| Ever had that spark when you touch a door handle | | | | throughout the industry. These castors reduce the |
| after walking across a carpet? Within the technological | | | | static build up between the wheel and the floor. That's |
| world of clean rooms this spark can be devastating. | | | | the simple version, and this technology is proving vital |
| That's why bright sparks in the industry are looking for | | | | within such specialised manufacturing and scientific |
| anti static castors on all their moving machinery and | | | | environments. |
| equipment to prevent electrostatic discharge. | | | | Clean rooms monitor the humidity within the |
| Clean rooms can vary in size from just one room up | | | | manufacturing area to maintain it at a low level to |
| to entire manufacturing facilities, so having castors that | | | | control the electrostatic discharge build up. The air is |
| do not produce sparks when moving around the plant | | | | filtered and although not necessarily a sterile |
| is vital. That spark is called an electrostatic discharge, | | | | environment, the levels of particles within the clean |
| and you may think its nothing more than a little zap, but | | | | room are also monitored very carefully. Rubber |
| electrostatic discharge has to reach 3,000 volts before | | | | wheeled castors provide anti vibration capabilities, |
| us humans can even feel it! A computer chip, on the | | | | which also reduce the static build up, and help prevent |
| other hand, can be damaged with as little as 10 volts | | | | damage to sensitive products whilst they are on the |
| of electrostatic discharge. | | | | move. |
| Anti static castors that absorb electrostatic discharge | | | | As the range of equipment varies within a clean room, |
| are therefore highly significant in the workplace of a | | | | so castor manufacturers vary the sizes of castors |
| clean room. Standard industrial castors would create | | | | they offer. The castors can have anti static wheels as |
| friction between the wheel and floor; this would create | | | | small as 75mm up to the larger 200mm diameter |
| static build up, which would become highly dangerous in | | | | wheels, taking a maximum load of 250kg each. Anti |
| such a sophisticated workplace. Static could bounce | | | | static castors don't just help move machinery around, |
| from castors to equipment in an instant. Multi million | | | | smaller castors can also be fitted onto everyday items |
| pound satellites could be damaged within seconds. | | | | like office chairs. These versatile castors can also be |
| Scientific experiments within a laboratory could be | | | | fitted with brakes, to ensure maximum flexibility and |
| affected; the thought makes your hair stand on end! | | | | manoeuvrability around the manufacturing site. |
| So how do these magical castors work? Well the | | | | So the next time you are out and feel that small zap |
| science bit is anti static castors house an electrically | | | | of static, remember that is actually 3000 volts of |
| conductive rubber wheel which allows the passing of | | | | electrostatic discharge and it can cause huge |
| the static electricity. This specialised rubber wheels is | | | | devastation within the science and technology |
| usually recognisable by a small yellow dot on the tyre. | | | | industries. If it wasn't for anti static castors, more of our |
| This yellow marking on the castors is standard | | | | scientist would be blowing their fuses! |