Automatic handling equipment-the role of equipment maker on ESD protection

The increased use of automatic handling equipment has resulted in a situation where the impact of CDM and MM ESD events had surpassed HBM ESD events as the major contributor of ESD failures. Unfortunately, many automatic equipment suppliers are not aware of what measures need to be taken to address ESD issues within the machine itself. The paper discusses some of the wrong ESD protection set ups within the equipment and the corrective actions taken to address the ESD concerns within the equipment.