What Are Anti Static Bags?
Anti static bags, otherwise referred to as ESD bags, static shielding bags or ESD shielding bags, are important items for all businesses that deal with large amounts of technology and equipment on a daily basis. However, a lot of people do not understand what anti static bags are or how they could benefit their business. So, what are anti static bags, and could these help your business to keep its equipment and workers safe?
What is an Anti Static Bag?
If you do not know what an anti static bag is, that is not surprising; a lot of business owners do not necessarily know about these wonderful products and the benefits that they can offer from a safety perspective. Luckily, though, we are here to help you understand how investing in anti static ESD bags could be beneficial for your business.
An anti static bag, as the name would suggest, is a type of bag that is designed to help negate the effects of electro static discharge. Electro static discharge can be potentially dangerous for many reasons, especially to your workforce; the strong flow of electricity can potentially do a great deal of damage. To put it in perspective, lightning is considered to be an example of an incredibly strong electro static discharge; as such, it is easy to see how dangerous even a small discharge could be to both your business’ workers and to any surrounding equipment.
Static shielding bags are important for businesses that deal with large amounts of electrical equipment. ESD bags work by helping to shield against this sudden flow of electricity, thereby meaning that workers and any surrounding equipment will be protected from the dangers associated with a powerful spark. Anti Static ESD now supplies shielding bubble and pink anti static bubble, which offer the benefits of bubble protection for transport, as well as providing anti static protection. The anti static bubble bags come in two variants; pink anti static bubble bags and static shielding bubble bags. If you are looking for anti static bubble bags with more lasting anti static protection, we would recommend purchasing our static shielding bubble bags. The pink anti static bubble bags are ideal for packaging sensitive components which will be removed from the bubble bag within 1 year.
What are ESD Bags Made From?
ESD bags are made from a variety of high quality materials. These work together to help to shield anyone or anything in the vicinity of the bag from the dangerous effects of electro static discharges, which could potentially result in injuries or electrical fires breaking out.
In general, the majority of commercial ESD bags, commonly known as static shielding bags are made from premium plastic polyethylene terephthalate, otherwise known as PET. This gives metallised static shielding bags a notably distinctive coloring; usually, they will either be silvery in color if made with metallised film, or will otherwise be pink or black if finished with just polyethylene. However, some varieties of metallised static shielding bags may use other styles as the outer casing of the bag, including foam or bubble wrap made from the same PET material for the utmost level of safety and protection.
Underneath the outer layer of the bag, there will then be a number of layers of protective materials that can absorb any stray electro static discharge. The more layers the bag is made with, the better it will work overall; here at Anti Static ESD, we pride ourselves on making only the highest quality static shielding bags to ensure our customers’ satisfaction and safety.
What’s the Difference Between ESD Bags and Dissipative Anti Static Bags?
ESD bags and dissipative pink anti static bags are very similar in nature, however, there are a few notable differences between the two. The biggest difference is in regards to the level of protection that is provided by the two bags.
ESD bags are the most reliable type of product for people looking for anti static protection. These types of bags provide safety from both the inside and the outside of the bag; in other words, if a charge meets with the outside of the bag then this will not be conducted into the inside of the bag, where the electrical components are being stored.
Anti static bags work a little differently. These are still incredibly useful products to have for a business, however, they cannot protect from external charges; in other words, electricity from the outside of the bag will be conducted into the bag. However, electro static discharges from inside the bag will still be protected by these bags. This means that shielding bags need to be stored a little differently so as to ensure that they do not come into contact with electro static charges; however, they are still suitable for looking after your workers and equipment.
Are Static Shielding Bags or Anti Static Bags Necessary?
If you are trying to decide whether or not to invest in ESD static shielding bags for your business then it is important that you check the benefits for your business. Indeed, if your business deals with a large amount of electrical equipment then making the investment could be a good step for you to take, as quality ESD static shielding bags will help you keep both your premises and workers safe from the dangers of anti static discharges. It is also important to note that ESD shield bags can be supplied as open top ESD bags or resealable ESD bags.
However, static shielding bags can come with high price tags. As such, if your business does not use high power electrical equipment frequently then you may be able to make more significant safety improvements by investing in other types of equipment. This is a distinction that you must make carefully in order to ensure that you are choosing the right type of safety equipment for your business.
How to Choose the Right ESD Bags
Choosing the correct ESD bags or ESD packaging is something which can cause a headache for many people. After all, there are numerous different things which you need to consider when thinking about the right ESD bags for your needs – unfortunately, though, getting this decision right then comes with the complication that, if you don’t, you’ll potentially be putting your workers, equipment and customers at risk of electrostatic discharge.
Clearly, then, this is important to get right. If you fail to pick the right ESD bags, you could also be putting yourself and other people at risk, which is why it’s so vital to check the requirements of your ESD packaging. Luckily, though, there’s no reason to panic or fret – our team can help you make this choice.
What Is ESD Packaging?
First things first, it’s important that you understand what ESD packaging actually is. ESD bags are a form of metallised shielding bags; they serve as anti static packaging in order to prevent electrostatic discharge from coming into contact with the products within the bag, as well as preventing the aforementioned electrostatic discharge from being released by the product inside. This serves to provide protection both internally and externally, keeping everyone and everything safe from damage.
The Types of ESD Bags
When packaging a product, you’ll want to consider three different types of ESD Bags. In doing so, you’ll be able to make sure that your products remain the safest that they can be. The three different types of ESD packaging are designed for different applications and products, so consider this carefully before making your final choice.
Intimate ESD Packaging
First up, we have intimate ESD packaging. These types of bags are designed to be able to come into contact with static sensitive products, without risking electrostatic discharge from escaping.
Proximity ESD Packaging
Next, there is proximity ESD packaging. Proximity packaging is suitable for most applications, but not all. This is due to the fact that the packaging is suitable for sealing away the product in question – however, it cannot safely come into contact with the static sensitive product or component.
Secondary Packaging
The shipping process for products can be dangerous and turbulent, and so effective packaging is absolutely necessary in order to protect the items being moved around. Secondary packaging plays this role and should be used alongside ESD packaging to protect the product from damage during the shipping process; for example, impact proof packaging will be able to stop the product from getting dented while it is on the go.
Get Your ESD Bags and ESD Packaging Today!
If you need high quality ESD packaging then look no further than our own team. We offer a wide range of different products; to learn more about how we can help you find the right ESD bags, give us a call today on: 0121 3395 150.