How to Control Static Electricity?

Learning which device you need to Control Static Electricity in your industrial process can be easy with this FAQ. The guide was created using typical inquiries we receive from our customers, so if there is a specific question that we are not covering please reach out to us and we will answer it as soon as possible.

Why use ISC Simco-Ion products?

Simco-Ion is the world’s largest manufacturer of static control products and has been providing electrostatic solutions since 1936. ISC has the market leading knowledge and proven superior industrial product application solutions.

What is static electricity?

Static Electricity is an electric charge that has accumulated on a surface of an object. It is a result of an imbalance between negative and positive charges, caused by the loss/gain of electrons.

How is static electricity created?

-Static electricity charges are created by contact and separation of surfaces of material. Some examples would be powders, webs, sheets, rollers and conveyors.

-The charge intensity depends on the type of material, speed and contact pressure.

-Insulators like plastics do not allow electrons to flow, so grounding will not discharge the static electricity

What are typical production issues created by static electricity?

Static electricity manifests itself in many ways. i.e. Material sticks together, flies apart, attracts contamination and generally misbehaves. Typically this causes production jams, attraction of particulate, severe shocks to operators, disruption of microprocessor controls, fires and explosions. These issues add to the enormous burden of product manufacturing.

How to neutralize static electricity?

Static neutralization equipment are bi-polar ionization generators (produce both positive and negative ions) to remove static electricity. The static charge on the substrate attract the ions and neutralize the charge. Once the charge is neutralized, the ions are no longer attracted to the material.

Why should I use a static electricity meter?

Static Meters measure static electricity on your material and are an excellent tool to trouble shoot a suspected problem related to static electricity. They also are a good way to test the performance of ionizers on your material.

How do I perform preventive maintenance on a static bar?

To maintain the equipment, turn off bar power and use a nylon brush with isopropyl alcohol to keep the emitters free of debris. If the emitters are not long and sharp, then replace the static bar. This should be performed weekly/monthly depending on the environmental particulate. The power supply diagnostic LED should be green.

How do I perform a BPS/LPS static neutralization power supply calibration?

Calibration sets the relative nominal ion output for the system. The initial calibration data is stored in non-volatile memory and will be used on subsequent power ups

-Should be performed when the static bar is 1st installed with clean, long, sharp like new emitters.

-The Static system should be “on” and in normal condition.

-The (web, film, etc.) MUST NOT BE MOVING and be below the static bar.

-On the front of the Power Supply, press firmly above the label “Initial Calibration”.

Note: When the calibration button is pushed, it tells the system that the system is in a “new” or like new condition. Calibrating the system in any other condition, can make a less than optimal equipment look optimal and hamper static neutralization.

Why should I use a static electricity sensor bar and touch screen control station?

The sensor bar will accurately measure the materials static field intensity. These static values can be used for user defined warning/alarm thresholds and can downloaded to a laptop if needed. Using a patented closed-looped feedback system, the sensor bar will ensure that you are receiving the lowest possible residual static charge downstream from the static bar.

The Control Station, is a full color Touch Screen that directs, powers and controls your Static and Sensor Bars. The Control Station displays the status of each device, including when the system needs to be PM’d or needs attention. The static device status can be sent to an external output or PLC by the Control Station. The Control station would also be used to set warnings and alarms when the static levels are elevated. The warning/alarm static levels would be set by the user and can be sent to an external output or PLC. The Control station can also be used to remotely turn on/off the sensor/static bars.