BELGIUM – The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) has just published the update of the UNE EN 15939 standard on hardware.

Principally, this standard regulates the strength measurement and load capacity of the hangers. Spanish fittings manufacturer Indaux has been heavily involved in the update of this standard, thanks to its know-how on wall fixing devices and its participation in the CEN for more than 20 years.

The new standard provides manufacturing recommendations and has updated the tests on three types of furniture that are currently in high demand in the market. These three types of furniture are: tall kitchen furniture, whose height is much greater than their depth; a low wall-mounted kitchen unit, which supports dynamic forces and requires high load specific tests; and console type suspended furniture, i.e. very long pieces.

The Members of CEN are the National Standardization Bodies of 34 European countries – including all the member states of the European Union (EU) and other countries that are part of the European Single Market.

CEN works with its Members to develop and define European Standards in response to specific needs that have been identified by businesses and other users of standards.

European standards are developed by teams of experts who have particular knowledge of the specific sector or topic that is being addressed. The members of Technical Committees as well as sub-committees and working groups are nominated by the national standardization organizations.

Each National Standardization Body that is part of the CEN system is obliged to adopt each European Standard as a national standard and make it available to customers in their country. They also have to withdraw any existing national standard that conflicts with the new European Standard. Therefore, one European Standard (EN) becomes the national standard in all 34 countries covered by CEN Members.

Moreover, many European Standards are also adopted as identical national standards by CEN Affiliates, which are the National Standards Bodies of 17 neighbouring countries, and by National Standardization Bodies in other countries around the world.