Intelligence in Testing
At the International Technical Center, testing mattresses and boxsprings is our primary focus. Our experts push each product to the edge because we're passionate about determining their true personality. Do you know how much height a mattress will lose in one year or how much the firmness will change? You need to know that info so you can sell with confidence.
At Leggett & Platt, we've specialized in testing mattresses for decades and we test to industry standards. We've also developed our own cutting-edge methods and machines because we're committed to evaluating every measure of durability and performance. The result is a rigorous, confidential examination that goes beyond pass or fail.
Why Test?
Understanding your products' performance gives you the opportunity to improve them and helps you uncover selling points that could be the tipping point for potential customers. In fact, our Leggett & Platt Creative Services team will even help you with a marketing campaign to fully capitalize on your testing results.
You'll have access to experts in manufacturing, engineering, marketing, metallurgy, sales, and research and development, as well as to the leaders of the bedding industry as a whole.
Rollator
To keep your customers happy for the long term, they need to trust that your mattresses can take a fair amount of punishment and be none the worse for wear.
The Rollator test consists of a hexagonal 240-lbs. roller rolling across the width of a mattress for 100,000 cycles (200,000 passes) at approximately 1,000 cycles per hour. We record periodic visual observations to report surface flattening and/or damage.
Cornell
Capable of accommodating twin- through king-size bedding, the Cornell machine evaluates a 100,000-cycle test of the platen forced 230-lbs. onto the bedding. Readings are taken at 200, 6,000, 12,500, 25,000, 50,000, 75,000, and 100,000 cycles. The data collected is then used to calculate the change in support firmness and preload height. There are no pass/fail parameters in the current ASTM procedure, but the historical guidelines are referenced to put results in perspective.
Laser Measurement
Height loss is a major concern with every bedding product.
The Laser Measurement System allows us to determine precisely how much height is lost during any of our testing procedures. By comparing a tested sample to an untested one, our Micro Epsilon Laser Optical Displacement Sensor is able to take and compare a number of readings in a single location or over a distance.
Impact Test
The Impact Test is exactly as it sounds: the testing machine drops a weight onto a test sample and we measure the effect – primarily height loss.
The ASTM procedure dictates a 175-pound impact load of a conical-shaped platen from a prescribed height until a 3/4" deformation is achieved. But our custom-designed machine is capable of much more. We can perform several alternative tests by varying weight, platens, and angular impacts.
Sway Force Analysis
Another proprietary Leggett & Platt evaluation, Sway Force Analysis is an excellent way to determine a unique selling point for your mattresses. The analysis evaluates the sway properties a mattress has when one person is active and another is sleeping.
In general, our unique method of analysis uses a specially modified Rollator machine to carefully test how much an individual may or may not be disturbed by pressure on another section of the mattress.
Our various precision instruments carefully gauge the overall impact and document the results for further review and final evaluation.
Pressure Blanket
How well your mattresses distribute pressure is not only a good indicator of the life expectancy of your product, but also how comfortable it will be to your customers.
The XSENSOR X3 Pro Pressure Imaging System® allows us to measure the interface pressure felt between the surface of the mattress and someone lying on top of it.
Though there is no standardized or industry recognized procedure for the pressure blanket system, a pressure of 32 mmHg is considered the point at which capillary blood flow is cut off to the surface of the skin, causing the body to readjust itself for protection.
Indention Machine
As a manufacturer of spring systems, we have developed our own world-class rigorous testing procedures and a unique testing machine to ensure that our products meet the most stringent standards: the Indention/Load/Deflection (ILD) Machine.
Essentially a tensile/compression test machine, the ILD evaluates the firmness of innersprings, boxsprings, upholstered mattresses, and bedding sets by taking measurements of typical indention areas. We measure such areas as the shoulder zone, geometric center, and calf zone. There are no established pass/fail criteria for this procedure, but the historical guidelines are referenced to put your test in perspective.
M-Body Motion
We now have state-of-the-art technology that uses a wide range of touch points and other variables to measure all kinds of sleep positions, along with exactly how the mattress performs.
The whole process is called the Motion Capture Data Assessment. It uses one of the most sophisticated suits in the industry, which features nineteen small gyros attached to the flexible lycra suit. It's designed with skin, muscle, and clothing in mind. And its 3-dimensional benefits are a critical asset too.
Spring Rate Analysis
At Leggett & Platt, we utilize Spring Rate Analysis to determine the firmness of a mattress and its inner components. The “spring rate” part of the analysis refers to the amount of weight that is needed to compress a spring one inch.
To conduct this analysis, a spring is placed on a compression tester and load readings are taken at critical deflection points. These measurements serve as quality checks and are used to gauge the overall firmness of the component.
Cyclic Fatigue Test
Because a mattress is a vital part of our daily lives, we must have a test to determine whether or not the components within it can function properly after repeated use. The Cyclic Fatigue Test was developed to test just that.
We utilize the Cyclic Fatigue Test to study the longevity of the individual components within the core of a mattress (e.g. pocket coil, open coil, etc.). This test can be performed in the same manner regardless of the type of component. We repeatedly compress a component to 60% of its height, up to 100,000 times. Our experts perform checks periodically throughout the test to look for damage.