ESD polo shirt short sleeve cobalt blue, 180 gsm piqué, conductive yarn, size 5XL - A1-ESD

As soon as several groups share one production hall, clothing becomes an organisational tool. Inspection, maintenance, shift supervision, agency staff and visitors can be told apart by colour without anyone reading a badge. Cobalt blue is strong enough to separate clearly from the navy of a standard fleet.

The second requirement stays technical. Around 100 volts can damage a semiconductor structure beyond repair, and on a dry winter day the charge carried by people is the single largest contribution inside an EPA. This polo takes it away through 4 % conductive yarn in the piqué.

Strong colours are the hardest to keep, which is exactly why the fabric is reactive dyed. The dye bonds chemically to the cotton, so the blue does not look washed out after months in the laundry loop.

Your benefits

• Reactive dyed cobalt blue: The dye is chemically bonded to the fibre. The blue stays saturated instead of turning patchy or pale after half a year of industrial laundering, which is the whole point of a signal colour.
• Visible area assignment: Recognising from ten metres away that a colleague belongs to inspection rather than assembly saves walking. A saturated colour manages that even under mixed hall lighting.
• Conductive rib knit collar: The collar is knitted from conductive yarn. It keeps skin contact at the neck through the whole shift, even when the shirt shifts around during work at a test bench.
• 96 % cotton, 4 % conductive yarn: Compact cotton charges less than synthetics and sheds almost no lint. The conductive yarn is knitted in, so it does not depend on a finish that weakens in the wash water.
• 10⁵ to 10⁸ ohms, tested at STFI: Surface resistance was determined at 23 °C and 25 % relative humidity. Dry air is the least favourable case, which makes it the right condition for a meaningful figure.
• Decoration without colour clash: Light logo colours and white lettering sit cleanly on cobalt blue. The knit suits embroidery and takes print up to 160 °C, with a sample recommended beforehand.
• Twelve sizes, 3XS to 6XL: A signal colour only works if everyone can wear it. The range runs from the smallest to the largest fit, all from the same production series.

Material and fabric

The base is compact cotton on ring spun yarn, joined by 4 % conductive yarn in the same knit. Ring spun yarn is smoother and more dimensionally stable than rotor yarn, which shows most clearly at a collar that still stands after many wash cycles. Cotton also absorbs moisture, which is more comfortable at a bench with fume extraction and dry air than a synthetic knit.

At 180 gsm this piqué counts as solid rather than light for a polo. That substance matters with a saturated colour, because thin knits tend to look uneven once they are dyed deeply. The fine waffle structure breaks the light slightly and lets the cobalt blue read as calm instead of glaring.

• 96 % cotton, 4 % conductive yarn
• 180 gsm fine piqué from ring spun yarn
• Reactive dyeing, chemically bonded to the fibre
• Low lint and lower odour than synthetics
• Dimensionally stable at collar, sleeve hem and bottom

Construction in detail

The rib knit collar is made from conductive yarn, so it is functional rather than decorative. It contracts again after being opened and does not lose height. The three button placket with colour matched buttons allows the polo to be worn open on shift and closed for a customer visit.

A colour matched neck tape covers the shoulder seam and stabilises the neckline. The chest pocket sits on the left and holds a badge or a test probe. The ESD logo is placed on the left sleeve, where it stays visible even with a wrist strap in place at the bench.

• Conductive rib knit collar
• Three button placket, colour matched buttons
• Neck tape across the shoulder seam
• Left chest pocket
• ESD logo on the left sleeve

Lasting dissipation

The conductive yarn is a silver yarn made in a process developed specifically for this fabric. The benefit is plain enough to state without decoration: dissipation belongs to the thread rather than to a coating, and it is retained after repeated washing and wear.

Anyone using clothing as a colour code buys it in series and keeps it in service for a long time. That makes it all the more important that the electrical function does not fail before the visual one. Together the two decide whether a batch is still in use after two years or has to be replaced.

Fit and sizes

Twelve sizes from 3XS to 6XL are available. Anyone equipping a whole group in cobalt blue therefore dresses every build from the same run, without individuals having to fall back on a different colour or a different cut. The shade stays identical across every size.

Measurements and tolerances are listed in the size chart, available as a PDF in the Downloads tab of this page. For a group order it is worth fitting two sample sizes before the actual quantity is released. Using colour as a code also calls for a clean record of who wears which size in the store.

Cobalt blue as a code colour

Cobalt blue is bright and saturated enough to stand out in a hall full of dark workwear, yet it stays a serious colour for customer contact. Typical assignments are quality assurance, shift supervision, escorting external contractors or a team that enforces EPA rules on the floor. Because the blue is strong, the assignment still reads clearly after a year of service.

Technical data

Applications

• Quality assurance and final inspection in assembly production
• Shift supervision and instruction inside the EPA
• Goods receipt and picking of electronic components
• Measuring room and test equipment management
• Escorting external contractors and audit visits

Care and service life

The polo is suitable for commercial laundering. Reactive dyeing and ring spun yarn are the two reasons colour and shape survive frequent wash cycles, which counts double for a code colour. Conductivity is retained over many washing and wearing cycles. The sewn in care label carries the binding instructions.

Finishing and custom versions

Embroidery and print up to 160 °C are possible, with a sample print recommended first. Decoration takes place in Germany. On request the equipment options apply: sleeves with conductive knitted cuffs, a contrast execution, long sleeve with conductive rib cuffs. Special colours outside the catalogue are equally available on request.

Standards and testing

Testing for dissipation and surface resistance to DIN EN 61340-5-1:2016 was carried out at STFI with a passing result. The measured value lies between 10⁵ and 10⁸ ohms, recorded at 23 +/- 1 °C and 25 +/- 5 % relative humidity. There is no testing to any further ESD standard for this model.