Importance of Electrostatic Discharge [ESD] protection during device repair

When you buy an Apple device or any high-end electronic device, it is an investment you make. Unforeseen accidents are a part of life, but when you pick a repair center to fix damage from those accidents, you must pick one equipped with the right tools and expertise, uses only original replacement parts, and has an ESD-protected area.

CelMetro understands the importance of these factors for the protection of your device from any additional harm during repair, and that’s why we have a dedicated area that is ESD protected, and we only use that for all repairs.

What is Static Electricity?

Lightning and sparks from a metallic doorknob during a dry month are examples of static electricity. The magnitude
of static charge is dependent on many variables, among them the size, shape, material composition, surface characteristics, and humidity.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the sudden flow of electricity between two electrically charged objects caused by contact, an electrical short, or dielectric breakdown.

ESD has several causes, but static electricity and electrostatic induction are the most common. Static electricity is often produced through tribocharging, while electrostatic induction results from the rearrangement of electrical charges as an object. Generally, tribocharging results when the surface of an object gains negative electrons as another object loses electrons and becomes positively charged. When opposite charged objects come into contact with each other, electrons transfer energy and then separate, creating a type of contact electrification of electrical charges.

What is an ESD protected area?

ESD stands for electrostatic discharge. In Hollywood movies like the ‘War of the Worlds’ and ‘Pacific Rim,’ it is shown what this can potentially do in damage when it destroys all electronic devices within a radius of a few kilometers – this is essential for someone absolutely clueless about the concept.

As the name suggests, an ESD-protected area is one where all surfaces, objects, and individuals are kept at the same electronic potential. This is achieved by grounding all conductors, installing ESD-protected insulators, and using an ionizer to neutralize process essential insulators.

ESD causes two types of electrical equipment damage, as follows:

To avoid ESD, we at CelMetro follow procedures to reduce or eliminate electrical current. We do not use any materials in our repair centers that have a potential high ESD buildup. Additionally, we have installed a special anti-static mat that is grounded and helps in blocking ESD.

We also use additional tools and equipments which are ESD compliant that protects electronic components in your device:

Ground bracelets or anti-static wrist strap: Worn on the wrist and attached to a ground conductor, such as a ground mat or ESD table. Safely directs static electricity to the ground.
Ground or anti-static mat: Plugs into an outlet to provide a grounding surface used to absorb static electricity.
Static shielding bag: Protects electronic components from static buildup via an anti-static agent or material.

Conclusion

Electrostatic discharge can damage an electronic device by adversely impacting productivity, quality, and product reliability. Even if the damage is not apparent immediately, the device, in some cases, would run slowly, or the lifespan would decrease. So, saving a hundred dirhams or so may eventually prove a lot costlier later. Therefore, choose wisely the next time your Apple iPhone, iPad, Mac, or any other device needs repair.

Francis Rodrigues
January 5, 2017
12:34 pm