What is ESD flooring?
ESD Flooring is a specialized flooring system designed to control static electricity by using conductive or dissipative materials to safely ground static charges, preventing damage to electronics. Common types include vinyl, rubber, and epoxy-based flooring.
How does ESD flooring work?
ESD flooring works by creating a controlled pathway to safely dissipate static electricity, preventing its buildup. It is constructed from conductive materials like carbon fibers or metal fibers, which safely channel electrical charges from the body to the ground.
Some ESD floors are dissipative, slowly releasing static charges to prevent buildup, using materials with specific electrical resistance to balance conductivity and safety.
Do I need ESD flooring?
Whether you need ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) flooring depends on your environment and activities. ESD flooring is essential in areas with sensitive electronic equipments, such as data centers, labs, or manufacturing facilities, to prevent static damage. If your work involves handling static-sensitive components or you operate in an environment prone to static buildup, ESD flooring is necessary. Otherwise, it may not be required.
What flooring is suitable for static control?
Common electrostatic control flooring materials include vinyl, rubber, and epoxy coatings, often embedded with conductive elements like carbon or copper to dissipate static electricity.
Many people mistakenly believe that anti-static flooring prevents the generation of static electricity. In reality, these floors contain conductive fibers and are installed with copper foil beneath them, using conductive adhesives. The copper foil is connected to pre-buried grounding conductors, allowing any static charge to safely dissipate into the earth.
How to measure ESD floor?
ESD floor performance is evaluated using two critical tests: electrical resistance (per ANSI/ESD STM7.1 or IEC 61340-4-1) and charge generation (per ANSI/ESD STM97.2 or IEC 61340-4-5).
Measure Electrical Resistance of ESD Floor (STM7.1/IEC 61340-4-1)
- Measures the floor’s ability to dissipate static charges.
- Uses a resistance meter (ohmmeter) with standardized electrodes.
- Tests point-to-point (Rtt) and point-to-ground (Rtg) resistance.
- Compliance: Rtt and Rtg should typically fall between 10^5 Ω and 10^9 Ω
Charge Generation (STM97.2/IEC 61340-4-5)
- Evaluates static charge created by foot friction on the floor.
- Simulates walking using a standardized test method (e.g., dragging a test shoe material under controlled conditions).
- Measures voltage with a non-contacting electrostatic voltmeter.
- Compliance: Generated voltage should not exceed ±100 volts (for ultra-sensitive environments) or ±200 volts (general ESD areas).
Test procedure as below
- Setup: Wear antistatic footwear; stand on ESD flooring. Configure instrument parameters.
- Measurement: Hold handheld electrode connected to body voltage measurement system.
- Walking Test:
- Perform the 6-step method on the anti-static floor: left foot on points 1, 3, 5, and right foot on points 2, 4, 6, repeating the cycle until completion.
- Measure at a minimum of 5 points per 500 square meters, ensuring at least 5 points are taken even for smaller areas.
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