Collaboration agreement between Sicom Testing and CATAS

Establishing collaboration between different laboratories is not always easy, let alone immediate. Often, in fact, competition prevails, making any cooperation almost impossible.

On the occasion of the recent specialization seminar on electrified furniture products, Sicom Testing And CATAS they have shown, however, that collaboration is possible. The two laboratories, in fact, have signed an agreement to offer a complete service for everything relating to electrified furniture.

Sicom Testing is a laboratory specialized in electromagnetic compatibility and safety tests of electrical and electronic equipment.

CATAS, on the other hand, takes care of all the mechanical and chemical tests with a very long experience in the electrified furniture sector.
Dr. Andrea Giavon, its director, has been participating as an Italian representative in the sector's international standardization groups for years.

The union of the resources of Sicom Testing and CATAS has been active for several months but, with the agreement, it takes on a more structured and above all more immediate shape for the end customer.

Furniture manufacturing companies will interface with a single platform where they will find the services of both laboratories.
It is no coincidence that the agreement was signed during the seminar Application of the machinery directive, CE marking, electromagnetic compatibility.
The collaboration between Sicom Testing and CATAS, in fact, has as its main objective the safety of manufacturing companies and end customers.

The electrified furnishings, perhaps the most revolutionary and useful invention in the furniture sector (just think of the electrified armchairs that improve the lives of hundreds and hundreds of people, to cite an example) are rightly subjected to strict CE regulations.

If not properly tested, they can cause unpleasant and dangerous domestic accidents with serious damage to the user and the manufacturing company.

In the conference, held at the Catas headquarters, having as its topic The safety of the furniture product: risk analysis, the speaker Dr. Andrea Giavon he was very clear in explaining the different types of risk.
“Under analysis” has explained “We must consider normal use but also abnormal, but predictable use.
For example, an armchair, designed for a single person, sometimes accommodates two or even three, across or on the armrests.
In the example cited, the overturning can be caused by excessive load or structural collapse with very serious consequences for those involved".
Also in this case it is the manufacturer who is responsible before the law, as these are foreseeable uses of the product.

The speaker Dr. Roberto Passini, Director of Sicom Testing, raised another important topic for home appliances. We directly quote some excerpts from the doctor's speech.
“All household appliances fall under the EN 60335 family of harmonized standards.
They are rather severe rules because the domestic environment in Europe and in the world is the most dangerous environment where the highest percentages of serious and fatal accidents occur, more than on the road, more than in the workplace.
In the domestic environment, untrained people, children and the elderly use equipment of all kinds and are exposed to various dangers. And we must also take into account newborns, invalids and pets...".
From the words of Dr. Roberto Passini it is clear that in a domestic environment the simultaneous presence of multiple subjects with different physical characteristics and abilities must be considered.

Great credit must be given to the European technical working groups for the drafting of the directives, guides to the application of the directives, harmonized standards and technical standards.
The aim of this set of rules is to help manufacturers and the European market.
The application of standards and directives is mandatory and creates a facilitated path that guarantees access to the entire European market while contributing in concrete terms to the quality of the products.

The collaboration between two companies as well structured and experienced as CATAS e Sicom Testing it is the right way to offer end consumers and manufacturers furniture that is safe in any situation and use.
It seems right to us to conclude by delving into these two important realities.

Catas is the most important reality at European level as regards chemical analyses, physical and mechanical tests on materials, components and products used in the wood, furniture and construction sectors.
It has two operational centers, San Giovanni al Natisone (Ud) and Lissone (Mb), equipped with excellent cutting-edge laboratories and the best specialized technicians.

Sicom Testing is a testing and certification laboratory for electrical, electronic and radio devices, which also boasts experience in testing of motorized furniture components, in the certification of lighting components And furnishing components for medical use.
Every day, in the two offices in Trieste and San Canzian d'Isonzo, highly specialized technicians work to ensure that the placing of electrified products on the market is simple, fast and safe.

Prevention is better than cure, popular wisdom teaches us, and we are certain that when two laboratories combine their knowledge, resources and tools, we will certainly all be a little safer.

Sicom Testing and CATAS offer a complete service for certification of lighting components, electrical products, electronic equipment and testing of motorized furniture components.