Experience the Difference: Discover the Importance of Our In-House Quality Testing Center for Office Furniture

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Since our establishment in 1999, We have always worked towards our goal of making your work life better. Your chair plays an integral role in your creativity, critical thinking and focus. A bad chair can really affect your mental and physical vitality.
We care for your health and comfort, and hope to make a significant change in your working environment, because we understand the importance of a good and healthy workspace for a pleasant work day.

We support you. Hence, making high quality chairs is what we can do to be part of a possible solution to your problems.

But how exactly can we prove that our chair is high quality?

Let Benithem explain the process we go through so you can understand the behind-the-scenes better!

Certifications

Firstly, We are certified by multiple associations such as BIFMA and ISO 9001:2015.

In order to meet the requirements, we are encouraged to strive for improvements in quality or even outperform them.

This also allows us to stay true to our product’s quality and provide our customers with reliable high quality ratings so that they will have a greater assurance on our product’s quality.

BIFMA Certified

From the American National Standard of Office Furnishing (2017) on General-purpose Office Chairs – Tests , the scope is as stated :

This standard is intended to provide manufacturers, specifiers and users with a common basis for evaluating safety, durability, structural adequacy of general-purpose office chairs. General-purpose office chairs are normally used in an office environment and may include, but are not limited to those seating styles typically referred to as: executive/management, task/secretarial, side/guest chairs, nesting folding chairs, tablet arm chairs and stools. ”

It is important that chairs should be quality-checked to prevent problems and accidents that may occur to the users, such as the backrest breaking apart when users lean back or when the seatrest is not strong enough that the cylinder of the chair popped up.

We care for your safety and comfort, hence we do not want anything to happen to our customers who support our products.

ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System

From the International Organisation For Standardization on Quality Management System (ISO, 2015), the scope is as stated :

 

ISO 9001:2015 specifies requirements for a quality management system when an organization:

  • a) needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements, and
  • b) aims to enhance customer satisfaction through the effective application of the system, including processes for improvement of the system and the assurance of conformity to customer and applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

All the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 are generic and are intended to be applicable to any organization, regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides.

 

By choosing to take up Quality Management System, companies can have an advantage in improving its holistic performance, increasing its ability to fulfill customers needs and wants consistently and provide a strong foundation for a sustainable growth through tackling risks and opportunities that relates to the circumstances and aim.

General Procedure

In Benithem, we take pride in our quality and always ensure that we do our best to deliver top-notch products.

Apart from being certified by BIFMA, we have our own in-house testing to make certain that our products are of even better quality.

As such, we add 10% of either the load or number of cycles during our in house testing, with reference to BIFMA standards.

We have also created and customized specific testing on other aspects of the chair to enhance the testing process of the chair such as Foam Fatigue and Mesh Durability Test.

From every batch of the components we received from our suppliers, we will assemble a specific chair as a sample and perform our in-house testing on it.

Types of Chairs

During our in-house testing, there will be 3 types of chairs tested for their individual unique parts.

Type I : Ability to tilt both backrest and seat

Type II : Ability to tilt backrest, seat angle remain fixed

Type III : Both backrest and seat angle remain fixed

(Pictures taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

They are chairs with

  1. tiltable backrest and seat,
  2. tiltable backrest with fixed seat angle and
  3. fixed backrest and seat angle

Types of In-House Testings

1. Backrest Durability Test (Off – Center)

(Pictures taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

  • This test is to see how well our backrests handle pressures from areas apart from the center.
  • For backrest width more than 40.6cm, we apply a load of 45kg to the off-center left and right, and backrest center for 22,000 cycles each and 88,000 cycles respectively.
  • To pass the test, the backrest should work in the same manner as it initially could.

2. Backrest Durability Test (Center)

(Pictures taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how well our backrests handle pressures from the center where users usually position themselves.
  • For backrest width less than 40.6cm, we apply a load of 45kg to the center of the backrest for 132,000 cycles.
  • To pass the test, the backrest should work in the same manner as it initially could .

3. Foam Fatigue Test

 

 

 

  • This test is to see how durable our foam is by simulating a user sitting on it for many times.
  • A load of 76.5kg is applied onto the foam for 80,000 cycles.
  • To pass the test, the foam should still be able to support the users weight

 

  • Backrest Strength Test (Type I & II)

 

(Pictures taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how the backrest of type I and II chairs perform when there is a user lying down on it for prolonged periods of time
  • A functional load of 75kg and proof load of 112kg are applied to the backrest at the backstop position for 1 minute individually.
  • To pass the test,

-Functional load test : The backrest should still be able to function normally.

-Proof Load test : The chair should not have any unforeseen or significant changes to its structure but loss of function as a backrest is acceptable.

 

 5. Backrest Strength Test (Type III)

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how well the backrest of type III chair can sustain a user’s weight while leaning on it.
  • A functional load of 75kg and proof load of 112kg are applied to the backrest at the backstop position for 1 minute individually.
  • To pass the test,

-Functional load test : The backrest should still be able to function normally.

-Proof Load test : The chair should not have any unforeseen or significant changes to its structure but loss of function as a backrest is acceptable.

 

 6. Base Static Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how much weight the base of the chair can handle.
  • A load of 1,247kg is applied downwards for 1 minute. The test is repeated twice.
  • To pass the test, the base should not have any drastic changes to it. The center column should not touch the floor when force is being applied.

 7. Mesh Durability Test

 

 

  • This test is to see how durable the mesh is with prolonged use.
  • A load of 45kg is applied on the vertical centerline of backrest mesh for 80,000 cycles.
  • To pass the test, the mesh should not be detached from the frame of the backrest and there shall not be any unforeseen and significant changes to the structure of the backrest.

 8. Arm Strength Test (Vertical)

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how the armrests perform when a user exert force on the armrests.
  • A functional load of 84kg and proof load of 126kg are applied on the armrests of the chair for 1 minute and 15 seconds respectively and individually.
  • To pass the test,

– Functional Load test : There shall not be a loss of function as an armrest. For height adjustable armrest however, failure to hold the armrest within 6mm from its original set position because of loading is considered as loss of function as an armrest of a chair.

– Proof Load test : There shall not be any unforeseen and significant changes to the structure of the chair.  For height adjustable armrest, an unforeseen drop of height more than 25mm does not meet the requirement. Loss of function as an armrest is acceptable. 

9. Arm Strength Test (Horizontal)

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how the armrest performs when being pushed outward by a user.
  • A functional load of 50kg and proof load of 75kg are applied on the armrests of the chair for 1 minute and 15 seconds respectively and individually.
  • To pass the test,

-Functional Load test : There shall not be a loss of function as an armrest.

-Proof Load test : There shall not be any unforeseen and significant changes to the structure of the chair. Loss of function as an armrest is acceptable.

 

10. Swivel Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how our chair performs when there is constant swiveling while a user is sitting on it.
  • A 122kg test bag will be placed on the seatrest of the chair and rotated for 66,000 cycles at a 5 to 10 cycles per minute. There will be one testing each on the chair at its lowest and highest position.
  • To pass the test, the chair should still be able to function normally.

11. Castor/ Chairbase Durability Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see the chair’s ability to withstand constant moving while the user is sitting on it.
  • A 122kg test bag is placed on the seatrest of the chair and rolled to and fro at a constant equal distance in each direction, at a constant rate of a total of 107,800 cycles on a smooth surface and 2,200 cycles over obstacles.
  • To pass the test, the chair should still be able to function normally.

12. Arms Durability Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see the armrests’ ability to withstand pressure from the user when getting off the chair.

 

  • A load of 41kg is applied onto both armrests at 10° for 66,000 cycles each.

 

  • To pass the test, the chair should still be able to function normally.

13. Front Corner Load Ease Test (Off – Center)

 

(Pictures taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how the chair performs when a user is sitting at the edge of the seat.

 

  • A load of 91kg is applied onto both the left front and right front corner at 22,000 cycles each.

 

  • To pass the test, the chair should still be able to function normally.

 

14. Outstop Tests For Chairs With Manually Adjustable Step Depth

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how strong is the seat slide-out stopper to the excess force applied by a user who is adjusting the seat
  • A 74kg load is placed on the chair at its most rearward position to the pulley to an attached load of 25kg at the end of the cable. The chair is then released to allow it move forward and this is repeated at 28 cycles.
  • To pass the test, the chair should still be able to function normally.

15. Front Stability Test (Type I & II)

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how stable the front of type I and II chairs are.
  • A 61kg load is applied through the fixture and approximately 2kg is applied horizontally from the load and they should coincide.
  • To pass the test, the chair should not tip over.

 

16. Rear Stability Test (Type I & II)

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to assess the capability of the rear stability of type I and II chairs.
  • Each disk is placed, touching the support fixture, up to a total load of 130kg.
  • To pass the test, the chair shall not tip over.

 

 

17. Seating Durability Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

  • This test is to see how the chair performs when a user sits on the chair from standing position
  • A 57kg load is free fall onto the seat for 110,000 cycles at a constant height.
  • To pass the test, the chair should still function normally.

 

18. Drop Test

 

(Picture taken from ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2017 pdf)

 

 

  • This test is to see how the chair performs under heavy and harsh forces.
  • A functional load of 113kg and proof load of 150kg are released from a height difference of 15.2cm from the seatrest when the chair is at its highest and when the chair is at its lowest position individually.
  • To pass the test,

– Functional load test : The chair should still work normally.

– Proof load test : There shall not be any unforeseen and significant changes to the structure of the chair. Loss of function as a chair is acceptable.

References

1. International Organization For Standardization (2015). Quality Management System – Scope (ISO 9001:2015)

Retrieved from https://www.iso.org/obp/ui/#iso:std:iso:9001:ed-5:v1:en

2. Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) / American National Standard (ANSI) (2017). General – Purpose Office Chairs – Tests, Approved American National Standards [PDF file], United States of America :ANSI/ BIFMA

*Pictures used are for reference only*