ESD Workshop

• Flooring Selection, Testing, Installation, Maintenance,
Ownership and Performance Pitfalls – Dave Long  

The installation of ESD flooring represents the largest capital
investment in most ESD programs. This two-part presentation will begin with a
step-by-step selection process, creating a values-based method for choosing ESD
flooring used in SMT operations, labs, cleanrooms, test, burn-in and repair. We
will discuss standard benchmarks, including test methods, electrical
resistance, body voltage, installation, maintenance, and durability as well as
methods for calculating cost of ownership. The second half of the presentation
will emphasize the need for due diligence, beyond the obvious, when
analyzing the performance of ESD flooring. Although ESD floors are now called
flooring systems, this description can mislead a specifier. Standard test
methods reveal only specific attributes of a floor. Any objective analysis of
ESD flooring should be comprehensive and account for the performance of the
floor with mobile material handling devices, automated vehicles, multiple forms
of footwear and ultimately the floor’s value proposition in total process
improvement.