International Electrostatics Standardization Seminar Held in Suzhou; Chinese and Foreign Experts Discuss the Future Development of the IEC 61340 Series Standards
On April 9, 2026, the International Electrostatics Standardization Seminar was held in Suzhou. More than 20 experts attended the meeting, including John Kinnear, Chair of the International Electrotechnical Commission Technical Committee on Electrostatics (IEC/TC101), and member Brennan Pimpinella, as well as representatives from the China Electronics Standardization Institute, Suzhou Tianhua New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., the China National Institute of Standardization, the University of Science and Technology Beijing, and several leading enterprises.
- IEC/TC101 Chair Delivers Keynote Report
John Kinnear was invited to deliver a keynote report titled “Introduction to TC101 Standards and Future Planning.” The presentation systematically introduced IEC/TC101’s current work priorities, standards framework, and future development direction.
Kinnear emphasized that electrostatic protection for electronic devices not only requires benchmarking and implementation against the requirements of IEC 61340-5-1, but also requires risk assessment in accordance with IEC TS 61340-5-6. Scientific and precise electrostatic protection measures should then be implemented based on the results of that risk assessment. This places higher demands on the professional competence and practical experience of electrostatic protection practitioners.
He also noted that the conformity verification guidance in IEC TS 61340-5-4 is still not detailed enough, and that more detailed, practical user guidance will need to be developed in the future.
- Core Topics Focus on the Development and Revision of International Standards
The meeting included in-depth discussions around four main topics:
Topic 1: TC101 priorities and recommendations for China’s participation in international standardization
Based on John Kinnear’s report, the participating experts exchanged views on the standardization roadmap for areas such as electrostatic protection requirements, test methods, and industry applications. The discussion helped identify key areas where China can focus its efforts in IEC/TC101 international standardization work.
Topic 2: Follow-up work on the new proposal for electrostatic field measurement
Regarding the new proposal “Electrostatics — Part 2-5: Methods of Measurement — Electrostatic Field Measurement,” the project initiation process and recommended next steps were introduced in detail. The meeting also reviewed the countries and experts that may join the project group within TC101.
The TC101 annual meeting will be held in the United Kingdom in early July of this year, and a discussion meeting on this proposal has already been included on the agenda.
Topic 3: Feasibility of developing a Technical Report on implementation examples for IEC 61340-5-1
The participating experts agreed that China has many rich application scenarios for electrostatic protection. They considered it feasible to develop Technical Report documents containing implementation examples for special scenarios, such as lithium-ion battery production and display device manufacturing. This proposal received positive feedback from international experts.
Topic 4: Pathway for developing real-time monitoring of electrostatic control parameters into an international standard
The meeting discussed whether real-time monitoring technology aligns with the forward-looking nature of the field and with the positioning of IEC TS 61340-5-2 as a user guide. Participants considered whether this content would be suitable for inclusion as an annex to IEC TS 61340-5-2, whether an independent Technical Report or Technical Specification should be developed, and how the work could align with trends in intelligent manufacturing.
- Focus on Practical Issues in Test Methods
The meeting also included in-depth technical discussion on the following topics:
- The use of a Faraday cup method in IEC TS 61340-4-2 and IEC 61340-4-9 garment standards for testing charge performance after tumble friction of garments made from different fabric materials.
- The use of a 500 V test voltage in standards other than IEC 61340-4-1.
- Test locations and test data for electrostatic discharge shielding bags.
- Selection of electrostatic shielding test items.
- The reasonableness of ionizer test point locations in ESD STM3.1.
- Anti-static requirements for various types of electric screwdrivers outside of IEC TR 61340-5-2.
The meeting also discussed control requirements for trays. John Kinnear clarified that if the tray is only used for picking electronic devices, then the tray should be controlled as a packaging material. If other operations are involved, then the tray should be controlled with reference to work surfaces.
Through this seminar, understanding of the implementation details of the standards was further unified.
- Deepening International Cooperation and Contributing Chinese Expertise
The successful convening of this meeting further deepened the standardization cooperation between the National Technical Committee for Electrostatics Standardization and IEC/TC101.
Drawing on China’s rich application scenarios and technical experience, Chinese experts put forward a series of forward-looking and practical recommendations around several core topics. These recommendations provide important technical support for the continued improvement of the IEC 61340 series standards system.
Moving forward, the National Technical Committee for Electrostatics Standardization will work with leading domestic organizations to continue contributing Chinese expertise to international standardization efforts and to help advance the global level of electrostatic protection technology standardization.
Participating Organizations
The organizations participating in this seminar included:
- China Electronics Standardization Institute
- Suzhou Tianhua New Energy Technology Co., Ltd.
- Suzhou Tianhua Ultra Clean Technology Co., Ltd.
- Shenzhen Golden Key Electrostatic Micro-Contamination Engineering Consulting Co., Ltd.
- Anti-Static Equipment Branch of the China Electronic Instrument Industry Association
- China National Institute of Standardization
- University of Science and Technology Beijing
- Shanghai Anti-Static Industry Association
- Suzhou Inovance Technology Co., Ltd.
- Suzhou InnoLight Technology Co., Ltd.
- Huizhou Foryou General Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.
- Suzhou Tongfu Chaowei Semiconductor Co., Ltd.
- Shenzhen Haoyatong Protective Products Co., Ltd.