As the UK’s foremost Industrial Matting supplier, First Mats is your source of premium Anti Static Mats and accessories for optimal ESD protection.
Our Anti Static Mats are of the highest quality, meeting all ISO standards and tested by leading safety institutions. We offer a variety of ESD matting including Bench Mats, Floor Mats and ESD Accessories, each with their own features and benefits.
Choose from a range of standard sizes and custom length options to ensure the perfect installation for any job. Our Anti-Static ESD matting provides virtually static-less work environments, ideal for many industries such as component manufacturing, computer science, data warehousing and more.
To find out more in-depth information about the expanded benefits and how ESD anti-static mats work, please scroll down to view more or feel free to browse our extensive range of quality-driven anti-static products.
Anti-static mats, sometimes referred to as ESD Mats, are a type of matting that safeguards equipment and users from electrostatic discharges. Without anti-static mats in place, a sudden discharge of electrical energy could permanently damage sensitive components in equipment or cause harm to individuals working with them.
To help you understand more about the different types of anti-static mat, the risks involved, and which type of mat is best for you, then please read more from our detailed guide below.
At First Mats, we have worked hard to put together a comprehensive range of Anti Static ESD products to satisfy the different needs of our customers.
3-Layer Anti Static Bench Mats
Our most popular ESD product is the 3-layer bench mat. Available in a huge range of sizes, this mat is great for benches large and small. This highly adaptable anti static mat is recommended for those who work with small components, such as computers, as the brightly coloured matting helps to make tiny nuts and screws more visible whilst the foam underside layer reduces the risk of damage to delicate electrical equipment.
Anti Static Floor Mats
For those who work on their feet, we offer a selection of hard-wearing anti static floor mats. This includes the low-cost StatMat, which is made from PVC Foam to offer good anti-fatigue properties whilst reducing the risk of slipping. Our GroundMat is resistant to oils and chemicals often found in industrial areas for more challenging environments thanks to the Nitrile rubber top surface.
ESD Rubber Matting Rolls
If you need to cover a larger floor area, such as around switchboards or high-voltage equipment, then you may be interested in our SwitchRib Electrical Insulating Mat. This thin rubber sheeting is available in three thicknesses (3mm, 4mm or 5mm) and in standard rolls of 10 metres or in a custom length of your choosing. One of the big additional benefits of this matting is that it helps to increase grip levels, reducing the risk of slip accidents in these hazardous areas.
ESD or electrostatic discharge, in layman’s terms, is the transfer of static electricity from one object to another. This static electricity is caused when two or more non-conductive objects collide, forming an electrostatic field that is emitted from the surfaces of objects.
Out of the two objects, one object will gain a positive charge, while the other will gain a negative charge. Everyday items and materials such as wood, thin plastics, wool, cotton and carpets are all susceptible to ESD, with our skin liable to electrical charges.
For most of us, this is never anything more than a tiny pinch of pain, but this sudden Electrostatic Discharge can cause irreparable damage to sensitive electrical components such as Motherboards and CPUs.
With an Anti Static Mat, you can safely earth this energy before it has a chance to cause harm to us or to any electrical components we are working on. Versions of these mats have been designed specifically for floors or workbenches and are available in various materials and construction methods.
In either case, the static needs to be earthed correctly as the mat alone will only draw the static away. This is done by using a wrist strap (for bench mats) or ankle strap (for floor mats) that connect the operator to the mat, which is then connected to an electrical socket allowing the energy to be safely earthed.
For an anti-static mat to adequately ground an item, the item must be either dissipative or conductive as insulative items, such as plastics, will not allow charge to drain to the ground.
When using Anti Static Matting, you can ensure protection for valuable electronic equipment plus the individuals who work with them. There are also additional benefits depending on the type of mat used.
Bench Mats – As well as protecting equipment from the dangers of ESD, using Anti Static mats on worktops also provides a certain level of padding, which helps to prevent equipment from being damaged when being moved about on hard surfaces. We would recommend using our 3-layer bench mat in this scenario. Anti Static Mats for worktops and benches are generally brighter in colour, too, making it easier to see small components like screws and nuts, tools and wires.
Floor Mats – For those who work on their feet with larger components, specially designed Anti Static Floor Mats can be used. One of the big advantages of using this type of mat, such as our PremBubble, is that they also provide excellent anti-fatigue properties. Fatigue caused by prolonged standing in the workplace can lead to serious long-term health problems, usually in the form of muscle and joint conditions, so using a mat significantly reduces workplace fatigue is beneficial.
The process for anti-static floor mats is similar, except you will most likely be using a strap connected to your ankle rather than your wrist.
Anti Static Mats are normally made from either Rubber or Vinyl. Rubber is the most widely used material for Anti Static mats as it has a high resistance to heat and chemicals, is durable and offers great comfort. Anti Static Rubber Mats are ideal for;
Anti Static Mats are either Conductive or Dissipative. Conductive mats can disperse static electricity quicker than dissipative mats can. This is because, with low electrical resistance, electrons flow easily across the mat's surface and therefore work quicker than dissipative items. Dissipative items are slower as the charges flow to the ground more slowly because they have a higher surface resistance of more than 1 x 10 5 ohms, whereas conductive items have a surface resistance of less than 1 x 10 5 ohms.
Note: This guide is intended to provide general information about Anti Static Mats, their construction, features and operation. It is the responsibility of the user to ensure that mats and associated equipment are used correctly and safely. As such, First Mats Ltd cannot accept liability for harm caused to people or components when using the information in this guide.
At First Mats, we offer a wide selection of ESD and Static Protection products, including:
ESD, or Electrostatic Discharge is the sudden release of static electricity that occurs when two objects come into contact. Examples include the shock you can experience when touching the metallic surface of a car or doorknob. Another more impressive example is the bolts of lightning during an electrical storm. When two materials rub together, one creates a positive charge and the other a negative charge. The positively charged material stores the electrical energy until it makes contact with the right material and then the energy is released. This is known as an ESD event. The danger is that this positive...
Technicians regularly use anti-static wrist straps when they are building computers. They are also commonly used in conjunction with Anti-Static Mats. These wrist straps are also commonly referred to as ground bracelets and ESD wrist straps, which is something you have probably seen if you watch YouTube tutorials. Anti-Static wrist straps are necessary to ensure that the difference in voltage between the computer and your body is balanced, preventing any potentially damaging Electrostatic Discharges from happening. These wrist straps are used in any activity whereby there is electrostatic discharge. You want to avoid this as much as possible, as even the smallest...
