Static control garment performance has improved to the point where garments can now provide an even greater level of protection than wrist straps and be much more efficient.
Static control garments have become an important means of controlling static electricity. Improvements and developments in fabrics and performance functions of the garments now make ESD garments an important element of a total static control program.
While a wrist strap tethered by a ground cord to a ground connection will sufficiently ground a person, this grounding means does nothing to control or drain the charges that can accumulate on a persons clothing. These charges can radiate a static field and/or discharge onto a static-sensitive product. The ability to ground the person and the garment through one grounding means is desirable.
This can be accomplished when the static control garment has a body contact means (ESD cuffs), panel-to-panel electrical continuity through the garment and a single grounding point (typically located on a lower hip pocket) which serves as the means to ground the body of the wearer and the garment which shields the wearer’s clothing.
There are numerous advantages of a garment like this is:
* Non-tethering at the wrist, which is required when only a wrist strap is worn. This is also a safety factor, allowing the wearer the freedom of two untethered hands.
* The built-in wrist strap feature on a groundable garment makes it very simple to test the garment and grounding of the person using traditional wrist strap testers,
* This design is also compatible with continuous monitoring – the ability to monitor the garment’s shielding capabilities and the personal grounding.
Consider the effectiveness, comfort and efficiency of grounding your garments and people through the use of ESD cuffs on your static control garments.