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Our Chairs

We take pride in manufacturing our chairs from the finest quality materials available. Our steel, foam cushion, wood and upholstery are selected with great care to provide you the finest product possible for your seating needs. Below are some definitions of materials used in the manufacture of Church Chair® products.

Steel Composition

Steel is composed primarily of the elements iron, carbon and manganese that steel makers configure to certain specifications in their individual steel "recipes" and processes. Different "recipes" create stronger steel and determine the finish quality of the steel. Control of steel characteristics such as surface smoothness, thickness and strength are closely monitored both during the steel making process and later during steel processing. Church Chair® purchases steel from its suppliers that provides a very fine finish along with the strength to stand up to all types of use. Church Chair® steel is classified as a cold rolled 1010 commercial quality product.

In addition, in 1995 Church Chair® purchased its own tube mill and the necessary bending and cutting equipment to produce our own high carbon steel stack chair frames. These factors allow us 100% control of the complete manufacturing process.

STEEL MANUFACTURING - GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Typical chemistry of 1010 cold rolled steel:
Carbon .08-.13%; Manganese .3-5%; Phosphorus .04% max; Sulphur .05% max

Typical mechanical properties:
Yield 23-35ksi; tensile 42-50ksi; elongation 32-40% (Note: Raising carbon is only one of many ways to increase the "strength" of steel).

Yield strength: (measured in ksi, thousand lbs. per square inch) Amount of pressure required to meet permanent deformation of steel. Typical 1010 steel yield strength is 34ksi.

Tensile Strength: (also measured in ksi) Amount of applied pressure at which steel breaks. Typical 1010 steel tensile strength is 45ksi.

Elongation: Percentage of steel stretch before breaking into two pieces (during tensile test). When drawing (or bending) steel, amount of pressure applied to form steel into a new shape without breaking or cracking; the pressure applied that falls between yield and tensile strengths.

Foam Cushioning

Church Chair® uses a high-density 100% virgin polyurethane foam with no fillers for its seat cushions and backs. All products meet the California 117 fire code. In Massachusetts and other areas where required, all products meet the California 133 fire code.

FOAM CUSHIONING - GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Foam: A lightweight cellular material resulting from the introduction of gas bubbles into a reacting polymer.

Density: The weight of a cubic foot of foam. Density is independent from firmness. Density is considered the most important indication of overall foam quality. Higher density virgin foam is less likely to bottom out, fatigue, or dish. High-density virgin foam cores can be designed to provide plush surface softness without reducing comfort.

IFD: "Firmness" (Indention Force Deflection) IFD is a measure of load bearing capacity or firmness. Ideal IFD specification will depend upon the application.

Virgin foam: Unfilled flexible foam that has not been processed in any matter other than cutting into shape.

Filled foams: (Loaded foams) The addition of heavy, inert materials, such as marble dust or clay, to increase density. Filled foams with low polymer content or a high percentage of filler material tend to have less resiliency, strength and durability. CHURCH CHAIR® DOES NOT USE ANY FILLED FOAMS.

All Church Chair® seats, excluding the Royal Stacker™, are comprised of a 1.8-2.0# high-density virgin foam (1.8-2.0# per cubic foot). The IFD (Indention Force Deflection), which represents the compression firmness, is a minimum of 55 IFD. The Royal Stacker™ consists of two pieces; one piece is comprised of a 1.8# high-density virgin foam with a 55 IFD. The other piece consists of a 1.7# high-density virgin foam with a 75 IFD, and these pieces are permanently laminated. Church Chair® backs consist of 1.8# high-density virgin foam with a 38 IFD. All foams used are tested at foam manufacturing lab before being accepted for use by Church Chair®. At our sole discretion, we may substitute foam of equal quality.

Sytex™

A patented webbing material based on the elastomeric properties of high strength polyester monofilament which reduces frame stress, offers better comfort, is more highly soil and stain resistant, and has outstanding heat and age resistance qualities than conventional webbing products. SYTEX™ surpasses all government and business technical requirements, including FNE 83-258-B and BIFMA.

Upholstery Fabrics

Church Chair® provides a selection of classic and timeless upholstery fabrics to complement our wood and metal stack chair frames. Our wide variety of fabrics manufactured from man-made fiber materials meet and exceed the highest performance standards. Both beauty and durable resiliency are upholstery priorities. The Church Chair® assortment of patterns and colors range from rich, bold designs to muted simplicity. All are tested for colorfastness and long-lasting durability before consideration in the Church Chair® Standard Collection, Classic Collection or our Primera Collection™ of fabrics. All of our fabric collections will help ensure the creation of an aesthetically pleasing environment for your organization and for worship centers around the world.

*DuraSeat™

Our exclusive seat base is constructed of patented engineered poly resin. DuraSeat™ is a manufactured product of resin components which adhere to stringent ANSI/BIFMA tests for structural integrity.