ESD anti-static epoxy flooring

Service life depends on the thickness of the system and on how the floor is used: a thin ESD coating will not last as long as a thicker self-levelling layer. Resistance can change without any visible damage, for example because of dirt or a different cleaning product. We therefore recommend a check measurement at least once a year and after every change to the cleaning routine. The binding interval is set by the compliance verification plan in your ESD control programme.

Conductive and dissipative floors differ in their resistance to ground. Under ANSI/ESD STM7.1, a conductive floor has no more than 1×10⁶ Ω, a dissipative floor more than 1×10⁶ Ω and less than 1×10⁹ Ω. For electronics manufacturing, server rooms and laboratories a dissipative floor is usually enough, because EN IEC 61340-5-1 requires a resistance below 1×10⁹ Ω. The deciding factor, though, is a test of the whole system with the footwear your staff wear. A conductive floor is chosen when the ESD control programme or your customer requires it. Different rules apply to explosive atmospheres; we cover them on our ATEX flooring page.

ESD footwear is worn on an ESD floor; its sole carries charge away into the floor. What matters is the whole person/footwear/flooring system: under EN IEC 61340-5-1 its resistance to ground must be below 1×10⁹ Ω, and the body voltage in the walking test to IEC 61340-4-5 must be below 100 V. The test is therefore carried out with the footwear your staff actually wear. In practice, footwear is checked on a tester, usually daily on entering the ESD protected area (EPA).

The finished floor’s resistance to ground is measured to IEC 61340-4-1 with a 2.5 kg electrode at several points across the floor. Where the floor grounds people, the resistance of the person/footwear/flooring system and the body voltage when walking are also measured, to IEC 61340-4-5. Air humidity, the cleanliness of the floor and the footwear all affect the result, so the conditions are recorded along with the measurement.

Both solutions can meet the EN IEC 61340-5-1 limit, and in both cases it is the measurement of the finished floor that counts. A poured epoxy floor is continuous, with no joints between sheets or tiles, and is applied directly to the prepared concrete substrate. ESD vinyl and tiles have joints and are either bonded with conductive adhesive or loose-laid. The choice depends on the loading, the condition of the substrate and the cleaning method. We install poured epoxy systems.

Yes, if the chosen system allows it. Slip resistance matters, for example, in areas that are wet-cleaned, and chemical resistance in laboratories. We choose a system for which the manufacturer declares all the required properties together. For example, the technical data sheet for the matt ESD seal coat Sikafloor-305 W ESD gives a slip resistance rating of R11 to DIN 51130. The rating applies to the build-up the manufacturer tested. We explain the R ratings on our anti-slip flooring page.

Installation time depends on the area, the condition of the substrate and the system chosen. There are several stages: preparing and priming the substrate, fitting the earthing points and copper tapes, the conductive intermediate coat, the ESD top layer and the measurement. The waiting times in the technical data sheet must be observed between layers. We agree the schedule after the site survey.

Clean an ESD floor in line with the system manufacturer’s instructions. Do not use film-forming polishes, matting agents or extra “cosmetic” coatings that are not part of the ESD system. They impair the conductivity of the surface and can push the floor’s resistance above the limit. After changing the cleaning product or after a repair, we recommend measuring the resistance again.

We price each project individually. The price depends mainly on the area and the condition of the substrate, on the system chosen (a thin ESD coating or a thicker self-levelling layer), on the number of earthing points and on whether you need a dissipative or a conductive floor. You can send us your enquiry through the quote form.