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Antistat is supporting Advanced Rework Technology Limited (A.R.T.) in helping visitors understand how electrostatic discharge, or ESD, control is applied in real electronics manufacturing environments. Through A.R.T.’s Supplier Showcase Room, Antistat products are displayed in a practical setting to demonstrate ESD protection, contamination control, and safe handling of sensitive electronic components
Antistat products feature in A.R.T.’s supplier showroom in support of practical demonstrations of ESD protection and contamination control within an electronics manufacturing and training environment.
A.R.T.’s Supplier Showcase Room gives visitors a practical way to see how ESD control is implemented within a representative electronics manufacturing environment. By placing Antistat products alongside A.R.T.’s training areas, the showcase helps course participants and visitors understand how everyday ESD protection supports safer handling, more consistent processes and improved product reliability.
Practical ESD Training in Action
A hands-on showcase where ESD protection, contamination control and electronics manufacturing training come together.
Our Focus: ESD control | IPC training | Electronics manufacturing | EPA setup | Contamination control
About Advanced Rework Technology Limited
Advanced Rework Technology Limited (A.R.T.) is a UK-based, fully independent IPC electronics training provider based in Witham, Essex. Presenting training courses since 1988, A.R.T. supports individuals and companies across the electronics industry with IPC certification and practical training in areas such as hand soldering, PCB rework, inspection, surface mount devices and BGA packages.
A.R.T. is recognised as one of the longest-running IPC Certification Centres in Europe, supporting companies and professionals across the electronics industry. Its training supports people working in sectors such as aerospace, defence, medical, automotive, commercial, military and space applications, helping electronics professionals continue their professional development.
Antistat and A.R.T. have built an established relationship over several years. Through the Supplier Showcase Room, visitors can see how everyday ESD products, including bench matting, grounding products, ESD packaging, ESD tape and training resources, support practical ESD control in electronics manufacturing and rework environments.
Why Does Learning about ESD Control Matter in Electronics Manufacturing?
ESD control matters in electronics manufacturing because even a small static discharge can damage or weaken sensitive electronic components during handling, rework, assembly, packaging or storage. Practical training helps teams understand how grounding, ESD-safe work surfaces and protective packaging work together to reduce risk and improve product reliability.
A.R.T.’s practical training areas help demonstrate how ESD control is applied in a working electronics environment. With Antistat mats and ESD grounding equipment displayed in context, visitors can see how work surfaces, grounding points and operator grounding contribute to a controlled setup.
Bringing ESD Protection to Life in Electronics Manufacturing
As a specialist supplier of ESD protection products, Antistat provides consumables designed to protect sensitive electronic components, including surface-mounted devices (SMDs), during manufacturing, handling and packaging. The showcase features practical examples of these products, including bench mats with corner studs, antistatic gloves, grounding products, ESD signs, antistatic bags and ESD wipes, alongside supporting literature such as guides and catalogues.
By integrating these products into the Supplier Showcase Room and adjacent training environments, visitors and course participants can see how ESD control works within a realistic production and training setup. This helps connect theory with practical product use, showing how the right ESD products work together in a controlled electronics environment.
What Course Participants and Visitors Can Learn
A key aspect of this strengthened partnership goes beyond the display of Antistat products. The Supplier Showcase Room helps demonstrate how ESD control works in real manufacturing, rework, inspection and handling environments. Rather than seeing ESD products as separate items, visitors can understand how they work together as part of a complete controlled setup.
Visitors can see how:
- operators are grounded using wrist straps and grounding points
- ESD-safe work surfaces help control static discharge
- sensitive electronic components should be handled during rework and inspection
- ESD packaging protects components during storage and movement
- antistatic bags and static shielding bags support different levels of component protection
- ESD products work together as part of a complete controlled setup
Practical ESD Workbench Setup in a Real EPA Environment
The showcase stand is set up like a practical ESD workbench, displaying the essential kit used to handle ESD-sensitive components safely. This includes a 2 layer bench mat, wrist strap set, under-bench grounding point, antistatic gloves, ESD wipes, ESD packaging, grounding cord and grounding plug. For practical demonstrations, the bench mat, grounding cord and grounding plug are especially important because they show how the path to ground is created and maintained.
For example, a common ESD mistake is failing to maintain a direct connection to ground. A wrist strap must stay in contact with the skin; if it is worn over a glove cuff, the operator may not be properly grounded and wrist strap tests can fail. Where heel grounders are used, they must be paired with suitable ESD flooring that is also connected to a grounding point.
The display reflects a real Electrostatic Protected Area (EPA), rework or inspection environment by showing essential consumables, grounding products and printed guides in context. With A.R.T.’s training rooms nearby, visitors can see how these products fit into a real-life setup focused on practical electronics manufacturing and rework.
Pictured: John Vickers and Debbie McDade of Advanced Rework Technology Limited with Sophie Hunt and Tyler Kearney of Antistat in A.R.T.’s Supplier Showcase Room.
Source: Advanced Rework Technology Limited
“We are delighted to be working with A.R.T. and supporting their new Supplier Showcase Room. This enhanced collaboration builds on an established relationship and offers visitors the chance to learn more about the importance of ESD protection, experience using our products, and take this knowledge back to their own workplace.”
– Sophie Hunt, Head of Marketing at Antistat.
A Collaborative Approach to Better Outcomes
This partnership reflects a shared goal of raising standards across the electronics industry by combining A.R.T.’s IPC training expertise with Antistat’s practical ESD consumables. The Supplier Showcase Room helps visitors and course participants understand how the right products, used correctly, can support safer handling, process consistency and continuous improvement in their own operations.
Master IPC Trainer at A.R.T., Debbie McDade said “Visitors and students tend to ask practical questions about how ESD protection and contamination control are applied in a real working environment. They often want to understand what should be used, where it should be used, and why it matters when handling sensitive electronic components and assemblies. With Antistat products in the Supplier Showcase Room, this can include questions around matting, gloves, wipes, packaging and other production supplies. The room gives us the opportunity to explain how these products form part of a wider controlled process, from workstation setup and operator handling through to storage, cleaning and protection of components. Students are often interested in the practical details, such as how an ESD protected area is set up, why grounding is important, how gloves can reduce handling risks, and how contamination control supports reliable assembly. Being able to show these products in the room helps make those discussions much clearer.”
So far, feedback from students and visitors has been very positive. “From A.R.T.’s perspective,” continues Debbie, “the Supplier Showcase Room helps connect training with the types of products and controls used in electronics manufacturing environments. It gives students and visitors the chance to see ESD protection and contamination control in context, rather than only discussing them as part of a standard or process requirement.”
Visitors have commented that it is useful to see how these controls fit together as part of a wider approach to good working practice. It also helps them think about their own workplace arrangements, including how they manage handling, storage, workstation setup and contamination risk.
Debbie concludes “For A.R.T., the room adds value because it supports practical discussion during visits and training. It helps demonstrate that ESD protection and contamination control are not separate considerations, but part of the everyday discipline needed to protect sensitive electronics and support reliable assembly.”
Antistat’s ESD products used in the A.R.T. Supplier Showcase Room
These products form the foundation of a practical ESD control setup, helping to protect sensitive electronic components, including SMDs, while supporting safer handling and more consistent processes.
- ESD workbench mats provide a conductive or dissipative work surface to help control static discharge. The showroom uses Antistat’s smooth antistatic 2 layer mat, which has a dissipative surface and is suitable for EPA environments, laboratories and electronics workshops.
- Grounding products, such as wrist straps, grounding cords, grounding plugs and earth bonding points are key for operator grounding. In the showroom, the ESD wrist strap set helps ground the operator and allows electrostatic charge to safely discharge from the body. The under-bench earth bonding bracket provides a secure path to ground with multiple connection options.
- Antistatic gloves help reduce contamination and static generation in controlled environments. The showroom includes ESD knitted gloves, which provide practical static protection in EPA environments. Nitrile gloves may also be suitable for some controlled handling tasks where dexterity is needed, although they are not suitable for soldering.
- ESD bags and ESD packaging help protect components during storage and transit. Pink antistatic bags help dissipate charge and are suitable for items with no static susceptibility. Moisture barrier bags help protect sensitive equipment from moisture and static damage, while static shielding bags use a metalised shielding layer to help protect components, boards and assemblies from static fields.
- ESD floor tiles help maintain grounding across static-controlled work areas. The showroom uses interlocking anti static floor tiles with a dovetail joint, providing a durable, static-safe flooring solution for critical controlled environments.
- ESD toolboxes and ESD tools support the safe handling of sensitive electronics. These boxes are static dissipative and designed for use in EPSs, protecting tools and aiding organisation.
- ESD signs help clearly identify Electrostatic Protected Areas (EPAs). Antistat’s self-adhesive ESD protected area signs display industry-standard ESD cautionary text and symbols for controlled workspaces.
For more practical guidance, view our downloadable resources.
Frequently Asked Questions
How are Antistat products used in A.R.T.’s training environment?
Antistat products are featured in A.R.T. ‘s Supplier Showcase Room to support practical demonstrations of ESD protection and contamination control within an electronics manufacturing training environment.
Why are ESD products important in electronics manufacturing training?
ESD products help students and visitors understand how protected workstations, operator grounding, safe handling, packaging and EPA identification work together to reduce the risk of electrostatic damage to sensitive components.
What Antistat products are featured in the Supplier Showcase Room?
The showcase includes products such as ESD bench mats, grounding equipment, antistatic gloves, ESD signage, ESD bags, wipes and supporting educational literature.
How does the showcase support practical ESD control education?
The showcase helps students and visitors see how ESD control is applied in realistic manufacturing, rework, inspection and handling scenarios, bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and workplace application. Secondly, it enhances the cohesive understanding of ESD control as a process, rather than as necessary separate items.
