Ionizing Blower Coverage & Layout: How to Place Ionizers for Reliable Neutralization

Ionizing blowers are used when you need wider coverage than a bench fan can provide—packaging lines, conveyors, and larger work cells. But coverage is highly dependent on layout.

This guide gives you:

• Practical placement rules (height, distance, angle)

• Common layout patterns for benches and lines

• How to map coverage and validate performance using charged plate monitor testing (decay time + ion balance)

---

 What “Coverage” Really Means

Coverage is not just “airflow reaches the area.” It means the ionizer can consistently achieve:

• acceptable decay time at the working points

• stable ion balance (offset voltage) without drift

• repeatable results after cleaning/maintenance cycles

---

Layout Rules That Work in Real Factories

H3: Rule 1 — Use the real working point as your reference

Place the blower so airflow hits the exact zone where static is generated (film peel point, tray unload point, pick-and-place zone).

H3: Rule 2 — Distance is everything

As distance increases:

• airflow weakens

• ion density drops

• neutralization slows

So layout should minimize unnecessary distance while avoiding turbulence.

 Rule 3 — Avoid obstacles and cross-drafts

Fixtures, guards, and strong HVAC flow can divert ions. If you see inconsistent results, treat airflow as a “system,” not a single device.

---

 Common Ionizing Blower Layout Patterns (Copy-Paste Ready)

H3: Layout A — Single blower for a work cell

Best for one bench / one station.

• Mount above and slightly forward of the work surface

• Angle toward the charge generation point

• Validate at 3–5 points across the surface

 Layout B — Dual blowers for wide benches

Best for long benches or two-operator stations.

• Two blowers angled inward

• Overlap coverage zones to reduce dead spots

• Validate at overlap points first

 Layout C — Conveyor line neutralization

Best for packaging, label, film lines.

• Place near the charge creation zone (peel/separate points)

• Use multiple blowers instead of “one huge unit”

• Confirm decay time at line speed conditions

---

Coverage Mapping & Validation (How to Prove It Works)

A best-practice approach is to create a coverage map using a charged plate monitor to measure:

• Decay time

• Ion balance (offset voltage)

This measurement approach is defined in IEC 61340-4-7 for ionizer evaluation.

Step-by-step mapping method

1. Divide the target area into a grid (example: 30–50 cm spacing)

2. Measure decay time (+ and -) at each grid point

3. Record ion balance at each point

4. Identify “slow decay” and “high offset” zones

5. Adjust height/angle and repeat until stable

(Charged plate monitors are designed for decay and balance measurement aligned to IEC/ANSI methods.)

---

 Practical Checklist Before You Finalize Layout

• Blower unit grounded properly

• Emitters clean and maintenance schedule defined

• Airflow not blocked by guards/fixtures

• Cross-drafts minimized or compensated

• Coverage map verified (decay + balance)

• Documentation stored for audit readiness (S20.20 / IEC ESD program)