Five Key Elements to Remember Before Deciding ESD Safe Chair

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Five Key Elements to Remember Before Deciding ESD
Safe Chair
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(No Transcript)
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ESD-SAFE WORK CHAIR

• We feel the effects of static electricity so
  often, and usually it's quite harmless. But in
  Electronic workplaces such as an electronics
  assembly line or electronics testing laboratory,
  ESD or Electrostatic Discharge poses a serious
  danger. Not so much to the operators but to the
  high impedance microprocessor based PCB
  assemblies, Electronic equipments and components
  being worked upon.
• Besides other equipment required to counter the
  effects of ESD, it is essential that you also
  equip your lab with specially and scientifically
  designed ESD safe furniture. Getting ESD safe
  chairs to complement your ESD work tables is
  definitely called for.
• All design elements in an ESD chair including the
  ESD seats and backs, the mechanism for tilting,
  the hydraulic cylinder, the star base and the ESD
  casters should all be designed to conduct the ESD
  to be discharged to the ESD flooring in the
  respective laboratories.
• So deciding to buy an ESD chair to minimize the
  risk of ESD is an important requirement.
• But how do you pick the right chair? Here are 5
  qualities to look for

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1. THIRD PARTY VERIFICATION

• There are many ESD chairs available in the market
  that claim to be ESD safe. Ask for third party
  certification to ensure the chair has been tested
  and will deliver as advertised. From the chair
  seat and backrest to the ESD chair casters and
  other plastic or metal parts, every component
  should discharge static electricity as per
  recognized standards.
• The world's leading manufacturers such as
  Werksitz (Germany) produce ESD chairs as per
  stringent international standards i.e. ANSI ESD
  S20.20-2014 defined by Electrostatic Discharge
  Association ESDA, IEC-EN-61340-S1 defined by
  The International Electro technical Commission.
• While checking the Chair for its ESD properties,
  the resistive range while using a megger, should
  be in the range of (1106) to (1107) one
  megaohm to ten megaohm.

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2. ERGONOMICS

• While your primary motive may be ESD protection,
  don't forget that the operator will be spending
  many hours at a stretch on the chair. The
  operator will also be reaching out to various
  instruments, bins, soldering iron and keyboards.
  For this he would be continuously moving left,
  right, up and down, so the chair selected should
  facilitate him to do it easily while supporting
  his back extensively. Long hours of such work
  without a properly designed chair, results in
  discomfort and thus loss of productivity. So
  comfort and ergonomics is extremely important.
  Ergonomic chairs are designed to promote good
  posture, promote productivity and minimise risks
  of workers developing injuries or problems from
  repetitive tasks or long hours of sitting.
• The seat's height, depth and angle the
  backrest's angle and lumbar support the smooth
  movement of the casters the supportive armrests
  - all this needs to be considered - and adjusted
  to serve individual employees. A chair that can
  be easily adapted for personal needs will assure
  sitting comfort and good back support. Moreover,
  the chair should be sturdy and well supported by
  heavy duty casters to allow smooth movement and
  prevent accidents.
• The appropriate standard for this functionality
  is DIN 68877 (occupational health and safety
  standard).

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3. WARRANTY

• Check out the chair's warranty before choosing to
  buy. There will be cheaper options with little or
  no warranty, but such chairs are sure to be less
  effective and less durable. Your chair should
  come with at least a 3-5 year warranty, to ensure
  you're buying a good product from an excellent
  manufacturer.

4. UPHOLSTERY
While deciding the seat covering for the seat and
back of the chair, you have many choices and you
have to choose appropriately. Some find ESD PU
more suitable, others find Synthetic leather or
fabric more comfortable some prefer a material
that's stain-resistant and easy to clean.
Depending on the needs of your workplace and
operators, look for chair coverings that fulfill
your needs while providing effective cover from
static electricity. Please note that the ESD
characteristic of the chair especially of the
seat and back should not wear away with time.
There are many cheaper chairs in the market where
only an ESD spray is used over the material on
the seat and back. This can soon wear off and you
would have a chair with Zero ESD characteristic
which is dangerous for the electronic circuits.
As per ISO 9000, when your assembly or test unit
is checked for ESD compliance, you will find that
such chairs made by these poor quality
manufacturers will not meet the desired
parameters of ESD.
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MATERIALS CAN BE OF DIFFERENT TYPES

• 1. Polyurethane The PU chair has a typical
  material density of 300-700 Kg/m3 and is directly
  molded into the shape of the seat/ backrest. This
  makes the chair extremely rugged, durable and
  wear resistant. The ESD type PU material is
  especially unique in its kind as it provides
  volumetric ESD properties and is washable with
  regular IPAs (Isopropyl Alcohol).
• ESD chemicals are mixed in the PU material at the
  time of molding, which gives it uniform ESD
  properties throughout its volume. This material
  can be used in non-certified ESD cleanroom
  areas (gtclass10000), regular ESD areas and shop
  floors.
• Refer Photo of Messung ESD Thermoplastic PU
  Chair

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MATERIALS CAN BE OF DIFFERENT TYPES

• 2. Synthetic leather This material needs to be
  upholstered over white PU foam with typical
  density of 50-55 Kg/m3.
• ESD leatherette material is made by mixing ESD
  material with the resin at the time of
  manufacturing. This material is easily cleanable
  with IPAs, and can be used in non-certified ESD
  cleanroom areas (gtclass10000) and regular ESD
  areas.
• Ref photo of Messung ESD Synthetic Leather
  Chair

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MATERIALS CAN BE OF DIFFERENT TYPES

• 3. Fabric This material needs to be upholstered
  over white PU foam with typical density of 50-55
  Kg/m3.
• Fabric ESD material is prepared by interweaving
  ESD threads with regular fabric threads in an
  amount which helps achieve the ESD range as
  desired.
• Refer Photo Messung ESD Fabric Chair

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5. REPUTED MANUFACTURER
It makes sense to check out the credentials of
the manufacturer when buying ESD chairs. What is
their experience and reputation? Do they have a
good track record? Do they have a good service
network? Will they customize products for you? Do
they have expertise in ESD Ergonomics domains?
It always pays to go with a supplier you can
trust. Most important is that the manufacturer
should follow international standards for
manufacturing, especially the ISO 9001-2008.
CONCLUSION
ESD chairs are essential furniture equipment for
environments working with static sensitive
electronics and devices. If you're going to buy
such chairs please evaluate the chairs on the
basis of these five points to ensure you make the
right choice, and keep not only your expensive
electronics safe but also keep your workers
happy, comfortable and productive for
years. Messung Group the pioneer of automation
industry in India, brings you Navonmesh a
unique initiative to make India proud with its
best-in-class Make in India capabilities. Under
Navonmesh, Messung presents the AFM-PLUS Series
of ESD worktables, ESD chairs and stools, test
measuring devices, antistatic workbench and
testing equipment, and ergonomic solutions for
the electronic industry.
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