The recent InCompliance article Achieving Perfect ESD Audits for S20.20 ESD Control Programs discusses the ESD Control Plan of General Dynamics Mission Systems facility in Bloomington, MN ESD Control Plan and their ongoing effort to manage the program. The article outlines the program as follows:
- ESD Training Program
- Recurrent ESD Auditing Program
- Changes Made to the Program That Improved Discipline and Audit Results
- 12” rule violations
- Operators Using Defective or Unplugged Constant Monitors
- Stop signs
- Ionizer violations
- Out of date calibration stickers
- Faraday shielding violations
- Repeat violations
- ESD smock violations
- Heel strap violations
- ESD cart violations
- Soldering iron violations
- ESD event monitoring
Managing an ESD Control Plan is all about continuous improvement and continues to become more complicated for manufactures. An ESD Control Plan that improves productivity, quality, and reliability and is flexible enough to accommodate changes and improvements in the manufacturing process is ideal. Factors that must be considered in the long term management of an ESD Control Plan include:
- Value increasing of electronic devices being manufactured
- Devices are increasing in sensitivity to ESD
- Automation and other changes to the manufacturing process
ESD Control Plans must evolve to keep pace with costs, device sensitivities, and the way devices are manufactured in the future. Desco has been working with companies to help manage their ESD Control Plans for over 30 years. Please let us know how we can help make your next ESD audit perfect.