Video: ESD Basics: What is Antistatic/ESD Flooring?
January 23, 2024
In this highly accessible video viewer favorite Kimberly Petraccaro explains, in clear, easy-to-understand language what ESD flooring is and what’s it’s used for (_also called antistatic or static-control flooring_). Drawing on a real-life example, she describes an electrostatic discharge (ESD) problem within a networked computer system and explains how static-control flooring solved the problem. She also provides a brief overview on how ESD flooring works.
Hi, everyone. Some of you might already know me from some of my other videos. If not, I’m Kimberly Petraccaro, and I’m with StaticWorx.
Today, we’re going to talk about antistatic flooring. Antistatic flooring is flooring that helps with ESD. ESD is electrostatic discharge, and it impacts microelectronics.
So let’s put this into a real-life perspective. A few years ago, we were called to a really large investment firm. This investment firm was having trade delays because they were having delays in their computers, like computer delays. So we were called to the investment firm because, obviously, for any of you who are familiar with the stock market, prices are changing by the second. So that can’t happen because, you know, that second delay can cause an unfavorable price.
So we were called to the firm, and we spoke with them because what was happening is their computers were being impacted by static. Long story short, we worked with them to find a solution, a flooring solution for them. They ended up using ESD carpet tiles, and that problem quickly went away, right after installation, pretty much, right?
That would be a real-life example of static impacting computers or microelectronics. So where else would this be used? Data centers, flight towers, call centers, IT rooms, any military projects, dealing with explosives. Right, these are just to say a few.
So how does antistatic flooring play a part in that? Antistatic flooring does two things. What it does is, you and I, as we’re walking, we create what we call walking body voltage. The first thing that we touch, that voltage discharges from me to the object I’m touching. So what the antistatic flooring does is it prevents the voltage from building up on the person to start with as they’re walking, and then any voltage, that is on the person, it takes it from the person, brings it back safely to the ground.
So anytime that people have these microelectronics that they’re working on or that they are using in certain spaces, this antistatic flooring is a very favorable option to help prevent any kind of disasters. Thank you.
Get in Touch
The form below will help us better understand your needs and get you as quickly as possible to the right person. We look forward to helping you solve your static problem!
You can expect a response within 24 hours. For faster service, please give us a call: 617-923-2000
Visit our privacy policy to find out how we process data.
Learning Center Articles
- 7 Common Mistakes Selecting an ESD floor
- A Guide to ESD Flooring Selection
- Avoid Costly Failures: What You Need to Know When Specifying ESD Flooring
- Choosing ESD Flooring for:
- ESD Footwear: What Is It and When Is It Necessary?
- ESD Footwear for Electronics Manufacturing and Handling Applications
- Facility Managers’ Guide to Selecting ESD Flooring
- The Need for Due Diligence in Specifying Static-Free Flooring
- Standard of Care for Specifying Floors in Mission-Critical Spaces
- Understanding the Hidden Costs of ESD Flooring
- The Case Against Overly Conductive Flooring
- Conductive vs Dissipative
- Electrical Resistance
- Electrical Resistance in Mission-Critical Spaces
- Ensuring Accuracy: Why It’s Critical to Clean Floors and Probes Before ESD Testing
- ESD Standards and Test Methods
- Resistance, Resistivity, and Real World Application
- Walking Body Voltage
Why It’s Critical to Clean Floors and Probes Before ESD Testing
StaticWorx high-performance static-control floors protect electronic components, explosives, and high-speed computers from damage caused by static electricity. ESD flooring is part of a system. Choices should always be based on objective, researched evidence. When you partner with us, we look at all possible items that may need to integrate with the floor, and, focusing on your goals and objectives, help you find the right floor for your application.