BIFMA X5.6

Panel Systems

Micom offers BIFMA X5.6 testing as part of its Office Furniture Testing services.  ANSI/BIFMA X5.6 – Panel Systems – Tests – was released in January 2016.  This standard provides a level plain field for evaluating the safety, durability and mechanical resistance of panel systems used in office environments.  This standard specifies acceptance levels to help ensure reasonable safety and performance of panel systems with an estimated product life of ten years based on a single shift usage.

BIFMA X5.6 | Test for Panel system | Micom Laboratories

BIFMA X5.6 Wear and Fatigue Test for Vertical Receding Doors

Desk products should be tested to Bifma X5.5, storage products should be tested to Bifma X5.9 and seating products should be tested to Bifma X5.1 and Bifma X5.4.  If your panel system shares components such as doors and drawers and that these products were tested to any of these Bifma standards, you might be able to use these tests and avoid having to redo them again.  Should this be the case, please let us know, our experts will take this into consideration while preparing your test plan.

The types of tests to be employed to test to BIFMA X 5.6 are:

  • Panel Stability
  • Static load loading
  • Dynamic loading
  • Durability testing
  • Component Dislodgment

Not all SKUs in your product line need to be tested in order to be able to comply to this standard; only worst case scenarios need to be considered.  Our experts will be happy to review your product offering and let you know which products ought to be tested and this service is free of charge!

A new revision:

BIFMA standards get revised approximately every 5 years per ANSI requirements. The revision process has recently been completed and BIFMA has published the 2016 version in replacement to the previous 2010. Our experts sit on the committee doing this review.  Should you be interested in finding out what the issues are and what is happening with this standard; you can go to our resources section which is often updated.

Just in case your product has been tested under the 2010 edition; below is a test-by test comparison between the new and the previous version of BIFMA X5.6 to give you a better understanding of what are the impacts of the new standard edition: