Ionizers
Ions help clean the air of particles such as dust, pollen and smoke. Ions are naturally produced by waterfalls, ocean waves, streams, etc., but in areas where pollution is present, like cities, the number of natural ions is not sufficient to clear the area. There are electric currents that are sometimes generated by the tribocharging of two objects, which then affect any sort of electronic around them and sometimes cause immense amounts of damage. Without enough natural ions to balance out this electrostatic discharge, also known as ESD, ionizers are needed to remove static and other particles from the air.
ESD products were developed for
static control and there are many of them, only one of which is ionizers. Other key
ESD protection products include
ground straps, which are worn at the wrists of workers around sensitive equipment and pull any static electricity encountered into the
anti static mat at their feet rather then affecting the machinery. Preventative measures, such as
corona treaters, which shoot electric currents through certain types of materials, enhancing their ability to withstand ESD, are also available.
Ionizers specifically look like industrial fans, and can come in a variety of basic sizes; large, medium and small. They keep a constant stream of ions in the generalized area they are in, which does much to control the amount of static in a room. Many products, such as computer equipment, electronics, medical equipment and telecommunications equipment, are very sensitive to static electricity. Without products like ionizers, several problems can result from static, including dust clinging to products and causing internal damage or corroding the surface level of the product, materials tearing, jamming or curling, sheet-feeding problems, hazardous sparks or shocks and so forth. Static ionizers can be used to help alleviate these problems. However, individual ionizers vary greatly in terms of capabilities. When a buyer is purchasing an ionizer certain aspects of the machinery should be considered; what size and weight is appropriate for their environment, how much air coverage and air volume is going to be necessary, and how much operating voltage is the ionizer going to require are just a few things to think about.
