Certification of furniture

A furniture for public spaces must meet tough requirements in terms of safety, durability and stability.

We have long and in-depth knowledge of furniture production, experience with the target group and the technical knowledge to make good furniture. The strength tests we subject our furniture to document and assure us and the user that the furniture is of the best quality.

We carry out the strength tests at an accredited, certified 3rd party test center and involve quality assurance according to international and national ISO standards.

We test according to these current standards:

• EN 16139 - Seating furniture for public use.
• A 15372 - Table.
• EN 16121 - Storage furniture.

All the standards are tested for strength, durability and safety. Inthese tests, all parts of the product must be tested, and construction andmaterial selection are therefore important to pass the requirements.

The furniture's life cycle

In a testlab, the furniture's full life cycle is recreated through testing in a machine. The machine exposes the furniture to continuous stress. All movements are tested according to strength requirements stated in newtons (1000N is approximately 100kg of pressure). A chair can e.g. tested with 50,000 repetitions of a given application which must correspond to real use over x number of years. The criteria are specified in the ISO standard. A safety test is also carried out to make sure the product does not have any form of crushing hazard or other risks for the user.

When the furniture has passed the test, it must still be intact and without visible damage, the material cannot display any cracks or deformations. The furniture must function the same way as before the test.

The requirements in the public sector are significantly stricter than for private use. We therefore test the furniture according to both levels, depending on the market in which the furniture will be used. The tests have 2 levels: L1 is hard use and L2 is extremely hard use.

Below is the Addi stacking chair tested according to L1.

The durability of the seat and back is tested with a seat load of 1000 N, a backload of 300 N and a cycle of 200,000.	The chair'sarmrests are tested to ensure long durability. Pressure is applied with a forceof 400 N with 60,000 cycles.	The chair'slegs are tested for forward static load with 620 N, seat load 1800 N and 10cycles.