Valutek Adhesive Mat How To Series, Sticky Mat, Learn to properly place an adhesive mat, Learn how to remove an adhesive mat sheet

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Adhesive Mat How To Video Series

The videos included here can help you get more for your money when it comes to using your cleanroom adhesive mats. First, you will learn how to properly store adhesive mats to avoid damaging the film and rendering the mat unusable. Next, you will learn how to properly place an adhesive mat on the floor to ensure you are not creating a safe harbor for contaminates to reside. Finally, you will learn how to properly remove each sheet to avoid spreading the captured particles back out into the environment.

Part 1: How to Store a Cleanroom Adhesive Mat
Mats need to be stored horizontally and must be stacked with care. When stored vertically or with heavy objects on top of them, the adhesive film can become damaged. Damaged film can be spotted in the form of bubbles and veins. These bubbles and veins cause the mat to have an irregular surface, which leads to delamination of the mat from the floor.

Be aware of the environment you store your mats in. Extreme cold hardens the adhesive on the mat and renders it ineffective. This will not cause permanent damage to the adhesive, but the mat must have a chance to “warm up” before being placed.

Extreme heat, however, will break down the adhesive and cause permanent damage. Temperatures above 80 degrees can melt the adhesive, and if they are stored vertically, the adhesive will begin to run.

Part 2: How to Properly Place an Adhesive Mat
The most important step in placing your cleanroom adhesive mat is floor prep. First, make sure the surface is even and without cracks. If there is any surface irregularity, the mat will conform to that, and as we already discussed, this causes delamination of the mat from the floor, and leads to pockets under the mat where contaminants can harbor. Delamination can also lead to a dangerous side effect, when the mat actually lifts up from the floor while it is being walked on by an operator. This can result in operator injury if he or she loses balance and falls.

Next, clean the surface thoroughly, checking for residual adhesive from a previous mat. Any dirt or residual adhesive will cause the mat to adhere unevenly. Adhesive mat frames can be used to ensure the surface they are placed on is clean and smooth.

Make sure you are positioning your mat properly. The orientation of the mat is always lengthwise to maximize the area walked on by the operator. Do not place an 18-by-36 inch mat across the width of an entrance, because it will only capture one footprint. The recommended amount of footprints to capture is three.

Do not “tile” mats. Tiling is the term used when placing two smaller mats, usually 18-by-36 inch in size, side-by-side to make the mat area wide enough to fit the entrance width. This is wasteful and creates a space between where the mats meet in the middle where contaminants can harbor.

Now you are ready to place the mat on the floor. Pull back the backing of the mat six inches, then firmly press this exposed area on the floor, starting in the middle and working outward to the edges. This helps removes bubbles and veins that may form as you are placing. Pull back another six inches and press outward, repeating the process until the entire mat is adhered to the floor.

Part 3: How to Remove an Adhesive Mat Sheet
You want to use the correct sheet removal technique to avoid loosening and releasing the particles captured on the sheet, and to avoid creating a tribo effect. A tribo effect occurs when two surfaces are separated and create an electric charge.

Start at the corner of the sheet, pulling inward and over the used sheet. This way, any loosened particles will fall only onto the sheet. Roll up the sheet into a ball as you go, being careful to keep the particles contained. This method also eliminates electric charges.

Part 4: How to Select an Adhesive Mat
There are three attributes to consider when determining your cleanroom needs and selecting the appropriate adhesive:

Tack Level
This is determined by the force necessary to remove a one inch (25mm) wide strip from a polished stainless steel plate at a constant speed, and usually measured in ounces or grams.

Adhesive Softness
If the adhesive is too hard, particles will not transfer from the shoe or wheel to the mat. If it’s too soft, adhesive transfer from the mat and to the shoe or wheel can occur.

Adhesive Thickness
Typical adhesive layers have a thickness between 2-4 millimeters (50-100 microns). If the adhesive layer is too thin, the particles will remain on the surface and shorten the time that the mat can continue to function.

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