Flexible Coated Foam Products
Finding a meaningful abrasion test for non-traditional furniture
Situation:
Since 2013, Tenjam has been manufacturing commercial furniture for high traffic spaces. According to the manufacturer their furniture is safe, durable, washable and fun. The DuraFLEX soft seating has a molded thermoplastic outer shell that is flexible for comfort. However, unlike traditional furniture, Tenjam products are not stitched upholstery and do not include yarns that can wear down or break. Thus, the industry standard Wyzenbeek “double rub” test was not applicable.
Analysis:
Tenjam searched for an alternative test that would provide meaningful results and would be applicable to flexible coating materials. The company decided on the Taber rotary abraser and uses both mass loss and depth of wear measurements.
Benefit:
Incorporating a Taber test into their quality control system, Tenjam has the ability to monitor the performance of their DuraFLEX material ensuring the coating will perform as required. Tenjam’s scientists also rely on Taber data to continue their advancements of Tenjam materials. As an example, Tenjam’s material science laboratory performed a 1000 cycle test to benchmark their product performance against a competitor coating material. Using H-22 wheels and 1000g load per arm, Tenjam determined their DuraFLEX material performed 5 times better than their competition.
