD material and TMI ( Test & Measuring Instrument ) suppliers certified by ESDA and they know well about the standards and relevant test methods.

But, I refer to India where 90% of the suppliers are more after supply and fooling the customers as the knowledge of the customers also is not adequate and just believe what the supplier says and so also the so called assessors here who are certifying the facilities without proper verification in many cases which my colleagues and myself have seen during the EPA CV test audits - footwear flooring test audits where many compliance failure results are noticed. In many facilities I have seen boards with facility certification on ESD S20 20 2014 where as they are certified for S 20 20 2021 in the previous years and now going again for the current year .
In many facilities wrong ESD caution logos are displayed but the facilities are S 20 20 facility certified and they claim they are trained without even knowing the required PQ -CV test reference documents.
Thus my question was related to the acceptability of the data sheets for PQ acceptance.
Thank you again Sir. It is a great opportunity on this platform to interact with ESD Gurus like you .

#12

Dear expert,

Thank you for your explnation and clairifaction.

We are using single-use ESD shielding bag for transportation out of EPA.

Within EPA, with all the ESD control implemented, can the ESD shielding bag be reuse and to replace a new ESD bag when transport out of EPA only? We can also subject the electronincs under ionizer to remove any build up charges before handling the electronics inside the used ESD bag in the EPA.

Thank you

#13

Greetings of the day to all from India :rose:

It is good if you are using a fresh tested shielding bag during the transportation out of an EPA.
Basically any packaging item ( bags ) are meant for only limited applications but not for continuous repeat applications .
Especially about an ESD shielding bag;

  1. When the populated PCBs are put inside the bags , folded and sealed with a caution sticker or with zip lock (if it is a ziplock bag ), the soldered spikes and the right angle corners of some of the components shall be touching inside surface of the bag which is either a non static or low static surface layer with PE as the base material to provide mechanical strength avoid immediate puncture of the surface
    2.However, in case of static shielding bag ( top layer disssipative polyester layer again for providing better mechanical strength - middle shielding layer ie metal layer which is basically a thin transparent layer of aluminum vaporization - inside layer a low static polyethylene layer ) there is always a chance that the middle shielding layer could develop invisible some hair line cracks or dots(puncture)when the bags are folded and when the solder spikes & the sharp edge components are in close contact with the inner layer of the bags.
  2. Thus , these invisible some hair line cracks or dots(puncture)of the main shielding layer may be ineffective for shielding as even a small hair line crack or dot is good enough to penetrate any external voltage which may have adverse effect on the devices inside the bag .
  3. Thus , for repeat application a cross check on shielding capability is advised to confirm that the bag is still worthy enough to call it and use it as an ESD shielding bag.
  4. However; as you said the area surrounded is continuously under static neutralization by way of ionization, it is a good practice. :+1:
  5. It is good to document all these factors in your ESD Control program plan.

Thank you