ESD S20.20

ElectroStatic Discharge (ESD) is the common occurrence of a momentary electrical shock given off by a person or virtually any 'charged' object. (Think of dragging your feet across a carpet and then touching a doorknob.) These shocks can be as powerful as 1000v or more. Unprotected electronic components can very easily be damaged or rendered defective by such charges. Uncontrolled accidental discharges can cost organizations manufacturing or handling electronic components tens of thousands of dollars in rejections or rework.

ANSI/ESD S20.20-1999 is the industry-wide standard for the Development of an Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) Control Program. It covers the requirements necessary to develop, implement, and maintain an ESD Control Program to protect today's increasingly sensitive electrical or electronic parts, assemblies and equipment from ESD damage. Using the control methods and guidance’s included in the standard, an organization will be able to achieve an ESD Control Program to protect devices down to 100v or less.

To download a copy of the ANSI/ESD S20.20 standard, go to:http://www.esda.org/s2020.html

Utilized by numerous international OEM's and serving as the replacement for Mil-Std 1686, the S20.20 standard has quickly become highly-regarded in the Commercial Electronic, Telecommunication, Aerospace, Automotive and Medical Device industries as the preferred means to prevent costly field failures and in-house re-work of electronic components. As an example, the TL 9000 standard now references the S20.20 standard as a 'best practice' for meeting the ESD Control needs of the Telecommunications industry.

Simply put, an ESD Control Program helps eliminate component failures before they occur, thus saving your organization valuable time and money, while increasing customer satisfaction. NQA's ESDA-accredited Facility Certification program offers organizations a method to ensure their program meets the expected requirements and provides evidence of compliance for customers and marketing purposes.

ANSI/ESD S20.20 integrates well with existing management systems such as ISO 9001, TL 9000, AS 9100 or ISO 13485 (but these are not pre-requisites of and ANSI/ESD S20.20 program). Facility Certification to S20.20 is conducted via focused annual audits which NQA can typically conduct over a day or two duration.

Download a PDF file of the ESD 20.20 Registration Services