DISCOVER OUR TESTING LABORATORY
At Frontline, our top priority is the wellbeing and safety of our users. To uphold this commitment, we have made substantial investments in establishing three state-of-the-art testing laboratories across all our locations. These facilities enable us to rigorously evaluate our products, ensuring they consistently meet or surpass industry conformance standards and regulatory requirements.
Frontline Fall Protection quality control and product testing is of our company’s upmost importance! We ensure that all our products meet OSHA/ANSI standards by subjecting them to rigorous testing, thoroughly documenting the process, and providing transparent information to the end user.
Having our fall protection laboratory comes with huge benefits to our manufacturing process. Given the controlled environment with the necessary equipment and tools, we can readily test current and new products to ensure they meet standards, perform research and development to improve with product innovation, conduct regular batch testing for better and improved QC/QA controls and ultimately give our customers the safety confidence they need to use our products and ensure they confirm to the industry standards.
Here’s a look at some of the key tests we perform in our in-house lab:
DYNAMIC TESTING
Our drop test structure is constructed from over 15 tons of high-grade steel and stands at an overall height of 30 feet. Its robust steel construction ensures that the maximum elastic deformation remains below 0.04 inches (1mm) when subjected to a vertical static load of 4,500 lbs (20kN), as outlined by ANSI Z359.7. Moreover, the structure features a mounting hoist beam to raise and lower test weights, a main drop beam guide to accommodate the different test specimens, a wireless quick release device, a sharp edge beam to test leading edge SRL’s and sufficient area and clearance within the drop zone so that the dynamic drop tests are carried accordingly.
The image showcases the Dynamic Testing of our Frontline Combat model's Full Body Harnesses, performed with a feet-first orientation. The test is carried out with a 220 lb test torso, an aircraft cable test lanyard of 3/8” diameter, a quick release device and a load cell to measure the loads. The harness is then raised to a height that will generate a peak impact load of no less than 3,600 lbs (16kN).
Static Strength Testing
Our horizontal static testing machine boasts a capability of 100 kN, meaning we can perform the different static tests across all the fall protection categories. Furthermore, depending on the product category the force will vary.
The image shown below is a Type T anchor which is designed to support a suspended component/tie-back line or for an active fall protection system. This anchor will go through a Serviceability Load Test and a Static Strength Test. As currently shown, the anchor will be subject to 5,000 lbs (22.2 kN) of force and pulled horizontally at a load rate not greater than 2 inches (51mm) per minute and then held for 3 mins.
The image shown below is a Type A beam anchor, which is an anchor other anchor than Type T and Type D (allows deformation) and it’s designed for an active fall protection. This anchor will be subject to 5,000 lbs (22.2 kN) of force and pulled vertically at a load rate not greater than 2 inches (51mm) per minute and then held for 3 mins.
Corrosion TestING
Corrosion overall can significantly weaken the structural integrity of fall protection anchors. Therefore, conducting corrosion tests can help in determining how well the anchors resist corrosion over time, ensuring that they maintain their load-bearing capacity and safety features. As per ANSI standards, anchors and connectors made from ferrous metal load-bearing materials, apart from stainless steel or hot-dip galvanized steel, must pass a corrosion test.
The image shows the corrosion testing of Type A Anchors in our salt spray machine, as per ANSI and ASTM B117 standards. The test involves examining for the presence of red rust visible to the unaided eye, which constitutes failure. It includes an initial exposure of 24 hours, followed by one hour of drying, and a subsequent 24-hour exposure.
Temperature Performances
Anchors and SRLs require specific temperature performance to ensure their proper functionality across various temperature ranges, encompassing both hot and cold conditions. Testing involves subjecting these devices to temperatures ranging from 130 degrees F down to -40 degrees F.
The image depicted showcases our Class 1 SRL within our environmental chamber, where it is exposed to a temperature of -40 degrees for a duration of 2 hours. Subsequently, the SRL is transferred to the testing tower for evaluation of its dynamic forces.
BENEFITS OF PERFORMING THESE TESTS IN-HOUSE AND WITH ISO 17025 LAB
Compliance, early detection and improvement of product
Allows us to enhance product development
Produce reliable, durable and compliant product
To ensure the user the product confidence they need
After performing in-house testing in our laboratory, we then send the products to a third-party ISO 17025 certified laboratory for added quality control and as outlined by ANSI Z359.7. Both internally and with the third-party testing laboratories, our safety products undergo an array of testing procedures to simulate real-world conditions, examining their strength, durability, and overall performance.
