What is the difference between static shielding bags and anti-static bags?

Anti-static bags, static shielding bags and anti-static poly tubing are used to keep electrical parts safe from electrostatic discharge (ESD), but they do so in different ways:

Anti-Static Bags

• Purpose: These bags are made so that static electricity doesn't build up on their surface. They're used to store and move electrical parts that aren't sensitive and don't need to be protected from electrostatic discharge (ESD).
• How Anti-Static Bags Do Their Job: Most anti-static bags are made of plastic film treated with an antistatic agent / anti-static additive or with an antistatic layer on top of it. This prevents a static charge from building up on the bag's surface, which lowers the risk of a static discharge.
• Properties: They might not always keep the items safe from static electricity or ESD from outside sources. They work best for parts that won't get damaged by ESD but don't want static electricity to build up on the outside of the bag.

Static Shielding Bags

• Purpose: These bags keep ESD from damaging sensitive electrical parts. They're used to store and move things like integrated circuits and PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards) that can be damaged by static electricity.
• How Static Shielding Bags Work: Static protection bags are made of several layers, such as a conductive layer that removes static electricity and a metallic layer that creates a Faraday cage effect, protecting the contents from ESD from the outside.
• Properties: They keep static electricity from building up on their surface and protect what's inside from ESD and static electricity. These bags work better for fragile electrical parts. Even a small amount of static electricity can compromise the integrity of electronics.

Why are anti-static bags pink?

Anti-static goods don't have any inherent benefits just because they are pink in color. But pink has become synonymous with anti-static products and is often used to identify bags and materials that don't attract static electricity. These are sometimes referred to as "pink poly." The pink color is more of a rule than something that happens because of the color itself.