EN STANDARDS

A suite of European product performance standards (ENs) has been developed for most building components, these include a comprehensive range of product performance standards for architectural hardware.

Almost all of these European architectural hardware standards follow a common format to help their understanding by specifiers, Architects & users. Each product is classified under a number of performance headings; generally, these are the same for all products.

Products are marked with a six or more (8 for hinges)digit classification coding which shows, in detail, just what levels of product performance are being claimed for the item. This classification system enables complementary items to also be specified to, for instance, a common level of corrosion resistance, category of use,

door mass, etc

Each product and/or its packaging is required to be marked with:

The manufacturers name or trademark or other means of identification.

Product identification number.

The six or more digit classification number as above.

The BS EN standard number e.g. BS EN 1935 for hinges

The year and week of manufacture (this may be coded).

Specifiers should note that different levels of product quality can be determined by the specific coding the product gains. It is therefore worthwhile checking the coding against apparently comparable products.

CATEGORIES

Digit 1 Category of use

Grade 1: medium frequency of use by people with a high incentive to exercise care and with a small chance of accidents occurring or of misuse

Grade 2: medium frequency of use by people with some incentive to exercise care but where there is some chance of accidents occurring or of misuse

Grade 3: high frequency of use by public and others with little incentive to exercise care and with a high chance of accidents occurring or of misuse

Grade 4: for use on doors which are subject to frequent violent usage

Digit 2 Durability/number of test cycles

Grade 1: 2,500 cycles

Grade 2: 5,000 cycles

Grade 3: 10,000 cycles

Grade 4: 25,000 cycles

Grade 5: 50,000 cycles

Grade 6: 100,000 cycles

Grade 7: 200,000 cycles

Grade 8: 500,000 cycles

Grade 9: 1,000,000 cycles

Digit 3 Test door mass

Grade 1: up to 20kg

Grade 2: up to 40kg

Grade 3: up to 60kg

Grade 4: up to 80kg

Grade 5: up to 100kg

Grade 6: up to 120kg

Grade 7: up to 160kg

Grade 8: up to 200kg

Grade 9: up to 250kg

Digit 4 Fire behaviour

Grade 0: not approved for use on fire/smoke resisting door assemblies

Grade 1: suitable for use on fire/smoke resisting door assemblies, subject to satisfactory assessment of the hardware item to the performance of the specified fire/smoke resisting door assembly

Digit 5 Safety in use

Grade 0: no defined safety performance

Grade 1: satisfies the safety in use requirements contained in the Construction Products Directive issued by the EC

Digit 6 Corrosion resistance

Five corrosion grades are identified in accordance with BS EN 1670:

Grade 0: no defined corrosion resistance

Grade 1: mild resistance

Grade 2: moderate resistance

Grade 3: high resistance

Grade 4: very high resistance

Digit 7 - Security

Grade 0: Not suitable for use on burglar-resistant doors assemblies

Grade 1: Suitable for use on burglar-resistant door assemblies, subject to satisfactory assessment.

Digit 8 - Hinge Grade

Fourteen grades are recognised - see table below:

Hinge grade Usage Test cycles Door mass

Grade: No of Cycles : Door Mass

1: 10,000 : 10kg

2: 10,000 : 20kg

3: 25,000 : 20kg

4: 200,000 : 20kg

5: 10,000 : 40kg

6: 25,000 : 40kg

7: 200,000 : 40kg

8: 10,000 : 60kg

9: 25,000 : 60kg

10: 200,000 : 60kg

11: 200,000 : 80kg

12: 200,000 : 100kg

13: 200,000 : 120kg

14: 200,000 : 160kg