Fowler Associates Labs

Questions From Readers

This question was submitted by Ernest F. Kidhardt, Sr. Engineer, EMS Technologies, Norcross, Georgia:

"We manufacture ferrite-based antennas and wireless systems for military, aerospace and commercial use. In the course of maintaining an ESD program in support of these products, we use metallized bags for enclosing ESD-sensitive materials and assemblies.

A colleague recently reported that in a past organization where he worked, hi company was faulted for not instituting proper controls for the use of metallized bags when an outside auditor found some metallized bags that, with repeated use, failed a resistivity test.

Other than instituting a strict 'one-time use only' for metallized bags which would appear to be very expensive, have your readers and subscribers to your organization reported an alternate method of controlling the electrical degradation of metallized bags?"

E-mail your answers or suggestions to qestionsmbag@esdjournal.com