Antistatic and ESD flooring

Static electricity builds up whenever people walk, trolleys roll or materials rub together. In most buildings it's a minor nuisance. In an electronics plant it can damage components without any visible sign. In a data centre it can upset equipment. In a pharma powder room or a solvent store it can be an ignition hazard. An antistatic or ESD floor gives that charge a controlled path to earth, as part of a wider static control programme.

Conductive or static dissipative?

The two main types of ESD floor are designed for different jobs:

The required range comes from your ESD programme (often based on ANSI/ESD S20.20 or IEC 61340-5-1), your customer's specification, a hospital specification or your process safety assessment. We build the floor to that range. We don't pick one at random.

How an ESD floor is built

An ESD floor is a small electrical system, not just a coloured coating:

1. the slab is ground, repaired and primed
2. copper tape is laid in a grid and brought to earthing points
3. a conductive primer connects the whole surface to the grid
4. an ESD epoxy or PU finish is applied, often self levelling
5. an electrician connects the earthing points to building earth
6. resistance is tested at points across the room and the readings are recorded

Skip the earthing or the testing, and you have an expensive floor that only looks like an ESD floor.

The floor is only part of the system

For an ESD floor to protect anything, people also need ESD footwear or heel grounders, chairs and trolleys need conductive or dissipative castors, and ordinary rubber mats and wax polishes must be kept off the floor. These are the most common reasons an ESD programme fails an audit.

Where it's used

• Electronics and EMS plants: SMT lines, assembly, test and repair
• Data centres: UPS and battery rooms, and sub-floor sealing under raised floors
• Hospitals: operation theatres and ICUs where specified
• Laboratories: instrument and electronics labs
• Pharma plants: powder handling and solvent areas, as defined by safety assessments
• Defence and explosives-related facilities: conductive floors to the facility's requirements

Epoxy or PU finish?

ESD epoxy is harder and suits rooms with trolleys. ESD PU is softer, quieter and more comfortable for staff standing at benches. Both can meet the resistance range. For hygienic rooms, the finish is coved at the walls.

Maintenance and retesting

Clean with ESD-compatible cleaners, never wax or polish, repair damage promptly and retest resistance periodically and after any repair. Many facilities retest every six to twelve months.

Antistatic and ESD flooring by city

Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Sonipat, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Ambala, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Bareilly, Baddi, Dehradun, Sitarganj

FAQs

What's the difference between antistatic and ESD flooring?

The terms are used loosely. ESD flooring usually means a floor built and tested to a defined resistance range for protecting electronics or controlling ignition risk. We work to the range you specify.

Do you provide test readings?

Yes. We test at handover and give you the readings and locations for your records.

Can an existing epoxy floor be converted to ESD?

Sometimes. If it's sound, we can grind it, add the copper grid and conductive primer, and apply an ESD finish.

Does an ESD floor work without special shoes?

No. ESD footwear or heel grounders are needed so charge can pass from people through the floor to earth.

Call +91-8755475716 or fill in the form below to discuss your requirements.