Assembly and Precision Handling Gloves

Assembly gloves are worn all day, so comfort and feel decide whether they are worn at all. The specification comes down to three things: the coating that sets grip, the liner gauge that sets dexterity, and whether the glove is light enough for the task without being too light for the hazard.

Polyurethane against nitrile foam coatings

Polyurethane is applied as a very thin film on the palm and fingertips. It leaves the knit breathable, adds almost no bulk and gives the best fingertip feel of any coating, which is why it dominates electronics and small parts assembly. It grips well on clean dry surfaces and poorly once oil is present, and it wears through faster than nitrile on abrasive work.

Nitrile foam is a microporous dip. The open cells channel oil away from the contact patch and hold it, so grip on lightly oiled components is far better than PU can manage. It is thicker, so feel is slightly reduced, but abrasion life is considerably longer. Nitrile also resists oils and greases, which keeps the glove usable rather than saturated.

Smooth nitrile and sandy nitrile sit at the heavier end. Sandy finishes add mechanical grip in the wet at the cost of comfort against the skin, and suit component handling in wash down areas.

Liner gauge and what it changes

Gauge counts needles per inch on the knitting machine, so a higher gauge means a finer, thinner and closer fitting glove. A 13 gauge liner is the general purpose choice, robust enough for mixed handling and still comfortable across a shift. A 15 gauge liner is noticeably thinner, cooler and better for repetitive small part work. An 18 gauge liner feels close to a second skin and is the choice for fine electronics, optical work and anywhere a fastener has to be picked from a tray by feel.

Finer gauges wear faster. If your operators are burning through 18 gauge gloves in a day, the task probably needs 13 gauge and a different coating rather than a thinner glove.

Touchscreen compatible fingertips

Conductive yarn knitted into the thumb and index fingertip lets an operator use a scanner, tablet or terminal without removing the glove. It sounds like a convenience feature, and it is also a safety feature, because the moment a glove has to come off to sign for a pallet is the moment it stays off.

Touchscreen performance depends on the coating leaving the conductive area exposed, so check that the fingertip dip does not cover the yarn.

OEKO-TEX and skin safety

A glove worn eight hours a day sits against the skin longer than most clothing. OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 certification confirms the materials have been tested for harmful substances against limits set for skin contact articles, which matters for operators prone to contact dermatitis.

It is a chemical content certification, not a performance rating, so it sits alongside EN 388 rather than replacing it.

Where a light glove is the wrong choice

A thin coated glove is not the answer to every task. It offers little puncture resistance, so it is unsuitable where staples, wire ends, swarf or needles are present. It offers no impact protection at all. Against blades and sharp sheet metal, a low cut level liner will part immediately, and a cut level D or above glove is required even if it costs some feel.

Nor should a coated knit be used around rotating machinery, drills, lathes or bench grinders, where any glove can be drawn in and the correct control is to remove gloves and guard the machine. Chemical handling needs a certified chemical glove, because a foam nitrile coating on a knitted liner is not a liquid barrier. Match the glove to the worst hazard in the task, not the most common one.

Assembly & ESD range

Frequently asked questions

Should I choose a PU or a nitrile foam coating?

Choose polyurethane for clean dry assembly where fingertip feel is the priority, such as electronics and small component work. Choose nitrile foam where parts are oily or greasy, because the foam cells break the oil film and give grip that PU cannot match, and where abrasion life needs to be longer.

What does glove gauge mean?

Gauge is the number of needles per inch used to knit the liner. Higher gauge means a finer and thinner glove with better dexterity but shorter service life. 13 gauge suits general handling, 15 gauge suits repetitive small part work, and 18 gauge suits fine electronics and precision assembly.

Do touchscreen gloves work with all devices?

They work with capacitive touchscreens, which covers most tablets, phones and modern industrial terminals. Older resistive screens respond to pressure rather than conductivity and work with any glove. Performance also depends on the coating leaving the conductive fingertip yarn exposed.

Are assembly gloves suitable for handling sharp parts?

Not usually. Light coated knits carry low cut and puncture ratings and will part against blades, sheet metal edges, wire ends and swarf. Where sharp edges are present, specify a cut resistant liner at level D or above and accept slightly reduced fingertip feel.

Relevant industries

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