ESD Glove Testing for ANSI/ESD S20.20-2020 Compliance
Factory - Cleanroom - High Bay - Headend -Sterile Environments
ESD Glove Test , Validation & Certification
Bob Vermillion, Chair
ANSI/ESD Working Group 15 ESD Gloves
ANSI/ESD SP15.1-2015 is one of the tests used to measure the resistance of finger cots in combination with a person for volume resistance. Testing is required at 50% and for a pre-conditioning period at 12% +/- 3% RH.
Due to the influx of offshore suppliers that test only to 50%, the need for glove testing is mandatory where critical components are manufactured or assembled.
The other less spoken issue is the influx of suspect counterfeit and non-compliant ESD gloves flooding the US market since COVID due to the breakdown in the global supply chain.
The article to the right continues to be read and reviewed by interested individuals as the problem today has not changed since the publication date of 2014.
Material Qualification Testing for ESD Gloves
As many are aware, the threshold for failure on a disk drive is now under 1 volt. Any material or package that comes into direct contact with a device, can damage or destroy a disk.
Due to the dominant use of offshore ESD glove suppliers, the need for periodic verification and initial ESD Qualification of gloves is well taken by many in the disk drive, medical device and aerospace/defense sectors.
The need for due diligence on behalf of Quality Manufacturing continues to be a concern as companies look to reduce costs of manufacturing.
May the buyer beware when purchasing out of online catalogs without current test data, inaccurate test data (within 2 years) or no data at all, an even more common occurrence today.
Due to the noted influence of offshore manufacturers, some consultants and Industry-led organizations continue to promote ESD testing at ambient temperatures. In turn, the Manufacturer receives an easy pass for a material that is not compliant for an enduser in the medical device, aerospace & Defense and automotive field.
Learn more from RMV, whose widely published articles in the USA and abroad of materials, products and packaging that perform in low RH and extreme temperatures outside the Electrostatic Protected Area (EPA) with hard data to support findings for Industry and Government organizations.