A Trusted UK Supplier Of ESD Control Products Since 1986

General Questions

Bondline’s team has over 35 years of experience and knowledge of the electronics industry and extensive product range.

In this section you will find our most frequently asked questions (FAQs) and ESD glossary terms to help guide you around the topic of ESD.

For more information and any questions, please contact us.

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Bags and Packaging

Using the correct packaging and materials not only protects your static sensitive components, but it can save you money too. If you use incorrect packaging then you could potentially cause damage to your device/component.

See our ESD bag range here.

If bags, holding static sensitive components, are to be handled outside of an EPA, they should be metalised shielding bags – a faraday cage. Metalised shielding bags can be an effective faraday cage, subject to the quality of material and physical condition.

See our metalised shielding bag range here.

Metalised Shielding Bag

Do not crease the bag as this can breakdown the integrity of the metalised shield. You should not use any bags damaged with tears and / or punctures as these can destroy the function of the faraday cage. Metalised Shielding Bags can deteriorate with use, monitoring them for effectiveness is crucial.

See our metalised shielding bag range here.

Metalised Shielding Bag

They should only be used for non-static sensitive components, e.g. Nuts, bolts, paper. These are the only acceptable ‘plastic’ bags in an EPA. They offer no effective protection against a contact ESD. Antistatic bags deteriorate with wear and time, monitoring them is very important.

Note: Ordinary plastic bags can generate and hold static charges in excess of 10,000v!

See our antistatic bag range here.

Antistatic Bag

Moisture barrier bags are designed for the packaging of SMD’s protecting them from moisture and static damage. Dry devices are placed inside the moisture barrier bag and the moisture-laden is evacuated.

See our moisture barrier bag range here.

Moisture Barrier Bag

Humidity Indicator Cards (HIC’s) are used to determine when products have been exposed to moisture above recommended storage levels. They are a low-cost method of indicating humidity conditions inside a moisture barrier bag after vacuum packaging. Each Humidity Indicator Card is printed with moisture sensitive spots, which respond to various levels of humidity with a visible colour change from blue to pink. The humidity inside dry packed moisture metallised barrier bags can be monitored by including a HIC inside. When the bag is opened, the card can be examined for proper dryness inside the bag. This indicates that the barrier bag and the desiccants are functioned correctly.

In order to constantly verify that dry packaging methods are not compromised during storage and transport of products, Humidity Indicator Cards allow users along the supply chain to monitor the packages conditions. The cards are reversible and change as conditions change in the packaging environment, allowing users to monitor the conditions of product packaging.

How Do Humidity Indicator Cards Work?

Humidity Indicator Cards generally range from one spot to six spot cards. Our Standard Humidity Indicator Cards and Cobalt Dichloride Free Humidity Indicator Cards are available in three spot, four spot and six spot.

 

3 Spot 4 Spot 6 Spot

The indicator spots on the HICs change colour from blue to pink as humidity increases and from pink to blue as humidity decreases.

The indicator spots on the HICs change colour from blue to pink as humidity increases and from pink to blue as humidity decreases.

The indicator spots on the HICs change colour from blue to pink as humidity increases and from pink to blue as humidity decreases.

Humidity Indicator Card Humidity Indicator Card Humidity Indicator Card

 

 

Delivery & Returns

There are many factors that can affect the total delivery cost, including the weight of the item(s), the location the product will be delivered to, etc.

Generally, our delivery pricing is as follows:

  • Orders under £100 net – £7.00 shipping to UK mainland EX VAT (Subject to products available to order and heavy shipments.)
  • Orders over £100 net – Free shipping to UK mainland EX VAT (Subject to products available to order and heavy shipments.)
  • We can also offer free delivery based on large volume orders. If you wish to discuss this with us, please contact sales@bondline.co.uk.

To discuss overseas delivery cost or if you require more information, please contact us on tel: 01793 511000 or email: sales@bondline.co.uk.

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If your order has been processed it may be too late to cancel your delivery, please contact us as soon as possible. If the order has been dispatched, you can return it at your cost for a refund / credit note. If you have a specific day request for delivery we will endeavour to deliver on your requested day.

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Unfortunately, this is not a service that we are able to offer at present. But if you make a request in order notes we will endeavour to deliver on this date.

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Deliveries made by courier will always require a signature.

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Once we have received and processed your order you will be unable to change delivery address.

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If there is no one to receive your parcel by courier a card will be posted through your door advising of a delivery attempt. There will be a contact telephone number on there for your local branch. You can then use this card to arrange collection from the depot or re-delivery.

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We want all of our customers to be satisfied with their purchase but we also understand you may wish to return items. All products can be returned if they are in re-saleable condition and in the original packaging. Our return process is very simple. Please contact us on sales@bondline.co.uk or call 01793 511000 to discuss your return. We will give you confirmation to return for either a refund or credit note for future purchase.

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Please contact us to discuss if you have a fault with our products, we may have a solution that can be resolved without returning the product.

If we believe the item is faulty, we will either repair it or replace it under our warranty terms and conditions.

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We have three methods of delivery available for United Kingdom, see below for our different options.

We will deliver items based on your ‘shipping address’ requested when placing your order.

Orders totalling over £100 net are delivered free – UK Mainland. (Subject to products available to order and heavy shipments.)

UK Standard Delivery

Bondline Standard Delivery

We aim to deliver your goods from our warehouse within our normal dispatch time of 2-3 working days since placing your order (excluding weekends and UK public holidays). However, occasionally this can extend to 5-7 working days. If for any reason delivery time is longer than 7 working days, we will notify you.

UK Express Delivery

Bondline Express Delivery

If you would like to receive your delivery quicker, we have the option for pre-9am, pre-10am and pre-noon next day express delivery. We can also do the same with overseas deliveries.

UK Delivery Service

Bondline Delivery

Our parcels are sent via 1st Class Royal Mail Recorded Delivery. However, larger parcels will be sent via Fed Ex. All items will be shipped together unless due to unforeseen circumstances we are out of stock of a product. If this happens the said product will be placed on backorder. We aim for same day dispatch, most products will be dispatched within 2-3 days, the majority of stock products will be dispatched the same day if ordered by 1pm.

If you wish to collect your order, this can be arranged. Please kindly contact us first to ensure the item is available and collection is within our opening hours.

 

Please note: Once your item has been dispatched, we rely heavily on Royal Mail to deliver your items. If an item is thought to be lost in the post, we kindly ask you to check if your item is being held at your local Post Office. We are obliged to wait 15 working days from the dispatch date until we can resend your order. Royal Mail will not accept claims inside this 15 day period.

If for any reason Fed Ex is unable to deliver, they will try again the next working day, to request the consignment tracking number or for any further information regarding our deliveries please contact the office on +44 (0)1793 511000.

If goods have been damaged in transit, you must notify us within 48 hours of delivery to make a claim.

All returns to Bondline must be approved in advance.

If you want to return a purchased item for any reason, inform us on +44 (0)1793 511000 or email sales@bondline.co.uk to receive a returns reference or agreement. This reference must appear on the outside of the returned cartons and paperwork.

Return the product along with proof of purchase. Returned items must be defect-free and in a re-sellable condition and be returned within 30 days of purchase. If items are damaged a refund will not be provided. No product can be returned or credit issued for products after 30 days of purchase. A credit will be issued that can be used towards the purchase of any Bondline item. 20% will be deducted as a restocking charge.

You will be responsible for the safe return of unwanted items and the cost of returning it.

No restocking charge will apply to defective products or errors caused by Bondline.

If products are found to have fault, we will either dispatch a replacement item as soon as possible at no further cost. Alternatively we will repair the item and return and no extra cost.

The following items we are unable to accept return as per our terms and conditions of sale unless at Bondline’s fault:

  • Shoes & Clothing (Gloves) showing obvious wear.
  • Bespoke manufactured products.
  • Special printing or customised items such as embroidered clothing.
  • Goods that have been used.
  • Consumables that have been opened. Examples such as; ESD bags outer packaging opened or humidity cards tin opened.
  • Goods returned after 30 days of sale without prior agreement.

For further information, please contact the sales team by calling 01793 511000 or sales@bondline.co.uk.

 

ESD Care and Cleaning

An ESD floor requires specialised care when it comes to cleaning. If you do not clean or maintain your antistatic floor, you could compromise the ESD properties of the floor. This could lead to expensive replacement costs of the damaged electronics and the floor itself. In order for your floor to perform its best long-term, cleaning it regularly with an ESD floor cleaner is essential.

Our ESD floor cleaner is an excellent choice for removing contaminations of ESD flooring and eliminating static. Before using a floor cleaner, we recommend to brush/sweep your ESD floor with an ESD dustpan and broom to clear it of all sand, grit, debris, or dirt.

ESD dustpans and brushes are usually made from static-safe materials such as ESD Polypropylene. The Black PP is formulated from anti-static raw material with no additional coating, making it permanently ESD safe. Most dustpan and brooms are made from high static materials – these should not be used in an electrostatic protected area. To protect your EPA from ESD damage, use our anti-static dustpan and broom.

For ESD floor mats, we recommend using our KILLSTAT Floor Cleaner for optimum results. This cleaner is suitable for cleaning vinyl and rubber flooring materials. To remove water-based floor finishes, we recommend using our KILLSTAT Restorer/Cleaner. This is a non-toxic, bio-degradable solution which has been developed for cleaning ESD floors without affecting the ESD properties. Effective for cleaning any sealed or hard floor finish, lower the resistivity and return the floor to safe and proper specifications.

View our full range of ESD floor treatment products by clicking here.

ESD FLOOR CLEANER | BondlineESD Dustpan and Broom 5Killstat Restorer and Cleaner 1 Gallon | Bondline Electronics Ltd

Since dirt can behave as an insulator, it is important to regularly clean ESD mats before testing / monitoring the resistivity. Accumulated flux and residue creates a barrier on an ESD table mat, which inhibits the mat’s ESD properties. This barrier, in effect, restricts the mat from being able to quickly dissipate the charge of the component or product being worked on. Cleaning will also ensure optimum electrical performance and, by regularly cleaning, you will maintain the original resistivity of the anti-static mat whilst extending its shelf-life.

For ESD mats, we recommend using our Staticide Mat and Table Top Cleaner for optimum results. This non-abrasive formula is safe to use on workstations, table tops and anti-static mats, including rubber and vinyl. It is the ideal cleaner for areas in which static-sensitive devices are assembled, tested, and handled, but can also be used in areas that require a mild but effective cleaner. Mat & Table Top Cleaner is a non-flammable cleaner that leaves no film or streaks. It effectively removes flux residues, oily finger-marks, grease, nicotine, dirt, grime and inorganic contaminants. It also removes dirt on chair mats and other antistatic mats without degrading the surface’s antistatic properties.

How To Use Staticide Mat and Table Top Cleaner:

1) Apply liberally to the areas to be cleaned.

2) Wait 2-3 minutes to allow emulsifiers to penetrate.

3) Then wipe it off.

NEVER use alcohol or silicone-based products to clean an ESD mat. Alcohol will dry out the mat, while silicone will create an insulating barrier. Ultimately, both alcohol and silicone will corrode the mat’s ESD properties.

View our full range of ESD cleaning products by clicking here.

Staticide Mat and Table Cleaner

To correctly maintain and clean your ESD smocks, you should wash the garment in warm or cool water, tumble dry with low heat (up to 60°C) or hang dry. We recommend to only use non-ionic softeners and detergents when laundering; do not use bleach to clean your clothes as this can erode the carbon threading.

The ESD lab coat’s and ESD lab jacket’s fabric is constructed using 65% polyester, 32% cotton and 3% conductive yarn.

The recommended washing guidance is a minimum of 60 industrial washes for an ESD lab coat and 50 industrial washes for an ESD lab jacket at a medium temperature. Size tolerance applies before washing. Washing can cause approximately 5% shrinkage for each garment, although this shouldn’t be noticeable or affect the static dissipative properties. Please note that the washing guidance can vary between each manufacturer. Reference washing ways GB12014-1989.

In addition, lab coats and jackets should not be altered in any way. The lab coats’ and jackets’ effectiveness is in fully covering the human body– particularly at the wrists and front of the body. Altering the lab coat or jacket in any way will reduce its effectiveness.

To discover why ESD Lab Coats and Jackets are essential for EPAs, click here.

To view our full range of ESD clothes, click here.

Bondline ESD Lab JacketsBondline anti-static lab coats.

ESD Flooring

ESD flooring is an essential grounding solution that many businesses’ use to prevent electrostatic discharge in their static safe environments. It is widely used for industrial static control since many items in these areas are sensitive to static therefore prevention methods are required. By grounding the charge, anti-static flooring prevents the ESD from building up and discharging into the environment; where it could be destructive to goods or dangerous to people. To dissipate static, or draw static charges away from people or objects, the floor in any static-sensitive environment must be grounded. For electronics manufacturing applications that require the use of ESD footwear it’s fine to use charge-generating flooring materials like conductive vinyl.

If you intend to carry electrostatic sensitive devices around with you within the EPA, you should consider using ESD flooring in conjunction with the appropriate ESD footwear or ESD heel grounders to ground any static charge. Antistatic flooring should be installed in high-traffic/high-use networked environments to minimise static charge and to provide additional protection against static damage. ESD flooring should be installed anywhere the threat of uncontrolled static electricity buildup and discharge is a concern and could jeopardise the performance and operation of electronics systems or the handling, assembly and repair of electronics.

Click here to view our full range of ESD flooring.

Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles 8    ESD Permanent Flooring 5    Heavy Duty ESD Conductive Black Rubber Mat | Bondline Electronics Ltd

 

Selecting a flooring for your business can be overwhelming with many to choose from; especially when you need to consider the materials, industry standards and requirements. Anti static flooring is often a beneficial choice for industries such as healthcare, electronics and military locations.

Controls static discharge

The main purpose of ESD flooring is to help reduce possible electrostatic discharge (ESD). ESD flooring is especially important within industries where static can cause interference or damage to employees and/or equipment. These can include: electronic and high tech areas, cleanrooms, operating theatres, classrooms and industrial areas.

Excellent for high-traffic/high-use networked environments

ESD flooring minimises static charge and provides additional protection against static damage.

Grounds people and products

ESD flooring ensures people and products are grounded in the static sensitive environment.

Durable

The majority of anti static floors are manufactured from hard-wearing and long-lasting materials such as rubber, tiles and vinyl.

Low maintenance

Both installation and care of ESD floors are generally extremely simple. Most ESD floors can often be placed over existing floors, interlock, and can be sealed easily with floor finish products. At Bondline, we offer the very best in pre-sales and after-sales service including a free floor audit, expert advice, full preparation and installation service, annual testing and calibration and a full cleaning and after-care service.

Easy to clean

An ESD floor requires specialised care when it comes to cleaning. If you do not clean or maintain your antistatic floor, you could compromise the ESD properties of the floor. This could lead to expensive replacement costs of the damaged electronics and the floor itself. In order for your floor to perform its best long-term you should use the appropriate floor treatments such as our ESD floor cleaner.

Click here to view our full range of ESD flooring materials.

Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles 8

If you are looking for a flooring solution for your workplace that controls static charge, you may be wondering what the difference is between ESD and anti static flooring and which one to purchase. Ultimately, each type of flooring prevents a person from building up a charge as they walk across the floor so they do not get a shock when they touch something that conducts electricity. However, the top layer of an anti-static floor has a coating that dissipates static across its surface so you never build up enough charge to get a shock, whereas ESD is a much more robust solution because it is actually earthed. ESD flooring gives a much higher level of protection than anti-static matting. This is because it is actually grounded.

The term anti-static refers to a very specific electrical resistance range of between 10⁹ and 10 to the 11 and only means that the floor itself will not generate static. It does not mean that the floor will eliminate static build up or dissipate static that may have already been built up in the body. This can only be achieved with a conductive (resistance range of between 10⁴ x 10⁶) or a dissipative (10⁷ to 10⁹) floor covering.

In general, you will need an ESD floor if you are manufacturing, repairing, servicing, handling or using equipment that is susceptible to damage from electro-static discharge, typical sectors would include the manufacture of components for the electronics industry, aviation, automotive, IT, medical, oil and gas, telecoms and IT for example. For electronics manufacturing applications that require the use of ESD footwear it’s fine to use charge-generating flooring materials like conductive vinyl.

Click here to view our full range of ESD Flooring.

Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles 8

In many cases it is possible depending on your current flooring. We recommend a site survey to establish whether this is possible or if your existing floor needs to be removed before the new ESD floor can be laid.

If you would like to discuss this further with our team, please contact us and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.

ESD Grounding

Yes, in accordance with IEWC 61340-5-1 ESD footwear must be worn on both feet.

View our range of foot grounding products here.

Or, see our bestselling foot grounding product below.

When wearing heel straps/foot grounders in an ESD Protected Area, it is recommended that the conductive ribbon should make direct contact with the skin for maximum effectiveness. However, a conductive ribbon may be placed inside a wearer’s shoe underneath their sock to make electrical contact with the skin through perspiration. If the wearer chooses to place the ribbon underneath their sock, there are a few key factors you should consider. Socks can have varying material composition and thickness. Despite this, as long as the wearer’s feet are producing a sufficient sweat layer, it will make their socks conduct providing a conductive layer between each foot (skin) and grounding ribbon. Before handling electronic static-sensitive devices, ensure you allow enough time to develop a good layer of sweat in order to make the sock conductive enough to effectively bond the skin to the ribbon. You can check the continuity of the foot grounder via a footwear tester. If you would prefer to wear ESD shoes then please view our range here.

ESD shoes

When applying a disposable heel strap, you should apply the strap within a static-controlled environment.

Step 1) Align the pressure-sensitive end of products with the front edge and centre of shoe heel.

Step 2) Peel the protective liner and mount the device. Press it firmly to the bottom of the heel.

Step 3) Wrap the contact ribbon of the heel grounder up the back of the shoe and lay it inside.

Step 4) Step into the shoe.

Step 5) Repeat steps one to four on the other shoe.

disposable heel strap

Wrist straps are not necessary if an operator is wearing two-foot grounders on a conductive grounded floor and doesn’t lift both heels/toes at the same time; like some people do when sitting down. If an operator is also wearing an ESD jacket but is not electrically connecting the jacket to either their body’s skin or ground, then the jacket is providing only partial protection.

Charges on the jacket may have nowhere to go or discharge to if the jacket is not grounded. A popular way to ground the jacket is with a coil cord either attached to a snap on the waist area of the jacket or via a wrist strap snapped to the inside cuff of an ESD jacket.

Click here to view our full range of ESD wrist straps.

ESD Wrist Strap

ESD wrist straps come in a variety of materials, but the general concept for each is the same; to provide a path for electrostatic ground.

For an ESD control wrist strap to work, it is either connected to earth bonding points fitted into workstations, typically via 10 mm press studs, or come with a removable coiled cord and crocodile clip for mobile applications.

The strap is fastened around your wrist using an adjustable band. The wristband should be worn snug to the skin with its coil cord connected to a common point ground which is connected to ground, preferably equipment ground. Typically, the alligator clip is attached to the computer or sensitive electronic device being worked on.

An anti static strap must be connected to a grounding source like a bonding plug in conjunction with a ground lead in order for them to be effective.

Once an ESD wrist strap has been secured to the wrist and connected to the earth bonding point or sensitive piece of equipment, you are safe to work without fear of ESD occurring. This allows you and your workforce to go about your daily tasks freely and drastically reduces the chances of static electricity building up.

Working on PCB Bondline Vinyl Bench Matting Workstation | Bondline Electronics Ltd

The goal of using ESD wrist straps is to safely provide a way for static electricity to dissipate without causing electrostatic damage. The less ESD events that occur the better. An ESD protected work environment will enhance safety which helps to increase efficiency and production. While ESD wrist straps are highly effective pieces of equipment, it’s always best to support safety initiatives with the addition of ESD mats and other essential supplies. Short-term investments in high-quality ESD gear will pay off in the long-term.

Operators should use an anti static wristband to ensure any static discharge has a way to go from themselves to the ground safely. Without wearing a wristband whilst working on a static sensitive device/component you could effectively transfer static discharge onto the item and cause significant damage. This can be very costly to replace and time-consuming.

By wearing a wrist strap, you are not only taking an important step to prevent ESD from inflicting damage but you are also setting an example to your peers and managers.

There is no specific rule on a lifespan of a wrist strap. Any company policies should be followed on replacements but a good general rule of thumb is to look at the overall use, possible wear and cleanliness of your individual wrist strap.

Often companies determine a guideline on replacing them annually, semi-annually or quarterly. 

This small change can often feel good for those that use a wrist strap daily and especially those who share a wrist strap at a common workbench or workstation.

It can be a small investment in employee satisfaction to have an upgrade to the tools and equipment on a regular basis.  Replacing a wrist strap can be a small but strong signal from management that the company cares about proper ESD procedures.

Which wrist you decide to wear your anti static wrist strap on is often a matter of personal preference. 

If you have the grounding point for the wrist strap cord on your left you may find wearing the wrist strap on your left makes the most sense.  That way the cord isn’t dragging across your work. 

However, you may find that it is better for you to move the grounding point to your right and then wear the wrist strap on your right hand.

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