European Openings Conference

The ‘European Openings’ doors and windows conference was staged by Chiltern Dynamics and BM TRADA Certification to help pave the way for the new European Product Standard for pedestrian doors and windows prEN 14351-1:2005.

The Product Standard prEN 14351-1:2005 Product Standard for pedestrian doors and windows without fire resistance is now likely to be published in March or April this year. According to a range of experts at the European Openings conference in October, it had already cleared the last hurdle.

It could be another 18 - 24 months, however, before the Standard is mandated, although it is anticipated that manufacturers will be able to start testing to the new requirements from September, if all goes according to plan.

At the conference, Jon Osborn, Test Manager with Chiltern International Fire, explained that prEN 14351-1 was one of a family of harmonised product standards, acting as a bridge between testing/classification standards and EU directives, as well as providing a ‘route map’ to CE marking specific to a product group.

It lists all the relevant test standards and methodologies and introduces the concept of performance and requirement profiles, explained in Annex D, which will ascertain whether a product is suitable for a given end use.

The standard also sets out the manufacturer’s responsibilities beyond product manufacture – these include initial type testing and setting up factory production control systems – and introduces the concept of product families, ie where one test will cover the variations in a product range, and explains if further testing will be required. It also covers product marking and traceability.

Annex A is an important reference point for manufacturers. It covers the critical issue of what a change of component in a product will mean for testing. Another important reference is Annex E, which lists the testing processes for determining characteristics windows and doors.

When published, said Mr Osborn, the new standard will ensure that everyone is conducting very similar levels of testing for any given end use application. The test methods however will be EN methods: BS methods will be superseded. And he stressed: ‘Third party certification will retain its role as an added value service.’

And when prEN 14351-1 is published, said Guy Bampton of the Building Division of ODPM, manufacturers will be able to CE mark their products. Although CE marking is not mandatory in the UK, he added, ‘The CE mark will give a very strong message to Building Control that your product confirms with the Construction Product Directive, as it must.’

It is important to note, however, that CE marking is not a quality mark but a passport to free trade within the European Economic Area. Quality marks, however, can be fixed alongside the CE mark.

Under the new standard, manufacturers will have to carry out certain tests, while some will be voluntary, said Vincent Kerrigan, Deputy Test Manager of Chiltern Dynamics. Annex ZA of prEN 14351-1, details mandated performance characteristics, including weathertightness and thermal resistance and, where appropriate performance for acoustics, impact resistance, safety devices and operating forces.

Manufacturers can test to a whole range of additional criteria if they choose, or as dictated by specifier - these are listed in Annex E and include security, durability and mechanical strength.

‘At present, the only performance criterion that the England and Wales building regulations specifically require to be proven and declared is the thermal performance. However, in practice a number of other areas will typically be required by specifiers, such as the weather performance,’ Mr Kerrigan told delegates.

Most of the mandatory or voluntary tests under prEN 14351-1 have already been incorporated into British testing. For example, BS 6375-1:2004 Performance of Windows and Doors Part 1: Classification for weathertightness and guidance on selection and specification already includes reference to European test methods, said Chiltern Dynamics ' Paul Andrews. 'In some aspects, we are ahead of the game.'

Similarly, acoustic performance is tested to EN ISO 140-3, formalised as a British Standard in the UK, said Noel Vincent of Taylor Woodrow Technology, ‘so the tests are the same.’

Delegates were warned, however, that using Table F1 in EN ISO 10077-1:2000 to determine thermal transmittance for windows could give a ‘conservative’ result. Better to use ‘hot box’ testing, or the calculation method. The beauty of using software calculations is that manufacturers can then ’tweak’ designs to achieve optimum results and build a better window.

Giving the manufacturer’s perspective, Amanda Haley, Senior Buyer for Ian Firth Doors and Hardware, urged the industry to take the initiative and not wait for the standard to become mandatory. ‘Work out now where you want to pitch your products and devise your test programme. Do something now about factory production control (FPC) if you don’t already have a system in place.’