Is it safe to use thermal wire strippers to strip wires attached to PC boards containing ESD hardware?
A. Yes. ESD tests performed by an independent company showed that PATCO thermal strippers generated typically 10 times less voltage than mechanical coaxial cable strippers. As much as 1000 volts was generated by mechanical strippers on certain types of wires. Highest reading on the same type of wire, using thermal strippers, was 26 volts. Mechanical stripper pinch the insulation. High pressure, transferred from the blades to this pinched area, creates considerable drag, thus generating high levels of static charge. Thermal stripping elements do not exert any pressure on the insulation. After the slug is thermally separated, it is merely pushed off the conductor.
