Comprehensive ESD Analysis Solutions for Product Development

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing helps identify vulnerabilities to sudden electrical discharges that can cause catastrophic failures to products.

No industry is untouched by ESD threats. Electronics and semiconductors are the most vulnerable to ESD. Even low-voltage discharges can destroy microchips, transistors, and memory modules or cause latent defects that lead to product failures. ESD testing is mandatory for satellite components, avionics, and fuel systems to prevent catastrophic failures. Modern vehicles contain numerous electronic control units, sensors, and infotainment systems that are susceptible to ESD.

Electro Magnetic Applications, Inc. (EMA) offers ESD testing and simulation services that stand as a shield protecting innovation, ensuring compliance, and empowering engineers to launch with confidence.

Real-World Impact on Engine Safety

A real-world example of an ESD problem EMA has solved is a combustion engine malfunction caused by discharges, resulting in an explosion.

“It was quite dangerous and not an ideal situation,” said EMA Scientist II Nicholas Monteferrante.

In this case, EMA utilized advanced modeling tools to pinpoint where the electrical charge was accumulating and where the arc was occurring inside the engine. Leveraging our experience in diagnosing and resolving complex ESD challenges, the EMA team recommended specific mitigation techniques and design modifications to prevent future ESD incidents.

Evaluation of Component ESD Resilience

Another real-world example addresses the challenges associated with component ESD testing.

A customer provided EMA with three different types of components as well as 16 waveforms, each representing various transient events that could potentially affect the components while in use.

“We wanted to make sure that they would not break or experience internal arcing that would results in other components around it being damaged,” Monteferrante said.

The primary objective was to develop a systematic approach for generating and applying these waveforms in succession, allowing for the evaluation of each component’s resilience to ESD-induced transients and helping to identify vulnerabilities before deployment.

End-to-End ESD Solutions

EMA provides both contact and non-contact ESD analysis, supporting projects from early product development through post-failure troubleshooting.

Services include:

• Simulation of ESD events: EMA has developed a proprietary ESD generator model in Ansys Charge Plus that simulates non-contact ESD events with high fidelity including air chemistry and electrodynamics to predict voltage and current waveforms at connector pins and PCB nets.
• Design Review and Vulnerability Analysis: EMA identifies areas susceptible to secondary ESDs, displacement currents, and field coupling through seams and apertures. This helps prevent over or under design based on traditional testing methods.
• Simulation-Driven Qualification: EMA’s approach reduces the needs for costly physical testing by qualifying designs through simulation, improving reliability and reducing time-to-market.
• Industry Standards Compliance: EMA supports compliance with ISO 10605, IEC 61000-4-2, and other global standards relevant to automotive, aerospace, and consumer electronics.

EMA’s ESD consulting services are designed to help you build more resilient, standard-compliant products faster and with fewer costly surprises. Whether you’re in the early stages of development or troubleshooting a complex failure, EMA’s approach ensures precision, efficiency, and confidence in your design decisions.

Ready to reduce risk and accelerate product development? Contact EMA today to learn how EMA’s ESD expertise can support your next project.