Because electronic components are growing smaller and more sensitive, it is critical to ensure they are protected against ESD events including static discharge. Per ANSI/ESD S20.20, “Protective packaging is required to store, transport, and protect ESDS electronic items during all phases of production.” As stated in the newer 2018 requirements for ANSI/ESD S541, the shielding requirement was updated that remaining discharge for the bags should be 20 nanojoules or less. One of the more popular bags is a low charging Pink Poly bag. The bags are made of a tinted polyethylene material plus an antistatic coating that might wear away. This turns the bag become an insulator over time, thus it’s no longer in compliance with ANSI/ESD S541 recommendations. These bags are also lacking discharge shielding protection which makes components within the bag subject to ESD event damage. Metallized Shielding bags are made with a metalized polyester film and a low charging polyethylene laminate. This provides them with a shielding layer creating a Faraday cage protecting the ESD-sensitive components within the bag from possible ESD event damage. The low charging layers of the bag prevent tribocharging from occurring, which minimizes the buildup of ESD charges when handling components.

Ever been questioned by your quality manager about shelf life on ESD bags? Maybe it’s an internal quality procedure that’sbeing written and you want to know the manufacturer’s position on the shelf life of ESD packaging. Well today we will look at the details of ESD Static Control bag storage and the expected shelf life. There are thousands of options to consider when talking about shelf life. Temperature, conditions of the storage rack, transportation method, and local climate to name a few. So the points to take away are this:

• Avoid extremes: Hot, cold, sunlight, moisture, add controls when possible
• In a controlled environment, our ESD bags have seen 5 years of provable shelf life.
• Follow the FIFO process as a best practice for inventory.
• ESD static bag manufacturers that we represent has a 1 yr warranty from the date of purchase. Be sure to audit yearly or before use as a best practice and to be sure that your devices are getting the best protection.
• If the bags are questionable, recycle them at your local recycling center and order new ones from Restronics Florida.