Technetters:

Our new Space customer may be pushing us to use static-protective gloves or
finger cots for soldering and assembly operations.  We prefer to continue
our current practice, having operators exercise due care and handle product
by the edges only, and use gloves only for hot things or when using some
chemicals.  This has worked well for all of our high-rel product, including
flight controls and aircraft engine controls.  When we do 10-day humidity on
conformal coated assemblies, we occasionally see mealing patterns in the
shape of fingerprints, but not very often.

Some of the problems we see with the alternatives, in approximate order of
importance:

1.  Gloves and finger cots compromise dexterity and tactile sensitivity.
Maybe not much, but some.  Productivity suffers, defects go up, and maybe
some things get dropped that normally wouldn't.
2.  Contaminants deposit on gloves or finger cots, obviating any benefit.
By contrast, when operators get flux or adhesives on their bare fingers,
they can feel it, and they go wash their hands, or at least wipe them on
something.
3.  Finger oils still get on gloves or finger cots.  You have to handle them
with bare hands to get them on, and then everyone's nose needs a scratch
once in a while.
4.  Operators hate them because they are cumbersome and uncomfortable.  Some
would say tough luck, and if there were good reasons we would force the
issue, but as it is this looks like another compliance issue/audit trap that
we don't really need.
5.  Over time, some people develop sensitivity to latex, maybe even nitrile.
6.  They cost money.

Like bunny suits or respirators, I don't know why anyone would use these
things unless there was a good reason.  Anyone out there have any
experience, good or bad?


Joe Kane
Lockheed Martin Control Systems

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