Jeff VanPelt

GARDEN GROVE, CA —Techcon Systems and BF Goodrich Static Control Polymers (Brecksville, OH) have teamed up to create a non-carbon-loaded fluid dispensing system that not only controls electrostatic discharge (ESD), but offers improved control over liquid levels, effectively eliminating a number of problems faced by electronics industry in the cleanroom environment.

“We feel that non-carbon loaded dispenser is a good approach for the cleanroom,” says Neil Hardwick, a spokesman for BF Goodrich Static Control Polymers.

ESD has long been a thorn in the side of electronics makers. As many can testify, one unexpected ESD event can cause tremendous amounts of damage.

In many cases, attempts to rectify the situation led to new problems. Early on, carbon filler was introduced into dispensers to control ESD. While it was successful in doing that, the color of the carbon also reduced visibility into the containers and increased the chances of contamination.

Officials at Techcon and BF Goodrich think they have solved those riddles.

Under the recently penned agreement, Techcon Systems has acquired exclusive rights to use BF Goodrich's StatRite polymer alloys, which combine proprietary conductive polymer with base polymers to create permanent, uniform static dissipation. The dispensing system is translucent, which enables the user to measure liquid levels accurately, determine how much liquid is left after the application and see if there are any air bubbles in the liquids. It also has UV-protective properties.

“[With carbon] everything would get black and you couldn't regulate control,” says Andrea Robert, president of AR Marketing. “With this, the barrels are nice and clean, and they're translucent.”

According to officials, the new system offers a significant improvement over previous methods. The system is expected to be a boon to industries such as disk-drive manufacturing and electronics that require protection from static events and must be able to accurately measure fluids such as adhesives, rubber, plastics, lubricants, coatings and composites.