FIRA’s UK product testing facility, based at its headquarters in Stevenage, has installed a new state-of-the-art Rolling Road machine which is double the size of the unit it replaces. With 60 years of knowledge of the furniture and related industries, FIRA offers product testing to ensure that consumer products are safe, legal and fit for purpose.
Howard James, testing operations manager at FIRA, says: “Our Rolling Road is used for testing the durability of anything with wheels, such as luggage, pushchairs and even postal trolleys. It is similar to a treadmill, but has obstacles to simulate an uneven surface. Over the last year we have experienced an unprecedented demand for testing of both luggage and pushchairs.
“This new machine will allow us to test to the latest European Standards for pushchairs and also our bespoke luggage standard. As it is to run two products simultaneously, it will speed up the testing process allowing us to deliver test results to our clients faster than ever.”
The FIRA Testing facility provides a service for all types of furniture and related products for the domestic and contract markets. This includes flammability and fibre performance tests on fabrics and foams, performance tests on adhesives and boards, and structural testing on finished products. Highly-skilled technicians also develop bespoke testing equipment for use in the UK and other countries.
In addition to FIRA’s UK-based centre of excellence, it has test facilities and accredited testing partners throughout the world.
