Electronics > Beginners
Recommendation for ESD mat supplier on AliExpress?
Rooster Cogburn:
--- Quote from: RoGeorge on May 21, 2018, 09:00:10 am ---I bought mine from AliExpress, and it can easily withstand 200*C (tested with a blob of melted solder) with no marks or discoloration remaining afterwards on the mat. There are 2 main types of mats: rubber based, and plastic based. The rubber ones should have no problem at 200*C. The plastic ones will melt. It's easy to identify the rubber ones from the AliExpress pictures, and if what you receive is not like in the picture, than you can open dispute and win. Here's my ESD rubber mat, with some macro pics:
https://www.eevblog.com/forum/reviews/anti-static-mat-smell/
Anyway, even if the mat can withstand the hot air temperature, it will transmit a lot of heat to the workbench table. For hot air rework, look for a silicone pad to put underneath the PCB. I have one made from this white translucent silicone, it is about 5-6 mm thick, and will help a lot for hot air rework if you don't use a preheater. It is a very good thermal insulator, so the other side of the PCB will keep the temperature instead of loosing heat to the workbench. Of course, silicone is not ESD safe, but being an excellent electrical insulator, too, the charges won't flow, so it is not prone at all to burn chips by ESD.
I can not point to a specific seller, because I bought both some time ago, and the products on AliExpress are famous for not being the same from one shipping to another.
--- End quote ---
Interesting, thanks! The problem I have is that basically all ESD mats are described as '380C & 2mm'. Your is, mine is. Mine looks exactly as advertised and pretty much like yours (apart from the color difference) but it melts like butter even with the iron set to 200C. So I'm not sure how you can easily tell the difference since the description is the same and mine pretty much looks like yours.
I currently have a silicone pad like you. It's durable and heat resistant and I can blast 480C hot air at it all day long and neither the mat nor the table below show any signs of wear. Since those are dirt cheap I was hoping to buy a slightly larger one that is also conductive and has a ground point. The kind of mats sold by reputable vendors like RS, Conrad, etc. have very high m^2 prices.
RoGeorge:
The rubber based ones should rather directly go black and change to carbon without melting.
It seems like you received a Vinyl based mat instead of rubber based one:
Rooster Cogburn:
--- Quote from: RoGeorge on May 21, 2018, 10:42:05 am ---The rubber based ones should rather directly go black and change to carbon without melting.ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7kTF4cF6w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c7kTF4cF6w[/url]
--- End quote ---
But you said you can easily tell from the pictures on AliExpress. How does that help me identify the type of mat from a product picture? It's not like they post a video of the mat being burned. The descriptions are useless since they all claim heat resistance.
RoGeorge:
Depending on the AliExpress pictures, some of them will have a close-up/macro shot where the layers can be seen, colored surface is matte (not glossy) and without 3D texture, also they specify that is rubber based and does not melt with solder, chemical resistant, _piercing_resistant_ (Vinyl based can be pierced easily, rubber, almost impossible to pierce/stab with sharp probes).
When I searched for mine I looked for a seller that specified the most of those and have some kind of datasheet with properties. The weight/square meter is a good indicator, also the price. If you look at the lowest prices, you will notice that there are 2 categories of cost/sqare meter. The Vinyl was 30-50 less expensive than rubber, don't remember exactly, but it was a big step in prices for the same size of mats.
Of course, with AliExpress, "Life is was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."
^-^
You are correct, it might not be easy to identify looking only at the pics. I still have the order history in my AliExpress account. The link is now broken, but the shop is still there, and it is still selling soldering equipment and consumables. I don't know if they still sell that product, and don't know how they are now, but when I ordered they were 5 stars with me. This is the shop: https://www.aliexpress.com/store/group/Other/809293_257779291.html
A copy/paste from the description at that moment in time:
--- Quote --- 1x Anti-static ESD High Temperature Resistance Mat 60cm x 100cm + Ground Wire + ESD Wrist
Description:
100% brand new
Type :Anti-static Mat
60cm x 100cm
Thickness: 2mm
Weight: 1850grams / 1.85kg
Temp resistance: 380c
The Anti-static Mat is acid resistant , alkali-resistant , anti chemical flux , wear resistant ,
easyclean. It can be applied to matting desktop , line working mesa and so on , achieves the effect of static electricity protective, avoid devices damaged
Package inside:
1 x Anti-static Mat
1x Ground Wire
1 x ESD Wrist
--- End quote ---
And the transaction screenshot:
Rooster Cogburn:
Thanks, this is the one I bought:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Grounding-500-400-2mm-ESD-mat-Anti-static-mat-Antistatic-blanket-ESD-table-mat-for-BGA/32813794725.html
I guess in the last picture it looks glossy and hence once could deduct it's plastic. Probably should've bought a product with more reviews as well.
I can't imagine this false advertisement works out for them. I imagine most people buying these mats will use soldering irons and hot air with them and will be quite displeased when they immediately melt all over their iron tip or on the bottom of their PCB etc. and file a claim.
Most of the other mats I find have the exact same description and its hard to tell from the pictures if they're going to be any different:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-500-400-2mm-ESD-mat-Anti-static-mat-Antistatic-blanket-ESD-table-mat-for/32613981868.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-shipping-600-500-2mm-ESD-mat-Anti-static-mat-Antistatic-blanket-ESD-table-mat-for/32693211155.html
Maybe it's worth contacting the seller, but I suspect many of them don't even know what they're selling.
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