Friday, August 14, 2009

Textiles Quality Control Standards and Testing Procedures

At Herman Miller all materials undergo two forms of testing. Initial testing is done when a
new product, process, or supplier is accepted. These tests lead to the development of quality
standards, which our suppliers take responsibility for meeting. From that point on, materials
are checked on a random basis to see that suppliers adhere to the quality standards. Quality
is checked at suppliers, as materials are received in our facilities, and throughout production.
All Herman Miller textiles are tested for their ability to stand up to the kind of wear they are
likely to get in actual use, including fire retardancy, elongation, strength, and color transfer.
Qualities such as surface texture, pattern, ability to absorb or reflect light, ability to conform
to product, and ability to respond within an environment when placed next to woods, laminates,
glass, carpeting, painted surfaces, or other textiles are also taken into consideration.
When possible, our test procedures conform to the methods established by the American
Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). Herman Miller strives to meet and exceed all industry standards pertaining to our products.

The Association for Contract Textiles (ACT) has developed five symbols that assure contract
fabrics perform up to industry standards and pass all applicable testing. These symbols are
included on all Herman Miller textile swatch cards where applicable:

Flame resistance (fabric's ability to resist burning)
Crocking resistance (fabric's colorfastness)
Ultra-violet light resistance (fabric's resistance to fading)
Physical properties (fabric's resistance tJustify Fullo pilling, seam slippage, and tearing)
Abrasion (fabric's ability to withstand surface wear from rubbing)







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