What machines use static electricity?

Photocopiers, paint sprayers, defibrillators and some air fresheners use static electricity to either aid their function or as a main component. Although not a machine, industrial smokestacks utilize static electricity to trap pollution inside with an opposite charge.

Automobile manufacturers utilize static electricity to hasten the painting process. The manufacturers prepare the car prior to applying paint. The paint has an electrical charge of its own that is opposite that of the car. During painting, the static electric charge causes the vehicle to attract the paint molecules. The end result is that less paint is wasted in the process.