Furntech

Furntech

AFRDI, the Australasian Furnishing Research and Development Institute, trading as Furntech, is an independent not-for-profit technical organisation providing standards, testing, product certification and research for buyers and sellers of furniture.
The purpose of testing and certification is to ensure that products are not only safe, but that they will last, thus contributing to sustainability, and minimising use of the earth’s resources.

While most of the work focuses on establishing standards for industry, it is likely that in future the organisation will develop more consumer-focused standards, such as its new program to identify leather from other materials which may have similar appearance.

Office / Contact Details

PO Box 2042, LAUNCESTON TAS 7250

t: 03 6326 6155f: 03 6326 3090

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Products by Furntechtop of page

  • Furntech Standards for Fixed Height Chairs and Seating enlarge

    Furntech Standards for Fixed Height Chairs and Seating

    Furntech tests and certifies chairs and seating for strength, fitness for purpose, durability, flammability, safety, and stability. Suppliers of fixed height chairs and seating meeting Furntech standards agree to maintain quality, and to submit their products to periodic testing and auditing. Some of the companies that have obtained approval from Furntech-AFRDI for fixed height chairs and seating include Atama Furniture, A + N Commercial Furniture, B Seated Global, Berton Furniture Pty Ltd, Commercial Furniture Australia Pty Ltd, and Eccosit Industries. Visit the Furntech website for a full listing.

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  • Furntech and Bunk Beds enlarge

    Furntech and Bunk Beds

    Furntech-AFRDI assesses bunk beds in two categories, those that comply with New Zealand/Australian standards covering safety checks, stability, durability and strength, and those which are checked against the basic safety requirements of Consumer Protection Notice Number 6 of 2005.

    Due to recent cases of non-compliance with these standards, the ACCC is conducting an information campaign to inform suppliers of bunk beds (including manufacturers, importers, wholesalers and retailers) about their legal requirements in supplying bunk beds under the mandatory standard. Please visit the Furntech website for a full list of certified bunk beds.

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  • Furntech Tests and Certifies Chair Components enlarge

    Furntech Tests and Certifies Chair Components

    Furntech-AFRDI tests and certifies chair components for strength, durability, safety, and stability. Furntech frequently tests manufacturers’ prototypes, and offers development assistanceg. Companies whose products have obtained approval from Furntech include Klasse Pty Ltd, Caford Australia, Cornwall Merchandise, Seatmatic Australia Pty Ltd, OFD Pty Ltd, National Ergonomics, and Knight Group NZ Ltd. For a full list of complying chair components, please visit the Furntech website.

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  • Furntech and Commercial Furniture Standards enlarge

    Furntech and Commercial Furniture Standards

    Furntech-AFRDI tests and certifies a wide range of Commercial Furniture sold on the Australian market using its own and international standards. Items tested include Height Adjustable Swivel Chairs, Fixed Height Chairs and Seating, Chair Components, Desks & Workstations, Filing Cabinets, office Storage, School and Educational Furniture, Tables, Leather, and Plastic Monobloc chairs. Visit the Furntech website for a full list of complying products, to make sure that the commercial furniture you are thinking of buying complies with AFRDI standards.

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  • Furntech Standards for Desks and Workstations enlarge

    Furntech Standards for Desks and Workstations

    Furntech tests and certifies Workstation products for strength, ergonomics, durability, safety, and stability. Testing frequently reveals problems with height adjustment mechanisms, and the attachment of legs. Manufacturers whose products have been approved by Furntech include Accent Office Interiors, Archway House, Direct Ergonomics, Desking Systems Australia, and Balmark Pty Ltd. A full list of complying desk and workstation manufacturers, suppliers and products is available on the Furntech website

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  • Furntech Domestic Furniture Standards enlarge

    Furntech Domestic Furniture Standards

    Furntech-AFRDI is currently involved in the development and promotion of Domestic Furniture Standards as Australian Standards. Here, customers are given prime importance. Standards currently under consideration by the relevant Standards Australia Committee include issuing a consumer product safety standard for children’s portable folding cots; a review of AS/NZS 4220 Bunk beds; development of a standard for beds and mattresses regarding safety, mattress firmness and resistance to ignition; and development of a standard for children’s high chairs. For more information on the standards development process, please visit the Furntech website.

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  • Furntech Standards for Filing Cabinets and Office Storage enlarge

    Furntech Standards for Filing Cabinets and Office Storage

    Furntech tests and certifies Filing Cabinets and Office Storage units for strength, ergonomics, durability, safety, and stability. Suppliers of filing cabinets and office storage selling products with the Furntech-AFRDI Blue Tick undertake to maintain quality, and to submit their products for regular auditing. Companies with filing cabinets and office storage products approved by Furntech include Mercury Manufacturing Company Ltd, Steelco Office Furniture, Dexion Commercial (New Zealand) Limited, and Europan Industries Limited. Visit the Furntech website for a full list of complying suppliers.

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  • Furntech Standards for Height-Adjustable Swivel Chairs enlarge

    Furntech Standards for Height-Adjustable Swivel Chairs

    Furntech tests and certifies Height-Adjustable Swivel Chairs to international standards covering strength, ergonomics, durability, flammability, safety, and stability. Suppliers of chairs carrying the Furntech-approved label agree to maintain a certain standard of quality, and submit their products to regular auditing. Most testing adopts the ‘accelerated lifetime’ approach, though the actual lifetime is highly dependent upon the application in which the product is being used. A full list of compliant chairs is available at the Furntech website.

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  • Furntech Leather Description Standards

    Furntech Leather Description Standards

    The AFRDI Standard 146 Leather Descriptions Furniture Industry provides the Australian and New Zealand commercial and residential furniture industry with a set of descriptions and performance guidelines for leather, with a particular focus on making this information readily available to the consumer. It helps define what really is leather, compared with the many leather look-alikes and leather substitutes.

    As well, the standard addresses concerns that have arisen in recent times relating to the presence of potentially harmful chemicals and hazardous agents, including various forms of chromium and anti-mould fungicides implicated in what is now known as sofa dermatitis.

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  • Furntech Standards for Residential Tables enlarge

    Furntech Standards for Residential Tables

    Furntech tests and certifies Residential Tables for strength, fitness for purpose, durability, flammability, safety, and stability. Customers and end-users of tables for residential use can be assured that AFRDI tests to international standards. Once tested, products are submitted to periodic re-testing and auditing.

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  • Furntech Standards for School and Educational Furniture enlarge

    Furntech Standards for School and Educational Furniture

    When purchasing furniture for use in schools and other educational institutions, it’s preferable to only consider products certified by Furntech. This means they have met standards regarding strength, ergonomics, durability, flammability, safety, and stability. Because durability and safety are of the utmost importance in an education setting, key suppliers of school and educational furniture have submitted their educational chairs and tables to regular testing and auditing. Visit the Furntech website for a full list of complying manufacturers and suppliers.

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  • Furntech Sustainability Standards enlarge

    Furntech Sustainability Standards

    Furntech tests and certifies to standards that encompass factors such as strength, ergonomics, durability, flammability, safety, and stability. Furntech-AFRDI now also has a standard, AFRDI Standard 150, embracing the concept of sustainability for furniture manufacture. AFRDI 150 covers factors such as the ethical sourcing of raw materials, a refusal to use sweated labour, waste minimisation, and enhanced potential for a long product life-span through re-focusing the original design process to facilitate ultimate recycling or re-manufacturing.

    Compliance with AFRDI Standard 150 is offered at three levels, and requires manufacturers to comply with wide-ranging criteria, and to subject their products to regular sustainability auditing.

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