BS EN 61340-4-8:2015

What is BS EN 61340-4-8 - ESD bag test standards about?  

An antistatic bag is a bag used for storing electronic components, which are prone to damage caused by electrostatic discharge (ESD). These bags are usually plastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and have a distinctive colour (silvery for metallised film, pink or black for polyethylene). It is important that the bags only be opened at static-free workstations. It is the intention of BS EN 61340-4-8 to provide the industry with a common, repeatable method for testing and determining the electrostatic discharge shielding ability of electrostatic discharge shielding bags. BS EN 61340-4-8 provides a test method for evaluating the performance of electrostatic discharge shielding bags tested according to the requirements of IEC 61340-5-3. The design voltage for the test apparatus is 1 000 V d.c. BS EN 61340-4-8 does not address protection from electromagnetic interference (EMI), radio frequency interference (RFI), electromagnetic pulsing (EMP) nor protection against volatile materials. 

Who is BS EN 61340-4-8- ESD bag test standards for? 

BS EN 61340-4-8  on ESD bag test standards is useful for: 

• Manufacturers of electrostatic discharge shielding bags 
• Packagers of ESD sensitive assemblies and equipment 
• Manufacturers of very sensitive electronic equipment 
• Product development / innovation / research teams 
• Quality control teams 

Why should you use BS EN 61340-4-8 - ESD bag test standards?  

Static electricity is the build-up of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. It's called "static" because the charges remain in one area rather than moving or "flowing" to another area.  Dissipative antistatic bags, as the name suggests, are made of standard polyethylene with a static dissipative coating or layer on the plastic. This prevents a build-up of a static charge on the surface of the bag, as it dissipates the charge to ground (i.e., whatever other surface it is touching). BS EN 61340-4-8 test method describes the use of a single current probe in order to obtain the energy value inside a bag when tested with a 1 000 V human body model discharge pulse in an ESD simulator. The standard addresses important variables such as: 

• Discharge waveform characteristics 
• Capacitive probe capacitance 
• Bag size 

The sections on ESD simulator, waveform verification equipment, ESD simulator waveform verification procedure has been discussed in thorough detail in BS EN 61340-4-8. Using BS EN 61340-4-8 guidelines, you can test the performance of electrostatic discharge shielding bags. BS EN 61340-4-8 guidelines enable you to provide your customers with suitable, high-quality, and reliable products packed in safe and hazard-free packaging. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN 61340-4-8:2015 supersedes BS EN 61340-4-8:2010. BS EN 61340-4-8:2015 includes some editorial changes with respect to BS EN 61340-4-8:2010. These include: 

• Latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national level by publication of an identical national has been fixed 
• Latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the document have to be withdrawn has been fixed