Ground cord on rework station

[nikk4s]

I just received my first hot air station. It is a Quick 861dw that I saw recommended on this forum. I noticed a ground cord that plugs into the back with a banana connector and has an alligator clip. What is the purpose of this? I looked in the manual and it mentions it being included and nothing else.

[tautech]

Welcome to the forum.

I strongly suspect it will be for ESD management and need be connected to your lab grounding point along with your wrist strap and conductive bench mat etc.

[nikk4s]

Thank you. I had suspected this but the information must be so commonly known nobody thought to mention it.

[Carioca10]

I have found in Brazil a similar (maybe identical) rework station Solden SE880D to Quick 861DW, concerning taxes and shipping costs from abroad it seemed worthy for me to buy it here in Brazil: http://produto.mercadolivre.com.br/MLB-704834891-estaco-de-ar-quente-solden-ajuste-temperatura-se880d-_JM.

I asked Quick Global if they are the same models and its first contact employee wrote it was a Quick 861DW: “…SOLDEN SE-880 is QUICK861DW rework station. …”.

So I bought it, but when I received it I was surprised because I did not see the ESD grounding socket at the rear panel, although there is an ESD label at the front panel.

I have already emailed Brazilian Solden 2 times, why they put the ESD label on the front panel, but there is not an ESD grounding socket, so I asked them gently how ESD do work on its model. No answer received.

I also emailed again Quick Global about it and its first contact employee answered this:

“…
The SE880D(861DW) you buy this time doesn't have ground wire connection, which was added later for improvement of rework station.
However, the using would not be affected as the rework station is used to rework of components. With the nozzle, it doesn't touch components directly.
…”

His first contact employee asked me about which components I was going to rework with Solden SE880D, I answered back which components should I avoid and high extra procedures should I take to avoid ESD problems.

Then a second contact employee from Quick Global answered me:

“…
Speaking of ESD issue, please let me put like this.
 1. ESD is a kind of product standards in this field, which includes many aspects. Fyi, nearly all the manufactures put ESD on their products so far whether it's real or not.
 2. As I said above, ESD actually consists of many things, such as grounded power cord, anti-static paint on the housing and cable, grounding socket etc. Regarding our QUICK861DW, we used the grounded power cable, the housing maybe painted with the ESD paint. As for the grounding socket, as Kerry explained, the product you bought maybe not have it because it's improved later (step by step).   
 3. You know, QUICK861DW(SE880D) is just a rework station. You talked about ESD many times. Please let us know what your real purpose is so that we can understand you correctly.
…”.

So is it worthy to keep a rework station without an ESD grounding socket?

Which components should I avoid and which extra procedures should I take to avoid ESD problems?

[agehall]

Exactly why are you worried about the hot air station not having a ground connection?

Assuming you have some other means of grounding yourself, you don't really need to worry about that plug, just keep the station plugged into a grounded socket.

[Carioca10]

Thank you very much for your answer,  !

I will take your guidelines and move on,  !

Exactly why are you worried about the hot air station not having a ground connection?

Assuming you have some other means of grounding yourself, you don't really need to worry about that plug, just keep the station plugged into a grounded socket.

[Ian.M]

Exactly why are you worried about the hot air station not having a ground connection?

Assuming you have some other means of grounding yourself, you don't really need to worry about that plug, just keep the station plugged into a grounded socket.

... and if your house or workshop wiring is so sh!tty that all you have to power your bench is an ungrounded outlet or one with an unreliable ground, you've got bigger problems - at the minimum you'll need to hack a multi-way extension strip to add a ground bonding terminal, equipotential bond any nearby metalwork  (say within 3m of your bench) then build or buy an ESD grounding point with safety resistor(s), and if possible run a proper ground to your bench, even if you have to drive a ground rod and drill a window frame to do so. (Or, so you can fully close the window, run copper foil tape protected by weatherproof tape or Kapton tape on top of it, between the opening window and the frame, soldered to the inside and outside parts of the ground wire if in rented accommodation with a ban on permanent modifications.)    Even if the hot air station had an ESD bonding point, its just a convenience, as with the typical built-in 1Meg series safety resistor, you cant rely on the ESD ground for equipment grounding for safety or functionality.

[lazarusr]

The purpose of that connector is not to ground the hot air station for ESD protection. As others have stated, the rework station is already grounded. And, in any event, the heater shouldn't come into direct contact with components (and if it does, static discharge will be the least of your problems).

However, if you measure the resistance between the connector and the earth pin of its mains connector it is almost exactly 1MΩ, which is pretty much the standard for earth bonding points. It is there as a bonding point for you to connect other devices to (such as a wrist trap, ESD mat etc.), if you don't already have a suitable point available.