Case Study: Anti-Static PVC Curtains for Electronics Assembly Plant — Bristol

Last updated: April 2026

Client Background

Avontech Electronics Ltd is a contract electronics manufacturer based in an industrial park south of Bristol, producing PCB assemblies and electronic control units for automotive, defence, and industrial automation clients. The facility operates a 6,000 sq ft ESD Protected Area (EPA) encompassing PCB assembly, component storage, test, and inspection functions, operating to IEC 61340-5-1 ESD control standards.

The Challenge

During a third-party ESD audit in early 2025, the auditor identified several non-conformances:

  • No physical barrier preventing untrained visitors from inadvertently entering the EPA without completing the wrist strap check
  • Standard clothing and materials from outside the EPA regularly drifting into the EPA airspace
  • Two EPA entry points had no demarcation other than floor tape, which was regularly walked over
  • A persistent draught through the main EPA entry from an adjacent unheated goods inward area

The audit report recommended installation of physical ESD-compatible barriers at all three EPA entry points. Purpose-built ESD partition systems were quoted at £3,000–£8,000 per opening. Anti-static PVC strip curtains were identified as a cost-effective alternative.

Solution Selected

Opening 1: Main EPA Entry (2.0m wide × 2.6m high)

  • Strips: 200mm × 2mm anti-static (static dissipative) PVC, made-to-measure at 2,570mm
  • Rail: Aluminium hook-on rail with earthing lug, 2.0m
  • Earthing: 1.5mm² earth cable connected to designated earth bar in EPA
  • Surface resistivity: 10⁸–10¹⁰ Ω/□ (static dissipative grade)
  • ESD wrist strap check station positioned immediately inside the curtain

Openings 2 and 3 (Component Store and Test Bay)

  • Same specification as Opening 1 with hook-on rails and individual earth connections to each area's earth bar

Total material cost: £640 + VAT. Installation time: 6 hours (single engineer).

Installation and Verification

Following installation, the ESD Coordinator performed baseline verification: surface resistance testing at three points per strip on all three curtains — all readings within 10⁸–10¹⁰ Ω/□ specification; continuity test from strip surface to earth bar — all points <1Ω; smoke pencil test confirming reduced airflow from goods inward area into EPA.

Results Achieved

  • Third-party ESD re-audit (6 months post-installation): all three non-conformances closed with "satisfactory" rating
  • Zero instances of untrained personnel entering EPA unescorted since installation
  • Staff survey: 94% of EPA operators reported the curtains as "not disruptive" or "slightly helpful"
  • Draught complaints eliminated entirely
  • Zero ESD field events in 12 months post-installation (vs two in the prior year)

ESD Coordinator's Comment

"We were expecting a complicated, expensive solution to close the audit findings. Anti-static strip curtains cost us under £700 installed and closed three non-conformances in one go."

Browse our anti-static PVC strip curtains for ESD and cleanroom applications.