The Main Purpose of ESD Flooring
With each step you take, you generate static electricity at an atomic level, which can quickly transfer to other objects upon contact, a phenomenon known as Electrostatic Discharge (ESD). We’ve all experienced a “static shock” at some point, usually just a minor annoyance. However, for small components and electronics sensitive to ESD, it poses a significant threat.
Electronic components found in manufacturing facilities, laboratories, hospitals, server rooms, and elsewhere are highly susceptible to even minor fluctuations in electrical currents. ESD can have catastrophic consequences, leading to component damage, wasted resources, data compromise, or even human hazards if these components fail.
ESD flooring mitigates the risk of transferring static electricity to sensitive components.
Employee foot traffic is a significant contributor to unwanted static discharge in the workplace. Static Control Flooring, or ESD Flooring, addresses this issue directly by employing advanced flooring technology designed to prevent static generation as employees move throughout the building.
Types of ESD Flooring Solutions
Several types of ESD Floors can be used to combat electrostatic discharge at a corporate or industrial level.
ESD Carpet Tiles:
Carpet flooring tiles will help provide an ESD-free work environment while offering a comfortable, static-controlled flooring surface to work and walk on. These are commonly seen in server rooms or any environment where carpet is an acceptable form of flooring. OhmStyle ESD™ is a popular choice for ESD Carpet Tile.
Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles:
This free-floating interlocking ESD tile system is one of the most durable, resilient, and portable ESD flooring solutions available. It is built to withstand industrial environments and is quickly applicable. You can have a free-floating interlocking ESD floor tile system installed within a day without any downtime. SelecTile ESD™ Interlock Flooring is a popular choice for Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles.
Glue-Down Vinyl ESD Flooring:
If your subfloor is ready to accept glue-down flooring, Glue-Down Vinyl is a low-cost and reliable form of ESD protection. Glue-Down Vinyl is a homogeneous vinyl with conductive veins that run throughout the product, providing permanent and reliable conductivity that is guaranteed for the life of the product. Ground Floor™ is a popular choice for Interlocking ESD Floor Tiles.
ESD Epoxy Flooring:
This is a layered and resinous epoxy-based solution that requires at least three coats: A multi-layer flooring system consisting of a primer/barrier coat, a conductive ground-plane coat, and a highly durable polyurethane ESD/color coat. ESD Epoxy is a perfect choice for large industrial environments like aircraft hangars, electronics manufacturing facilities, shipping & receiving areas, transport aisles & more. PolyStyle ESD™ is a popular choice for Interlocking ESD Epoxy Flooring.
ESD Floor Mats:
ESD floor mats are the most cost-effective solution for ESD Flooring. They are available in the following sizes: 2’x2′, 4’x4′, 4’x6′ 4’x8′. Simply purchase your preferred floor mat size and lay it down in an area where ESD cannot be tolerated. SelecTile ESD™ Mat Kits are a popular choice for Interlocking ESD Epoxy Flooring.
Industries Requiring ESD Floors
The following industries are known for requiring Anti Static Flooring Protection.
Aerospace & Defence:
Electronics in the aerospace and defense industries are only becoming more sophisticated, and as a result, they face challenging demands in the environments in which they are utilized. Making these products in a properly designed ESD Protected Area (EPA) is critical.
Automotive & Transportation:
The use of electronics in the automotive industry is expanding at a tremendous rate, with new systems being added annually. These systems have to function properly to meet comfort and safety requirements, all while working in a mobile environment that is subjected to more stress than a typical electronic device. Failures in devices can have far-reaching impacts.
Cleanrooms & Laboratories:
As equipment in cleanrooms and laboratories continues to become more sophisticated, it is also becoming more sensitive to interference and damage from electrostatic discharge. In cleanrooms where control of particles in the air is critical, maintaining a static-free environment helps prevent particle collection by electrostatic attraction. The choice of flooring in these environments must include consideration of ESD characteristics, ability to withstand chemicals, particulate emissions, and durability.
Data Centers and Network Offices:
Shrinking devices and faster processing speeds are making it easier for IT components to be damaged by ESD. Unprotected IT devices can be damaged at around 250 volts. The next several generations of devices will see vulnerability drop to around 125 volts. Significant risk to the hardware exists even when there is no perceptible ESD present. In fact, damage can occur at ten times below the perceptible limit. At these deficient levels, an extensive ESD protocol is required. ESD can be generated by the personnel in the room or the space’s hardware itself.
Electronics Manufacturing and Repair:
These divisions of the electronics industry are the backbone of the ESD market. Often, manufacturing volumes are high, and production is 24/7. Failures due to ESD events can be devastating. Having a reliable ESD Protected Area (EPA) is critical and often required by the end-users of the products being made.
Explosives and Munitions:
A discharge of accumulated static in the presence of explosive materials or devices can have disastrous results. Several standards address the control of ESD in these vulnerable areas, including NFPA 77, DoD 4145.26-M, and DA PAM 385-64. These standards all require the use of conductive flooring with a suggested requirement of maximum resistance of a person’s body, the resistance of the conductive footwear. Also, the resistance of the floor to the ground system should not exceed 1 meg Ohm combined. This generally means that the resistance of the flooring, by itself, must be below 1 meg Ohm so the added resistance of the person and their footwear doesn’t exceed the total limit.
Mission Critical and Telecommunications:
Mission Critical and Telecommunications operations rely on accurate, continuous audio/video transmission with the ability to store data. Electrostatic discharge in Mission Critical, Dispatch Areas and other Telecommunications environments can disrupt these transmissions. This discharge can damage sensitive communications and data storage equipment, as well as cause discomfort to dispatch operators via headset discharge. Disruptions such as these can result in the loss of service and, in mission-critical environments, compromise the safety of someone in need of immediate help.
Medical & Healthcare:
The use of sophisticated electronics grows every day in medical and healthcare environments, and protecting this equipment is crucial. Doing so will ensure that the equipment delivers accurate information regarding a patient’s health. Areas that typically require static protection include Imaging Suites/MRI, X-ray, Computed Tomography, and Telecommunications/Server Rooms/Data Storage.
