What standards are used to test office furniture?

The most common standards used, in Canada and the United States are the BIFMA
standard. BIFMA is the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer's Association.
When applying for a Canadian NMSO or QPL, these standards will be called up in the
applicable CAN/CGSB standard or GPD.
Here is a table detailing the ANSI/BIFMA standards required by each CAN/CGSb and
GPD specification.
Government ANSI/BIFMA
Product
document (current)
Can/CGSB 44.227 Freestanding Furniture X5.5-1998
Can/CGSB 44.229 Panel system X5.6-2003
CAN/CGSB 44.232 Task chair X5.1-2002
GPD-2 Desking system X5.5-1998
GPD-6 Side chair X5.1-2002
GPD-10 Metal filing & storage X5.3-1997 or X5.9-2004
GPD-12 Cafeteria seating X5.1-2002
GPD-13 Lounge seating X5.4-2005
The following is a ,ore exhausitve list of office furniture testing standards we use
(excluding the finish testing standards such as ASTM D-3363)

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.1-2002: Office Chairs

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.2-1997: Lateral Files (Now obsolete and replaced by 5.9)

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.3-1997:Vertical Files

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.4-2005: Lounge Seating

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.5-1998: Desk Products

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.6-2003: Panel Systems

• ANSI/BIFMA X5.9-2004: Storage Units

• ANSI/SOHO S6.5-2001: Home office, small office furniture

Climate exposure and accelerated ageing

Micom Laboratories Inc. offers tests for climate exposure and accelerated ageing.
 • Environmental testing (Humidity, temperature cycling)
(-73°C à +150°C, 10 – 95% RH)

• Weatherometry, U.V. exposure (ASTM G 155)

• Salt spray (ASTM B-117)

• Accelerated ageing by temperature

• Reconstruction in a laboratory environment of ageing problems

• Thermal shocks

• High and low temperature tensile and compression tests.

Our testing services allow you to simulate conditions of useage and ageing of your
products thereby allowing you to minimize any medium to long term risks associated
with your products being used in a given environment.

Corrugated board testing

Micom offers a wide range of testing for corrugated board, listed below.

• Abrasion Taber (T 426)

• Board Analysis (T 410)

• Board Quality Analysis (T 410)

• Board Thickness (T 411)

• Boat Method (T 819)

• Burst (Mullen) (T 807,810)

• Cobb

• Coefficient of Friction (T 815)

• Construction

• Edge Crush Test (T 811)

• Flat Crush (T 825)

• Float Curl (T 832)

• Manufacturer’s Joint Tensile Test (T 813)

• Moisture Content at Equilibrium (T 412)

 • Pin Adhesion (T 821)

• Score Quality Test (T 829)

• Tear Resistance (T 414)

• Tensile Strength (T 494)

• Thickness (T411)

• Water Absorption of Corrugated Medium

• Water Drop (T 835)

We also offer box compression, moisture adhsive test (regular, moisture resistant and
waterproof) as well as testing related to the transport of Dangerous Good regulations.

Material testing
From compressive strength to UV exposition, Micom offers a wide range of material
testing services.

• Environmental Exposure

• Temperature & humidity cycling

• Ultraviolet exposure

• Weatherometry

• Xenon Arc

• Mechanical properties (tensile, compression, flexural)

• Surface finishes

• Corrosion resistance

• Salt spray tester

This is a partial list of the tests available:

• Tensile Strength (ASTM D-638, D-1623, D-2990, D-5574)

• Compressive Strength (ASTM D-695, D-2990, D-4762)

• Flexural Strength (ASTM D-790, D3043, D-5616)

• Taber Abrasion (ASTM D-4060)

• Foam (ASTM D-3574)

 • Heat resistance ASTM D-790, II-B @ 180¾ F

• Moisture Absorption ASTM D-570

• Specific Gravity ASTM D-792

• Particle Board Testing ASTM D-1037

• Weatherometry (U.V. exposure) (ASTM G-26, G53)

• High Pressure Decorative Laminates ANSI/NEMA LD3

• Adhesives (ASTM C-297)

• Corrosion Resistance (ASTM B-117)

• Coefficient of Friction

• Hardness

• Specific Gravity

• Tear and Shear Strength

Packaging testing
Micom now offers the packaging testing services listed below. Our packaging lab is
ISTA accredited (International Safe Transit Association).
These tests are included by ISTA and NMFTA (National Motor Freight Transport
Association) in their test plans:

• ISTA 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, 1e, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 3a, 3e, 3f, 4ab, 5b, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d

• NMFTA rule 180, 181

• Transportation of Dangerous Goods Regulation (UN, CAN/CGSB-43.150 &

43.146)

• Vibration (ASTM D 999, A1, A2)

• Drop (ASTM D 5276)

• Compression (ASTM D 642)

• Incline Impact (ASTM D 880)

• Atmospheric Conditioning (ASTM D4332) (-73°C to +150°C, 10–95% RH)

• Bridge Test (ASTM D-5265)

 • Thermal Insulation Quality of Packages (ASTM D-3103)

• Rotational Drop (ASTM D-6179)

• Random vibration (ASTM D-4728)

• Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems (ASTM D-4169)

• Packaging design & optimization

A proper packaging design will allow you to achieve the following:

• Efficiently protect the package contents

• Minimize rate of product return due to transport & handling failures

• Increase customer satisfaction

• Increase profitability