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First Published in EOS/ESD Technology Feb/March 1988 How to Select Flooring A systematic analysis to determine the best flooring for you. Steve Halperin: Halperin & Associates, Elmhurst, IL Take the first step down the yellow brick road to ESD control by beginning with floor control. You know it is a critical area, but are you handling it correctly? Do you know how to analyze the issue systematically? Follow this survey and learn the whys and whats on flooring that pertain specifically to your business. Click here and print the Flooring Answer Sheet to use along with this article. Section 1: Background The first issue to adddress is
needs. Next, it is important to understand the elements involved in each different physical area of your company. By addressing an area in terms of size, traffic and sensitivity, you will get a clearer picture of your needs. What is the approximate total measurement of each area
in ft.2? How many people work in each ESD area? What is the ESD sensitivity in volts of each area? Area description matrix: For the areas listed on the answer sheet (questions 2-13), use the answers from the questions above and enter the appropriate letter in the corresponding column. 14. Does your plant utilize clean room operations?
If it does, what is the clean room classification? Now the first stage is completed. You know your company's primary ESD-control needs, you know the areas that require control, and you know the sizes and sensitivity of those areas. Take a minute to note the lowest voltage listed in your sensitivity rating. This will provide an indication of your facility's worst-case ESD sensitivity and form a guideline for the degree of control you must establish for the plant in general. Section II: Present ESD Control How do you currently control floors in ESD-sensitive areas? By compiling a breakdown of the floor surface and type of ESD floor control in the different areas of your company, you will be able to establish your current status and determine potential modifications that may be necessary. Using the following answer guides, fill out the floor description matrix outlined on the answer sheet (Section II, questions 1-12); enter the appropriate letter in the corresponding column. What type of floor surface are
you using? What type of ESD floor control
do you have? Section III: Defining Performance Needs When selecting any ESD product for a given application, there are four areas of concern: mechanical performance, chemical attributes, electrostatic discharge functions, and value. The following section is oriented toward defining flooring needs as related to these four areas. Mechanical Considerations These include such issues as installation, maintenance, traffic, and longevity, which will carry different weights in different companies. The weight that an issue carries depends on various questions. Can the plant be closed for two days in order to install a new ESD floor? A week? Are shiny floors a consideration? Using the rating scale below,
determine the appropriate value for each issue. Enter the budget, time
or frequency for each element. This will help further quanify the true
impact of each factor. Rate the following considerations. 2. Maintenance concerns: 3. Traffic and use concerns: 4. Longevity concerns (varies with ownership versus
lease of building and maintenance considerations): In addition to these, there are other mechanical concerns. Is the same floor suitable for all area applications? Will carpeting chosen for the CEO's office be effective in general manufacturing areas? Will the same flooring you choose for your soldering or chemical areas be a success in shipping and receiving? Will high versus low traffic play a part in your decision-making process? Futher considerations include lease-hold restrictions. Does the owner of the building have restrictions on the type of reconstruction you can do? Is there a policy concernng removal? If so, concrete resurfacing might not be a viable option. What about company policies? Are there rules about appearance or safety? Chemical Considerations Chemical attributes can be seen as having a negative or positive influence on the product and the environment. Issues such as outgassing or corrosivity either are a critical area of concern, or they are not. Determine whether or not each
of the following chemical attributes is a factor in your decision-making
process for ESD control floor materials. Electrostatic Function The next area to consider in ESD control is electrostatic functions. Traditionally, when you look at an ESD-control material, you look for its ability to dissipate a charge and to define the path a charge takes to ground. When considering floor materials, it is important to determine how much charge is generated and where it goes. How quickly it dissipates may also be a concern in some environments. Using the questions below determing the appropriate value for each issue listed on teh answer sheet (section III, questions 11-17). Enter comments and specific performance requirements for an element in the area provided. Rate the suitability of the ESD
function for floor control. What is your acceptable performance range? How often do you evaluate or survey floor ESD performance? In addition to flooring, footwear must also be an ESD concern. A controlled floor helps to reduce charges on the body, but it can not be totally effective unless controlled footwear is worn. Luckily, today's ESD-controlled footwear do not even resemble bowling shoes. Whether you want wingtips, pumps, or workshoes, there is suitable ESD-controlled footwear available for operations and administrative personnel alike. (For question 18, follow the same proecure described above.) Defining Value Only after mechanical, chemical and electrostatic requirements are determined is it time to look at value. First, determine the importance of each factor in the decision making process. (Every installation is differnt, not only physically, but also in terms of need. When considering floor materials, note any custom concerns that are particular to your company.) To determine the value, you must look at the key elements of these considerations, adn then at your budget constraints. List you most important factor
in the following three categories and rank in order of importance. Determine the maximum allowed cost for the following. A company must define its needs and know the cost
factors before it can even consider the products available in the market
place. The comparison must be based on rational value analysis, including
all mechanical, chemical, and electrostatic factors. You cannot compare
a low-cost solution that only meets some of your requirements with a
higher-cost flooring material that meets all your needs. Only products
meeting the fundamental requirements of a company can be rationally
compared.
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