Nurses in a Swedish hospital a while back discovered what many of us know already — crocs™ are extremely comfortable to wear at work. Soon more and more were wearing them, but little did they know the rubberized soles could lead to a build-up of static. When critical medical equipment suddenly failed 3 separate times, hospital administrators went looking for a reason. They eventually traced the problem to the shoes and banned them from the facility.
The good news in all of this is it spurred crocs to develop the new ESD-safe version now stocked and available through All-Spec. Now everyone in a cleanroom or static sensitive environment can enjoy all-day, on-the-job comfort. Designed with a wide base, anatomically correct heel and medical arch support, you get a secure, stable fit. The foam-based material absorbs shocks to your feet, knees, hips and lower back, significantly reducing fatigue.
Specifications:
- Surface resistivity: 1×105 – 1×108
- Cleanroom class 10,000 (ISO 4)
- Material: Proprietary foam-based material
- Colors: White or black
- Men’s sizes: 3-13
- Women’s sizes: 5-12
You’ll find the complete line of ESD-safe crocs in your choice of black or white at www.All-Spec.com. Have any questions or comments? Leave a message below or call Customer Service at (800) 537-0351.
by David K. on May 6, 2013
After you choose your plier jaw then joint type is typically next on the list. Picking out the proper joint type is important, as it greatly affects the performance of your pliers. The three main types of plier joints are rivet, box, and tongue and groove.
Rivet joints are the most basic type, consisting of a metal pin or bolt that holds the two sides of the pliers together and providing a fulcrum for them to pivot around. This type of joint is cheaper than most, as it is easy to make but does not hold up to high strain situations.
Box joints offer more strength at a slightly higher price. These joints are made by making a hole in one side of the pliers and having a peg that is attached to the other side pushed into it. Because the fulcrum is a part of the plier it is stronger than rivet joints, allowing you to work on projects with high load or strain levels.
Lastly, tongue and groove pliers have an adjustable joint, allowing you to change the jaw opening size. This allows you to use one set of pliers for a wide range of situations, without the handle getting wider. Tongue and groove pliers can be made with either a rivet or a box joint as the fulcrum, so look at which is used to see if they can be used in high strain situations.
Do you have any more questions on types of plier joints? Leave a comment below, or call Customer Service at (800) 537-0351 today!
by David K. on April 29, 2013
When looking at pliers you may see a number of different types of tips. Each of these tips has varying benefits, making them suited for different situations. The three main types of tips are smooth, serrated, and knurled.
Smooth jawed pliers have the lowest amount of grip, but work well when working with sensitive products. Because the jaws are smooth they will leave less of a mark when grabbing products that may be easily marred.
If you need better grip then you should get serrated jaw pliers. Serrations help to keep a grip on your products, letting you safely handle small parts. If you need even more grip you can use knurled pliers, which feature a diamond shaped pattern of grooves.
Do you have any more questions on plier jaw types? Leave a comment below or call Customer Service at (800) 537-0351 today!
by David K. on April 1, 2013
Today and next Monday we will be highlighting some of our cleaning chemicals at All-Spec.com, as well as their common uses. This week we are focusing on aerosol sprays, and next we will go into general liquid cleaning chemicals.
Aerosol Dusters
Widely used in both production facilities and homes, aerosol dusters are used for removing large particles from products. The main difference between various dusters is the strength of the spray and the purity of the air.
Typically the strength of the spray is determined by the size of the nozzle opening. If you want more pressure then go for a smaller opening, but if you need to cover a large area then you will want a larger opening.
For some sensitive parts the purity of the air may be a concern. For instance, the Techspray 1671-10 Ultra Pure duster uses a moisture free inert gas to remove particles without any harmful solvents. As always, contact the manufacturer of the aerosol if you have specific questions as to which type of duster is correct for your application.
Contact Cleaners
Contact cleaners are very similar to aerosol dusters, but they include a cleaning agent that typically evaporates after use. When comparing contact cleaners you should look at compatible materials and whether or not they leave a residue.
In general, contact cleaners are used to remove oxidation, corrosion, dirt, and grease on metal surfaces. If you are working with other materials like plastics then you should check your cleaner’s specifications to ensure that it will not harm your product. If your components are especially sensitive, or if you need to have a clear surface after cleaning, then be sure to use a contact cleaner that does not leave a residue behind.
Flux Removers
Flux removers are used exactly how you would think, to remove fluxes from products after soldering. The main thing to look for in flux removers is what flux it can actually remove. Because there are many types of fluxes, each with different residues that are left behind, you need to check the flux remover’s compatibility with your project.
Have any questions on aerosol cleaners? Leave a comment below or call Customer Service at (800) 537-0351 today!
by David K. on March 22, 2013
When looking for equipment to keep your workplace ESD-safe you may come across air ionizers. Typically ionizers are used to ground insulated materials, as they cannot be grounded by attaching a cord like conductive or static-dissipative objects. In order to use ionizers correctly it helps to understand exactly how they work; so today we will be going over some basics of ionization.
What Do Ionizers Do?
The function of an air ionizer is to provide a way to neutralize a charge on an insulated object. This is achieved by using a device to create positive and negative ions, and then distributing these ions across the insulated object.
Air ionizers include a way to create ions (both positive and negative molecules) and a way to distribute those ions (usually through the use of a fan). When the ions blow over your workspace the negative ones will attract to any positive charges and the positive ones will attract to any negative charges. Once they bind to the charges your insulated object will be neutralized.
How Do Ionizers Make Ions?
There are three main ways that ionizers make ions. The two that are used the least in normal production are nuclear and photon ionizations. Typical work areas will not use these types, as nuclear ionizers use radioactive materials and are subject to government regulations, and photon ionizers use x-rays and are regulated by the FDA. The most common type of ionizer for normal production facilities are corona ionizers.
Corona ionizers create ions by applying a high voltage to the very tip of a sharp point. This creates a high electrostatic field, which interacts with electrons in the gasses around it. The electrostatic field then attracts and repels various electrons, creating ions in the gas molecules around it. The electrostatic field can then move the ions over the work area, but often corona ionizers also have a fan to make them spread further and more evenly.
How Do I Use an Ionizer?
The best bet to make sure you use your ionizer correctly is to consult the user manual or manufacturer. However, there are a few things to keep in mind for most ionizers to make them work to their full potential.
- Make sure that your ionizer is able to cover your work area. Check that the coverage area is large enough, as any area outside of that coverage will not be reliably neutralized.
- Ensure there is no interference from other fans or vents. If you have a cross breeze then that may affect the coverage area, or make your ionizer less effective.
- If the ionizer has a fan, make sure the environment is right for your worker. If your workplace tends to be cold then you can get ionizers with built in heaters to help operator comfort and increase productivity.
- Check the decay time of the ionizer for extra sensitive parts. If you need charges to be neutralized in a certain amount of time then you can find ionizers with low decay times.
Do you have any more questions on ionizers? Leave a comment below, or visit our site for information and specifications on different types of ionizers!
