Preventing Electrostatic Damage; Packaging And Transporting Precautions - HP Compaq nx9500 Series Maintenance And Service Manual

Removal and Replacement Preliminaries

4.4 Preventing Electrostatic Damage

Many electronic components are sensitive to electrostatic
discharge (ESD). Circuitry design and structure determine the
degree of sensitivity. Networks built into many integrated circuits
provide some protection, but in many cases, the discharge
contains enough power to alter device parameters or melt silicon
junctions.
A sudden discharge of static electricity from a finger or other
conductor can destroy static-sensitive devices or microcircuitry.
Often the spark is neither felt nor heard, but damage occurs.
An electronic device exposed to electrostatic discharge might not
be affected at all and can work perfectly throughout a normal
cycle. Or the device might function normally for a while, then
degrade in the internal layers, reducing its life expectancy.
4.5 Packaging and Transporting
Precautions
Use the following grounding precautions when packaging and
transporting equipment:
■
To avoid hand contact, transport products in static-safe
containers, such as tubes, bags, or boxes.
■
Protect all electrostatic-sensitive parts and assemblies with
conductive or approved containers or packaging.
■
Keep electrostatic-sensitive parts in their containers until the
parts arrive at static-free workstations.
■
Place items on a grounded surface before removing items from
their containers.
■
Always be properly grounded when touching a sensitive
component or assembly.
■
Store reusable electrostatic-sensitive parts from assemblies in
protective packaging or nonconductive foam.
■
Use transporters and conveyors made of antistatic belts and
roller bushings. Ensure that mechanized equipment used for
moving materials is wired to ground and that proper materials
are selected to avoid static charging. When grounding is not
possible, use an ionizer to dissipate electric charges.
4–4 Maintenance and Service Guide