ARCHIVE
Type of Finger Cots
The finger cots can be broadly divided into 3 types:-
Type 1 : Low-powdered Finger Cot
It is lightly powdered. It is washed to reduce the powder.
Type 2 : Powder free finger cot
It is a finger cot processed by chlorination. The Chlorine level is controlled to prevent excess chlorides and ensure consistent quality.
Type 3 : Cleaned finger cot
It is powder-free, latex-free, chlorine free, sulphur free.
Choices of Finger Cots in the Market
a. Nitrile finger cots
According to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 'nitrile' means any one of a series of cyanogen compounds, particularly, one of those cyanides of alcohol radicals which by boiling with acids or alkalies, produce a carboxyl acid, with the elimination of the nitrogen as ammonia.
Nitrile finger cots are manufactured from synthetic materials. They are designed for cleanroom environment and suitable for pharmaceuticals and electronic facilities. They are powder free and sulphur free.
b. General purpose finger cots
Different from nitrile finger cots, these type of finger cots are manufactured from 100% natural latex. They are powder free and mainly used in the cleanroom, industrial and medical application.
They have rough surface and thus providing firm grip suitable for industrial application. They protect finger cut or stitches from infection.
c. Industrial finger cots
These type of finger cots are lightly powdered. They are made of 14 mil natural rubber latex and are thus tough, durable and reusable. They are mainly used in industrial, manufacturing, office and electronic components assembly where sharp objects abound.
d. Anti-static finger cots
These are ESD finger cots, also known as pink finger cots. They are powder free and made of 100% latex. Primarily they are used in electronic assembly, medical and pharmaceutical manufacture.
General Knowledge
Finger cot is also known as finger stool and finger condom.
There are many types finger cots available in the market like cotton finger cots, leather finger cots, nylon finger cots, nitrile finger cots and latex finger cots. Banyan finger cots are latex finger cots.
The latex finger cots are used in handling paper, wax, hot glues, food, cutting glasses. They are used to protect your finger from cut and your finger from infection.
In manufacturing industry like electronics, finger cot is used to handle sensitive components and to prevent contamination by human being.
In medical use like in hospital and clinic, finger cots are used for fingering vagina and anus even though surgical gloves are preferable.
Finger cot is also used in the kitchen. It is used by kitchen workers to cover cuts and wounds while working. This can prevent spread of disease and infection of the workers by bacteria or virus.
There is a type of finger cot called ESD finger cot which is used in ESD control room use. This type of finger cot is powder free. It helps to decrease the ESD damage. These finger cots provide good quality performance in optical usage, medical, electronics, semi-conductor industries.
Finger cot is thicker than condom. Both are dipped products of natural rubber latex. Finger cot differs from condom in not having features like reservoir tip and pre-applied lubricant.
Even though finger cot is a small and cheap item, it is an essential tool for all types of works.
How Finger Cots Help in ESD Control
ESD control is crucial in electronic industry. ESD event may lead to serious damage to electronic components.
There are two causes of ESD i.e. (i) static electricity which is generated through tribocharging whereby two objects are brought together and then separated. This will give rise to difference in electrical potential which may cause ESD event; and (ii) electrostatic induction where an electrically charged object, be it conducive or nonconducive, comes into contact or in near contact with a conducive object, for instance a printed circuit board, isolated from ground. The sudden surge of current may cause ESD event that subsequently damage the circuit board.
In order to control ESD, one may prevent the build-up of static charge. The use of anti-static and static dissipative materials may eliminate the charge build-up. Anti-static finger cots could assist in this aspect. The finger cots must be powder free. Otherwise the movement between the powder and latex finger cots may produce static charge. When this static charge is brought into contact with the electronic components which is not properly grounded, surge of charge may destroy the electronic component.
Back to LIST
Steps In Wearing Finger Cots
Place the finger cot on the tip of your finger. Roll down the finger cot from the tip of the finger.
The wearing process on a finger completes when the finger
cot reaches the root of the finger. Smooth out any air bubbles.
Continue the above steps for the rest of the fingers.
Handling items with finger cots put on.
Summary of functions of finger cots:-
1. Protecting the product from skin salt.
2. Protecting the product from scratch caused by finger nail.
3. Handling thin film, optics and precision assembly.
4. Laboratory application.
5. ESD control required cleanroom (Class 100) use.
6. Use in Integrated Circuit (IC) industries.
7. Use in Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) industries.
8. Use to protect static sensitive devices.