A special protection zone within the production An ESD-protected zone (EPA) is an area in which electrostatic charges, which are often caused by static electricity, are prevented by using appropriate ESD products.
This serves to protect against electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage or destroy sensitive electronic components. Electrostatic-protected areas and single ESD workstations with the tools and equipment ESD-Safe are required in nearly the entire electronics and semiconductor production.
Each year, an estimated $5 billion in losses from ESD damage occur in the electronics industry alone. Recurring ESD damage can be catastrophic from a business perspective. Businesses wind up spending more to replace equipment and components than they would on basic ESD-preventative products.
Frequently Asked Questions
TECNA Spring Balancers are innovative mechanical tools designed to simplify your work, increase efficiency, and enhance safety.
These remarkable devices are perfect for technicians, engineers, and production managers seeking a more streamlined approach to handling suspended loads, making their team’s job the safest and most efficient, or help lifting loads in automation.
TECNA Spring Balancers employ a spring motor and a specialized drum (zero gravity balancers or retractor balancers) to maintain constant tension on the cable.
The spring motor is tuned within its working range to provide a constant responsive pull that will balance the weight. This ensures that your suspended tools or equipment move with ease, following your precise commands.
Selecting your TECNA Balancer is crucial for maximising the benefits. With more than 300 models, you can be sure you have the best range of opportunities with us.
Consider the following factors:
- Load Capacity: Determine the weight your balancer needs to support.
- Cable Stroke: Calculate how much you need to move your load, and whether or not you need an extension to your cable to match your application height.
- Cable rope Material: Opt for Dyneema/Polypropylene cables for delicate surfaces, as alternative to the standard stainless steel or galvanized steel ropes.
- Environmental Conditions: Tecna is the one manufacturer with diversified product lines to answer specific environmental requirements. Explosion-proof situations with gases, gasoline, fumes, etc. will require our dedicated TECNA BALANCER of the ATEX family. In case of particularly aggressive chemical environments or outdoor, TECNA FOOD INDUSTRY BALANCERS provide a super resistant solution. If you are handling electronics or electrical elements or work in a ESD PROTECTED AREA (EPA), our TECNA ESD PROTECTED BALANCERS will be your best friends.
Application: is it manual or is it automated? Is it straightforward or do you have geometries to tackle? A classic TECNA BALANCER will be a good solution, however you might find yourself in need for a tailored solution, or our new patented BOWDEN RETRACTORS, especially made for automation and diffucult tasks.
This is a master question, and the answer cannot be quantitative. The lifespan of a balancer depends strongly on the application: the stroke used, the load supported, the way it is used. TECNA BALANCERS are notoriously among the longest-lasting on the market. In our test labs we range from hundreds of thousands up to millions of cycles without maintenance, depending on model, load, stress, stroke.
Cheap makes will likely last a lot less. When you buy a balancer, you need to think ahead: a more durable balancer, like a TECNA BALANCER, will require less maintenance and will make your production more efficient on the long term.
At TECNA, we have specific products for specific applications, like Food, Outdoor, Bowden, etc. which will offer the best solution, without compromise. With TECNA, you are always in good hands.
TECNA Spring Balancers can be used almost anywhere in your everyday work -or home- life. Their applications grow by the day, in all working situations and environments.
General benefits or a TECNA Spring Balancer:
Safety: Enhance working safety and reduce the risk of accidents.
Ergonomics: Promote proper ergonomics in daily tasks, reducing worker strain, and thus making your team enjoy their job.
Efficiency: Improve production efficiency by making tools nearly weightless.
Automation: Simplify and lighten automatic movements.
Tool handling: Suspend tools for easy access and prevent damage.
Repetitive Tasks: Assist workers with repetitive tasks, enhancing productivity.
Versatility: Hold fixtures, tools, welding guns, hoses, pipes, etc.
Clean Workspace: Keep equipment, cables, plugs, and sockets off the floor to eliminate trip hazards and damage risks.
Reduce Effort: Minimize worker effort when sliding or opening/closing barriers, doors, and hatches.
Cable and Hose Management: Use as a festoon system to reduce wear on cables and hoses.
Precision: Stabilize tool position, improve accuracy, and reduce operator motion.
Fatigue Reduction: Minimize worker fatigue, particularly during extended tasks.
Multiple Tool Sizes: Suitable for tools of various sizes, ensuring versatility.
Tool Protection: Reduce the risk of tool damage or falls.
ESD stands for Electro-Static Discharge. It is the effect of electrostatic charges accumulating on materials, typically due to mechanical action… like the glass stick that makes your air stand after you have rubbed it on wool.
In some environments, specifically where electronics are assembled, you will need dedicated areas, named Electrostatic Protected Areas or EPA, where all equipment, accessories and clothes must be CERTIFIED for ESD-PROTECTION, which is certified free of ESD.
When working with Electronics, the smallest electrostatic discharge will damage irremediably the delicate circuits. The result will be failure of components, which might happen even after weeks or months, when your electronic device is already in use.
ESD is an invisible enemy, hard to detect but globally responsible for Millions of dollars of electronic failures every year. Inside a EPA, everything must be certified, otherwise in case of problems, you will not be protected. Are you sure the spring balancers in your assembly area are EPA certified? Can you effort this certain?
