What Are Static Shielding Bags?
An alternative to static dissipative bags are static shielding bags. shield bags work a little differently to static dissipative solutions; as such, they are made from different materials and are generally a more heavy duty solution.
Static shielding bags are unique in that they produce a sort of “Faraday cage” effect, which blocks out electromagnetic fields and fully protects the components from electrostatic discharge.
Unlike static dissipative bags, which are still vulnerable to a direct electrostatic discharge, shield bags are much more effective. They provide full protection for the components. This ensures that sensitive electrical materials can be safely and effectively transported within the shield bags, without fear of damage due to electrostatic discharge.
But how does this work? The unique material composition of static shielding bags is such that the bag provides full protection for components. This begins from the inner layer of material, which is very similar to static dissipative bags. The polyethylene material doesn’t allow static to build up, protecting the external environment and the device itself from any static created due to internal movements.
Next, the middle layer of material is made from aluminium. Aluminium serves as a conductor, allowing the static bag to ground out the bag. This provides protection in that, if any static discharges should reach the middle layer of the bag, they will be grounded out by the aluminium material.
Finally, the outer layer of static shielding bags is made from polyester. This external material usually features a dissipative coating, too, which offers a final level of protection just in case any static discharges should reach the package.
Evidently, the bags are much more effective at protecting both the components of the bag as well as the external environment. As such, if you are transporting a highly valuable or static sensitive piece of equipment, shielding bags could be a much better packaging solution for their triple protective action. Of course, these are a little bulkier than static dissipative bags and are more expensive to purchase, too, but they provide exponentially more protection against static discharges and so could be invaluable.