Category: Education

Electrostatic discharge is one of those problems that’s easy to dismiss — until it isn’t. There’s no visible warning, no obvious sign something has gone wrong. A component looks fine, passes inspection, ships on time. And yet, somewhere down the line, it fails.

Often, ESD is the reason.

In controlled manufacturing environments, static electricity builds up far more easily than most people realise. Routine handling. Packaging materials rubbing together. Changes in humidity. None of it feels dramatic, but all of it adds up. That’s why ESD films exist — to deal with a risk that doesn’t announce itself.

Key Takeaways

• ESD films are engineered to control static electricity, not simply contain products.
• Ordinary plastic packaging can increase electrostatic risk rather than reduce it.
• ESD films work by allowing static charges to dissipate gradually and safely.
• Daubert Europe’s ESD films are built for consistency in real-world European manufacturing conditions.

So, What Exactly Are ESD Films?

Put simply, ESD films are packaging materials designed to control static electricity. Not eliminate it entirely. Not ignore it. Control it.

That distinction matters.

Standard plastic films are excellent insulators. Unfortunately, that also means they’re very good at holding static charges. When used around sensitive components, they can create the very conditions that lead to damage.

ESD films behave differently. They’re formulated so static charges don’t linger. Instead of building up and releasing suddenly, the charge moves away in a predictable, controlled manner.

You’ll often hear terms like anti-static, static dissipative, or conductive used in this context, sometimes interchangeably. In practice, ESD films sit in a carefully defined range — not so conductive that they introduce new risks, but not so insulating that static becomes trapped.

The goal isn’t dramatic. It’s stability.

How ESD Films Manage Static Electricity

Static electricity is created through contact and separation. Slide one surface across another, pull materials apart, move parts along a line — electrons shift, charges form. In dry environments especially, those charges can remain long enough to cause trouble.

ESD films interrupt that cycle.

Rather than allowing charge to accumulate, the material provides a path for it to disperse gradually. No sudden discharge. No spike. Just controlled release over time.

A helpful comparison is pressure in a sealed system. If pressure builds unchecked, failure is inevitable. Introduce a controlled release, and the system stays stable. ESD films work on that same principle, just at a microscopic level.

This behaviour is governed by surface resistivity — essentially how easily electricity can move across the material. ESD films are engineered to stay within a narrow, reliable range, ensuring they perform consistently regardless of handling or environment. For detailed technical guidance, see IEC 61340-5-1, the international standard for electrostatic control in electronics manufacturing.

Daubert Europe’s Approach to ESD Films

At Daubert Europe, ESD protection isn’t treated as a standalone feature or a marketing label. It’s part of a broader packaging philosophy focused on reducing risk without adding complexity.

The emphasis is on repeatable performance. Films that behave the same way today as they did yesterday. Materials that integrate easily into existing packaging processes. Protection that doesn’t require special instructions or additional handling steps.

In many applications, ESD control can also be combined with other packaging requirements — including moisture or corrosion protection — helping manufacturers avoid unnecessary layers, materials, or processes. More on that is available in our corrosion prevention solutions.

It’s practical engineering, not over-designed theory.

Preventing the Damage No One Sees

The challenge with ESD isn’t that it happens. It’s that you often don’t know it happened until much later. Failures appear downstream, long after packaging has been removed and processes completed.

By then, tracing the cause is difficult. Preventing it in the first place is far easier.

ESD films quietly reduce that risk. They don’t change workflows. They don’t draw attention. They simply do what they’re meant to do — manage static energy so sensitive components remain intact.

For more guidance on electrostatic discharge in electronics manufacturing, see the European Association of Electrical Engineers ESD guidelines, which cover safe handling and packaging practices.

To learn more about Daubert Europe’s ESD film solutions and explore options designed for consistency, reliability, and European manufacturing standards, visit DaubertEurope.eu.

Key Takeaways

• Vapour phase rust inhibitors create an invisible protective layer on metal surfaces without leaving residue.
• Ideal for long-term storage, export packaging, and sensitive precision components.
• Daubert Europe offers VPRI films, bags, and papers designed for European manufacturing demands.
• A residue-free, cost-effective alternative to oily or messy corrosion protection.

There’s a familiar moment in many factories and warehouses — someone unwraps a metal component that looked perfect when it left the plant, only to find a faint brown haze creeping across an edge or thread. No drama, no warning… just corrosion doing what it does best: turning small lapses into big problems. Anyone who works with metal knows that rust rarely asks permission.

This is exactly why vapour phase rust inhibitors, or VPRIs, have become such a practical favourite across Europe’s manufacturing sectors. They offer protection without fuss, without grease, without the chore of wiping things down afterwards. Just clean metal staying clean.

How Vapour Phase Rust Inhibitors Actually Work

If you haven’t used VPRI packaging before, the idea sounds almost too simple. Place your metal components inside a sealed environment — a bag, film, wrap, or paper — and the corrosion-inhibiting vapours do the rest.

These vapours drift through the space, settle gently onto exposed metal, and form a microscopic, temporary layer that blocks corrosion before it can start. There’s no sticky film, no oily residue, nothing for operators to scrub off later. You could take a part straight from VPRI packaging and install it without hesitation.

It’s the sort of protection that fits quietly into the background. And often, that’s what makes it so valuable.

A Fit for Many Different Industries

Europe’s supply chain is rarely straightforward. Components travel — sometimes much farther than expected — and every stop introduces new humidity, vibration, or temperature changes. VPRIs serve as a constant, steady buffer.

• Automotive suppliers rely on them to keep precision machined parts rust-free during transit.
• Aerospace firms use VPRI papers to protect high-value metal assemblies during long-term storage.
• Metal stamping plants wrap components between processing stages to avoid contamination.
• Exporters depend on VPRI films when shipping to regions where humidity is anything but predictable.

Add it all up, and you get a form of corrosion control that’s as versatile as it is practical.

Daubert Europe’s VPRI Range

Daubert Europe offers VPRI packaging in several formats — films for larger assemblies, bags for individual components, papers for stacked or boxed parts, and speciality options for heavy-duty applications. All are engineered to meet the expectations of European manufacturers who simply can’t afford setbacks caused by rust.

Karen Clements, Global Marketing Director for Daubert Cromwell, explains it with refreshing clarity:
“Vapour phase rust inhibitors give manufacturers something they don’t have enough of: certainty. When parts arrive looking exactly as they left the plant — clean, dry, untouched — that reliability builds confidence at every step of the supply chain.”

Why Manufacturers Are Moving Away from Oils and Grease

One of the quiet revolutions in corrosion protection has been the shift away from heavy coatings. They take time to apply, they attract dust, and they often need cleaning before assembly. VPRIs avoid all of that.

They’re cleaner. Faster. And ironically, they often provide more consistent coverage because vapours reach places that oils simply can’t.

For many operations, switching to VPRI packaging has been less a cost decision and more a workflow improvement — fewer touch-points, fewer delays, fewer unpleasant surprises.

Choose Protection That Works While You Don’t

Corrosion doesn’t sleep, but with VPRI packaging, you don’t have to worry about it either. Whether your components stay in storage for a week or a year, the protection remains in place the entire time.

To explore Daubert Europe’s full line of vapour phase rust inhibitor solutions, visit DaubertEurope.eu and see how invisible protection can make a very visible difference.