Our stockroom is looking for some carts that are ESD-protective and
ground through the conductive floor underneath.  In other words, we want
the cart to be grounded while moving, so we can transport sensitive
parts from the stock location to the point of use.

Basic practice says that ESD-sensitive material must be kept in
protective packaging or at a static-protective workstation.  These carts
must be considered portable workstations, so we'd want the surface of
the cart to meet the same grounding criteria as a static mat sitting on a
table.  Of course, we'd lay out specific routes to minimize exposure to
fields.

We've bought some carts that claimed to ground through the wheels,
but they failed test.  We tried some metal carts, and hung chains
underneath to drag on the floor, still no good (not enough contact
pressure?)  And even if either of these concepts works now, what
happens after the cart rolls around for a while and the wheel, or the
chain link, or the grounding strap inevitably picks up a layer of
insulating dirt and dust?

If anyone is using grounded carts successfully, could you please let
me know make and model, how you test and how often, and how you
handle the buildup of insulating dust?

Joe Kane
BAE SYSTEMS Controls
Johnson City, NY

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