For an electronics factory in Vietnam, buy ESD equipment by EPA zone: a wrist strap and footwear tester at the entrance, 2-layer mats and wrist straps at the bench, ESD flooring and chairs, ESD bins and trolleys in storage, and ionizers for insulators. PRIMEAG recommends writing a pass range for each item, e.g. resistance to ground < 1×10⁹ Ω.
“What should we buy first, and what readings count as a pass?” – every QC engineer drawing up an ESD equipment list for a new EPA asks this. Catalogues are organized by product group, but ESD risk is organized by location.
- Build the list by 5 zones, not by copying a catalogue.
- Write the pass resistance range into the purchase order.
- Insulators that must stay are handled with ionization.
- Buy meters in the same batch so you can run your own periodic checks.
ESD equipment checklist by 5 zones
For installation and acceptance, see the steps to set up an EPA for an SMT line. This guide covers purchasing only.
1. Entrance
The OTS1801D wrist strap and footwear tester has a 0.75–35 MΩ threshold. Common mistakes: placing the tester in a hidden corner and not logging results per shift.
2. Workbench
A 2-layer ESD rubber mat, 2.0 mm thick: top layer 10⁶–10⁹ Ω, bottom layer 10³–10⁵ Ω. Pair it with a coiled-cord wrist strap with a 1 MΩ resistor. Mistakes: missing ground snaps and cords for the mat; anodized aluminum frames have an insulating oxide layer, so they need their own ground wire.
Buying complete benches with lamp, power sockets and ground wire ensures no accessory is missed; PRIMEAG has delivered about 500 such ESD benches, in 4 batches, to a Taiwanese-invested electronic component factory in Da Nang (2024–2025).
3. Flooring and chairs
ESD PVC floor tiles 600×600 come in a conductive version (10⁴–10⁶ Ω) and a dissipative version (10⁶–10⁹ Ω). The ESD chair with backrest has a conductive nylon base version, with conductive casters or glides. Mistakes: waxing the floor with ordinary wax; placing ESD chairs on an ungrounded floor.
4. Storage and transport
Black PP bin 610×420×390 mm, carbon-loaded throughout, 10³–10⁹ Ω, 30 kg load. Multi-tier lean pipe trolley, 100 kg/tier; for carrying PCBs choose ESD laminate shelves and 4 conductive casters. Mistakes: relying only on a drag chain; bins with a thin surface coating that wears off after a few months.
5. Insulators that cannot be removed
Plastic housings and tape cannot be discharged through grounding. Use an ionizing blower; model SL-001 covers about 60 × 90 cm. Mistakes: treating the ionizer as a substitute for wrist straps; forgetting to clean the emitter needles.
Summary of pass ranges
S20.20 does not fix test frequencies; the last column is a suggestion – high-risk areas are checked monthly or quarterly.
| Item | What is measured | Pass range | Suggested frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrist strap + cord | Person–strap–cord | < 3.5×10⁷ Ω | Every shift |
| ESD footwear | Person–footwear–floor | < 3.5×10⁷ Ω, or < 1×10⁹ Ω with walking voltage < 100 V | Every shift |
| Bench mat | To ground | < 1×10⁹ Ω | 6 months |
| ESD floor | To ground | < 1×10⁹ Ω | 12 months |
| Chairs, trolleys | To ground | < 1×10⁹ Ω | Same round as benches |
| Plastic bins | Surface | 10³–10⁹ Ω | 6 months |
| Ionizer | Offset voltage (balance) | ±35 V (±10 V preferred) | 6 months |
Meters to buy alongside
The TR1800 digital resistance meter measures 10³–10¹² Ω at 10/100 V, comes with two 5 lb electrodes and displays temperature and humidity. For electrode placement, see resistance measurement for ESD material acceptance.
Where to start
- Inventory the items in use across the 5 zones.
- Before finalizing the list, find out which items in use still pass: PRIMEAG offers free on-site measurement of your ESD materials for factories in southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Dong Nai. Items bought elsewhere are measured too, with no purchase required; the readings are for reference only, not audit documents.
- Replace out-of-range items, fill the gaps and send the list via the quote request page to get prices within 30 minutes.
Export processing enterprises (EPEs) are invoiced at 0% VAT; for orders from 20,000,000 VND, PRIMEAG also handles the on-site import/export customs declaration free of charge.
Frequently asked questions
- Which ESD equipment should a new EPA buy first? — The grounding path for people: wrist straps with a 1 MΩ cord, grounded bench mats and a tester at the entrance. Add the rest according to your floor layout.
- Can ESD bins rated 10³–10⁹ Ω hold ICs directly? — The bins are suited to transporting PCBs. For highly sensitive loose components, put a dissipative 10⁶–10⁹ Ω tray inside.
- Do we still need wrist straps if we have ionizers? — Yes. An ionizer only neutralizes charge on insulators; people must still be grounded.
Updated: 2026-10-28 — PRIMEAG engineering team
Email: info@primeag.vn · Phone/Zalo: +84 906 108 292
Written by the PRIMEAG engineering team
Updated: 2026-10-28