ESD Challenges in the South African Economy

ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) can cause problems in various sectors of the economy due to its potential to damage sensitive electronic components and systems.

Here are some sectors that may experience ESD-related problems:

Electronics Manufacturing: ESD can lead to damage during the production process, affecting the quality and reliability of electronic components and devices. Sensitive microchips, integrated circuits, and other electronic parts can be permanently damaged by electrostatic discharges, resulting in increased product failure rates and higher manufacturing costs.
Healthcare and Medical Devices: Many medical devices, such as monitors, diagnostic equipment, and electronic implants, are highly susceptible to ESD during the manufacturing process which can lead to defective equipment being delivered into the marketplace.
Automotive Manufacturing: Modern vehicles incorporate numerous electronic systems for various functions, including engine management, safety features, and infotainment. ESD during vehicle assembly or repair can damage these electronic components, leading to potential malfunctions and warranty claims.
Printing Industry: ESD in gravure printing press plants can lead to sparks and small fires breaking out in or near the ink pads which can get out of control unless controlled. In offset printing paper jamming, sheet feed issues, and paper registration alignments can go south unless ESD is controlled. In the packing process rewinding film onto coils can lead to ‘curling’ and/or film material ‘sticking’ together unless ESD is eradicated.
Work Site Dust in all of the foregoing sectors of the economy can compromise quality control standards and norms leading to inferior/faulty products being produced.

In all of these sectors, ESD-related problems can lead to financial losses, decreased product reliability, increased warranty claims, and damage to brand reputation.

Implementing proper ESD prevention measures such as Ikeuchi’s dry mist atomization systems is a solution backed-up by proven case studies.