Ultimate Guide of ESD Vinyl Flooring Installation

1.1 General Provisions

1.1.1 The ESD anti-static conductive or dissipative vinyl flooring installation includes base course treatment, installation of earthing system, glue preparation, paving and cleaning construction, testing and quality inspection of anti-static polyvinyl chloride (PVC) floor.

1.1.2 The temperature at the construction site should be between 10 and 35 ℃; The relative temperature shall not exceed 80%; Ventilation should be good. The construction of other indoor projects should have been basically completed.

1.2 Materials, Equipment, and Tools

1.2.1 Construction materials should meet the following requirements:

1. Panel: The physical properties and appearance dimensions should comply with the requirements of the “General Specification for Antistatic Panel”, and have permanent anti-static performance. Its volume and surface resistance: The resistance value of the electrostatic conductive panel should be less than 1.0 × 106 Ω, the resistance value of the electrostatic dissipative panel is 1.0 when seeking medical attention × 106-1.0 × 109 Ω.

2. Conductive adhesive: It should be water-soluble adhesive, with a resistance value less than the resistance value of the panel, and a bonding strength greater than 3 × 106N/M2

3. Welding rods: Materials with uniform color, consistent outer diameter, and good flexibility should be used.

4. Copper strip for conductive grounding grid: The thickness should not be less than 0.025mm, and the width should be 15mm.

1.2.2 ESD anti-static conductive or dissipative vinyl flooring should be stored in a ventilated and dry warehouse, away from acids, alkalis, and other corrosive substances. During transportation, it should be loaded and unloaded lightly, and violent impact is strictly prohibited. It is strictly prohibited to place it outdoors in the sun or rain.

1.2.3 Common construction equipment (including tools) should include slotting machines, plastic welding guns, rubber hammers, cutting knives, rulers, brushes, waxing machines, etc. Their specifications, performance, and technical indicators should meet the requirements of the construction process.

1.3 Construction preparation

1.3.1 Familiarize oneself with the design and construction drawings and survey the construction site.

1.3.2 Prepare the construction scheme, draw the anti-static ground earthing system diagram, grounding terminal diagram and grounding grid layout.

1.3.3 Prepare various construction materials, equipment, and tools according to the construction process requirements, and place them neatly.

1.3.4 When the ground area is greater than 140m2, demonstration laying should be done before formal construction.

1.3.5 The construction site should meet the following requirements:

When the base floor is made of cement or terrazzo:

1) The ground should be clean and any residue such as paint, adhesive, etc. should be removed from the ground.

2) The ground should be flat, inspected with a 2-meter ruler, and the gap should be less than 2mm. If there are uneven or cracked areas, they must be leveled.

3) The ground should be dry, and if it is a bottom layer, waterproof treatment should be carried out first.

4) The surface layer should be hard and non sanding, and the mortar strength should not be lower than grade 75.

When the base floor is a floor (wooden floor, ceramic tile, plastic, etc.), the original floor should be removed and any residual adhesive on the ground should be thoroughly removed.

3. The construction site should be equipped with artificial lighting devices.

1.3.6 Determine the location of grounding terminals: Within an area of 100m2, there should be no less than one grounding terminal; For every 100m2 increase in area, 1-2 grounding terminals should be added.

1.3.7 Before construction, the base layer ground should be thoroughly cleaned, and there should be no debris, dust or other dirt left on the ground.

1.4 Construction

1.4.1 The delineation of reference lines should be reasonably determined based on the geometric shape of the room.

1.4.2 Conductive copper strip should be laid according to the layout plan of the grounding grid. The vertical and horizontal intersection of copper foil should be located at the center of the panel. The laying of copper foil strips should be straight, without curling or interruption. The copper foil strip connected to the grounding terminal should have sufficient length left.

1.4.3 Configuration of conductive adhesive: Carbon black and adhesive should be prepared in a 1:100 weight ratio and stirred evenly.

1.4.4 Glue brushing: It should be applied evenly and comprehensively on the ground and on the conductive copper foil that has been laid. After coating, it should be naturally dried.

1.4.5 Flooring laying: When the dehydrated floor is dried to the point where it does not stick to the hands, the laying should begin immediately. During the laying process, the two right angles of the panel should be aligned with the reference line, and the laying should be quick and fast. There should be a 1-2mm gap between the boards, and the width of the gap should be basically the same. Use a rubber hammer to evenly tap the board surface, and check while laying to ensure firm adhesion. The edges of the ground should be filled with non-standard panel laying, Non standard veneers are made by cutting standard veneers with a cutting knife.

1.4.6 When laying on the grounding terminal, the copper wall and iron wall foil connecting the grounding terminal should be first led out, and firmly connected to the grounding terminal using soldering or crimping methods. Continue laying the panel again.

1.4.7 After the entire room is laid, welding slots should be opened along the joints of the panel using a slot machine. The slot line should be straight and uniform, and the slot width should be 3 ± 0.2mm.

1.4.8 Use a plastic welding gun to perform thermoplastic welding at the welding groove, so that the plate is connected to the plate as a whole. Welding excess should be cut flat with a sharp knife, but the surface of the adhesive panel should not be scratched.

1.4.9 Construction of earthing system shall include coating conductive adhesive layer, conductive copper foil grounding grid, grounding copper foil, grounding terminal, grounding downlead, grounding body, etc. Except for the provisions of this chapter, the rest shall comply with the provisions of this specification.

After the paving operation is completed, the ground should be cleaned and protected with anti-static wax.

1.5 Testing and Quality Inspection

1.5.1 The anti-static polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ground detection instrument shall comply with the requirements of “Common Detection Instruments” in this specification.

1.5.2 Test environment: The temperature should be between 15 and 30 ℃, and the relative humidity should be less than 70%.

The surface resistance value and system resistance value of anti-static polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ground should be measured using the following methods:

1. Measurement of surface resistance: The entire anti-static ground should be divided into 2-4m2, and a measurement area of 30% -50% should be randomly selected. The two electrodes should be placed on the surface of the panel with a spacing of 900mm, and the contact between the electrodes and the panel should be good. 4-8 values should be measured and recorded within the same 2-4m2 area.

Measurement of system resistance: Several points should be randomly selected in the area closest to each grounding terminal. One electrode should have good contact with the surface of the panel, and the other electrode should be connected to the grounding terminal. The system resistance value should be measured and recorded.

The quality assessment method should be measured in accordance with the provisions of GB2828 “Sampling Procedures and Tables for Batch Inspection by Attribute”.

1.5.4 Electrical performance indicators should meet the following requirements:

1. It is required to have a conductive electrostatic type, with a surface resistance and system resistance value lower than 1.0 × 106 Ω.

2. It is required to have a static dissipative type, with a surface resistance and system resistance value of 1.0 × 106-1.0 × 109 Ω.

The grounding resistance value of the 3 system should meet the design requirements.

1.5.5 The appearance performance should meet the following requirements:

1. There should be no hollowing, layering, or cracking;

2. No obvious unevenness;

3. No obvious scratches;

4. No obvious color difference.