ESD Flooring Mat

Electrostatic Discharge ESD flooring protects electronics from damage caused by static electricity which accumulates as people walk Conductive elements such as carbon graphite or metalcoated particles distributed throughout the flooring material give ESD floors electrical conductivity and create an electrical pathway from the walking surface to ground

ESD flooring standards are based on an ESD flooringfootwear combination Some but not all ESD floors also prevent charge generation  ie static from accumulating as people walk Thus its critical to determine the type of footwear people will use in the space When choosing an ESD floor always test for both electrical resistance STM71 and charge generation STM972

A floor can be conductive and still generate enough static to damage electronics

To be sure you choose the right ESD floor for your application always evaluate

The relevant electrical code

Industry standards for electrical resistance and charge generation body voltage

Independent test results resistance STM71 charge generation STM972

Footwear used in the space ESDprotective footwear or regular street shoes

Any specific requirements for the application

The demands and constraints of the environment

Buyer goals and objectives

A static discharge as small as 20 volts can damage or destroy microelectronics

Staticcontrol floors create a traceable path from the walking surface to ground

To measure the resistance of a flooring material we use test method ANSI STM71

ANSIESD S2020 requires electrical resistance to measure below 1x 10E9 ohms

Motorola R56 and FAA 019f require 1 x 10E6 ohms and below 1 x 10E9 ohms

If people wear street shoes in the space the floor must also prevent charge generation

An ESD floor can be conductive and still generate static fail to prevent body voltage

To evaluate the potential for charge generation use ANSI STM972

Delight India is the manufacturers and suppliers of the Esd mats 

If your employees regularly handle electronic products that are sensitive to damage from static electricity then its likely your business should be using ElectroStatic Discharge ESD matting Many electronics standards insist on static control such EN6134051 or ANSI S41 S2020 in the US

Being such a critical yet also simple part of your working environment its easy for ESD matting to go overlooked Thats why weve put together this helpful guide

The basics of ESD matting

The essential thing to know about ESD matting is that it shields equipment from static electricity discharges ESD mats mainly sit on worktops in work areas where charges can build up ESD matting generally has two main components a static dissipative top layer and a conductive bottom layer An ESD mat offers a simple path to ground for the static electricity

Without an ESD mat electronic equipment can be at risk from static discharges As little as 5v static discharge can damage some electronic components  With ESD mats  used alongside other measures like antistatic tools clothing footwear flooring and packaging as well as grounding straps  you are protecting your products and processed from unseen damage from static discharges

Where would you typically use ESD matting

Weve mentioned floors and worktops above but it pays to be more specific

Youd often see ESD matting used in workspaces like

Computer server rooms

Assembly lines

ESD Protected Areas EPAs

Microchip manufacturing plants

Electronics Manufacturing

Clean rooms

And more besides

Its also worth mentioning that even areas that may occasionally encounter static might benefit from ESD mats

For instance electronic devices boxed up in protective packaging may still need to be stored in warehouses and storage areas ESD matting is often placed on the storage shelves to add an additional layer of protection from static generated by the stacking process