Conformity Magazine - September 2008 - (Page 14)

Although founded and headquartered in Rome, NY in 1982, the ESD Association has a strong international flavor. Its members come from more than 30 countries throughout the world. They serve on Association standards committees, present technical papers at the annual EOS/ESD Symposium, and provide the communication links with similar organizations in other countries. The Association, a non-profit organization, is comprised primarily of volunteers from industries concerned with the effects of electrostatic discharge. The Rome headquarters has a staff of five people, including the Operations Manager, Standards Administrator, Marketing Administrator and support staff. The Association has established informal and formal relationships with similar organizations in various countries. The formal relationships include the Reliability Center of Japan, Productivity Standards Board (PSB) in Singapore, Electronics Industry Association of Japan (EIAJ), ESD Forum of Germany, ESREF in Europe, ABRICEM in Brazil, iNARTE in the United States, and JEDEC. The ESD Association is responsible for representing the interest of the United States at the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) in the area of electrostatics. With the increasing need for global harmonization in the area of standards, the international focus of the ESD Association is vitally important. The Real Cost of Static Electricity In ordinary circumstances, static electricity and ESD are little more than an annoyance. However, in an increasingly technological age, the familiar static shock we receive when walking across a carpet can be costly or dangerous. This same static discharge can ignite flammable mixtures and damage electronic components. Static electricity can attract contaminants in clean environments, or cause products to stick together. The cost of ESD-damaged electronic devices alone ranges from only a few cents for a simple diode to several hundred dollars for complex hybrids. Loss of production time in web processing industries due to static attraction is significant. When associated costs of repair and rework, shipping, labor, and overhead are included, the opportunities clearly exist for significant improvements in reducing losses to ESD and static electricity. Standards The ESD Association standards development program began in 1982. Wrist straps, ionization and ESD control garments were the first committees formed. The committees—made up of users and manufacturers—collaborate to develop test methods for ESD control materials evaluation that ensure repeatable results across the industry. Figure 1: The current ESD Association Board. Pictured are (from left to right) Gianluca Boselli, Timothy Jarrett, Donn Bellmore, Dale Parkin, Michele McSwain, John Kinnear, David E. Swenson, Leo G. Henry, Donn Pritchard, Kay Adams, Arnie Steinman, Charvaka Duvvury, and Tim Maloney 1 Conformity September 2008

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Conformity Magazine - September 2008 Contents Editor’s Note Commission Adopts Regulations for Internet-Based TRS Services Another Company Fined for Non-Compliance with HAC Requirements FCC Extends “Do-Not-Call” Registry Compliance Requirements Marketing Company Gets $1.4 Million Fine for Junk Faxes EU Commission Codifies Directive on TTE Market Competition EU Commission Releases Updated Standards List for the R&TTE Directive Updated Standards List for the “New” Low Voltage Directive Released New Standards List Released for the EU’s Machinery Directive The ESD Association: Voluntary Standards in Action ESD Open Forum Medical EMC Standards: Towards the 4th Edition of IEC 60601-1-2 iNARTE Informer Pre-Pulse Voltage in the HBM ESD Model Digital Interfaces and EMC Performance ESD Design Buyer’s Guide Product News Commission Publishes Updated Standards List for the EU’s Personal Protective Equipment Directive FDA Links “Human Factors” to Adverse Events with Medical Devices CPSC Actions in the News IEC Standards Update UL Standards Update Product Reviews Telcordia Standards Update From Our “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” Department Looking Back: Items from Past Issues of Conformity Advertisers

Conformity Magazine - September 2008

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