Quality Assurance:
- Proof of concept - All our standard designs undergo rigorous testing before they are allowed to market. This includes spending anything upto 2 years in our own hire department or friends in the industry to ensure all kinks have been ironed out before the product hits the market, although after almost 40 years in business it's very rare we have to revisit a design.
- Artwork - All our artworks are printed on industrial grade printing machines to within 100th of a mm ensuring maximum speed and quality. All inflatables are treated with flexible, scratch proof artwork inks or laminates to ensure maximum durability and longevity. The colours are professionally profiled by a engineer to ensure a match across our product range and coated in a thick lamination solution for maximum durability.
- Design & Production - All our designs are completed on complex Cad Cam software and cut to within 100th of a millimetre accuracy on dedicated PVC CNC machines giving unrivaled industry accuracy.
- Internal materials - All our internal materials are made from only the highest grade of airbag material where possible. Our airbag material is amazingly strong under tension, yet remains completely flexible in all weathers making the perfect structure for the inflatable industry. All our internals have specially designed air flow points to ensure rapid deflation and light enough to have a major impact on the overall weight of our products. Its the little things that make us stand out from the crowd!
- Inflatable safety certification - All our inflatables come complete with EN14960 or equivalent as standard. EN14960 is a European standard in which all inflatables should be designed to. Its not quite the law but something we are quite proud to adhere to and something our director actively promotes through his position o the PIPA advisory board.
- Additional safety - All our inflatables have undergone further rigorous safety testing procedure which includes our famous 50 point inspection which includes the testing of the Trough depth, Security of seams, Stitch size and spacing, Backtack and reinforcement inspection, Anchor point kn pull testing, accessory test and inspection, Wall and tower durability and stability testing, Blower tube identification & specification markings, Zip pocket and zip cover inspections, Flame retardancy retest, Certificate validation and basic FR retest test, Design review adherence certification, Fabric stress and shear strength test analysis and certification verification, Step, Ramp and platform compliance testing, Pressure and grounding compliance with EN14960, Testing of sharp and lose objects in the structure, identification of stress and high wear and tear points for suitable reinforcements, General stability control, Ropes, cargo nets and mesh aperture testing to EN71, Air loss points and pressure testing control, Critical fall of height calculation and compliance check, Thread inspection, stitch pattern and tension inspection, Netting compliance and aperture inspection, Entrapment of inflated surfaces, squeeze compliance and person space toggle testing, Deflation, evacuation and emergency exit compliance testing, User data compliance and design review date check, Lighting ad independent structure support point testing, Emergency lighting ad power installation (Including PAT test if required), Deflation speed and risk assessment, Slide wall heights ad run off compliance calculations, Clamber net, steps and slip sheet fitment ad compliance check, along with any PAT testing requirements the inflation device and cable systems may require.
All our inflatables are subject to the following Structural Tests.
- Trough depths measured for visual supervision
- Seam strength security test ensures the inflatable can carry a minimum load of 165kn
- Stitching measured and tested to ensure safety between 3mm and 8mm
- Anchor point vs. wind loading calculations test to ensure a sufficient number of anchors
- Secondary anchor strength test to ensure it can exceed a Newton load of 160kn or more
- Anchor accessories tested for peg specification, safety, and conformity
- Wall and tower height measured to ensure maximum user height calculations are correct
- Blower tube marking and length tested for maximum safety
- Zip installation and functionality safety test to prevent accidental inflation
- Fabric flame retardancy test and/or certificate compliance check to ensure FR status
- Fabric strength test and/or certificate compliance check to ensure it meets EU standards
- Step and ramp size and maximum fall height compliance check to ensure it meets EU standards
- Weight-based grounding test to ensure satisfactory pressure in vulnerable chambers
- Visual and touch inspection for sharp corners and instruments for general user safety
- General stability test (height vs. width and depth ratio) to ensure safety and stability
- Rope test (if ropes are incorporated in the inflatable) to ensure they are not worn or dangerous
- Artwork compliance test to prevent choking hazards from fragments
- Air loss points tested to ensure no defects and that they can maintain pressure
- Water gauge pressure check to ensure correct inflation and safe pressure
- Maximum fall height measurement test to ensure safety
- Thread/cotton inspection test to check for rotting or wear and tear
- Netting measurement test to ensure the hole size is not a danger to small children's fingers
- Entrapment test to ensure there are no areas or toys where a child may become trapped
- Evacuation/deflation test to ensure the unit can maintain good pressure without a fan running
- Window test to ensure materials conform to EN14960 and that no cracks/breaks are present
- Visible markings test to ensure all height/user information and other key areas are identified
- Manufacturer's identification tag and serial number check
- We use the Betterbounce brand of test and do not use the Rpii or Pipa brand.
Additional Tests For Totally Enclosed Structure tests.
- Exit location and proximity test to ensure adequate evacuation is possible
- Exit marking and evacuation check
- Lighting support test to ensure that the structure is free standing and not air supported
- Emergency lighting test if applicable
- Deflation & evacuation test to ensure the unit can maintain good pressure without a fan running
- User area pressure test to ensure it can hold the weight of users it is designed for adequately
Additional Tests For Inflatable Slides.
- Wall height measurement and containment of user compliance check
- Run out measurement and compliance check
- Clamber net measurement and compliance check
- slide sheet measurement and security method check
Additional Tests For Blowers.
- Type & size of blower check again inflatable manufactures specification sheet or tag
- Inlet and outlet mesh check with a probe to ensure finger length distance is safe
- Cable & plug visual inspection and power test to ensure maximum safety
- Pat test document inspection
- Anti, air return flap securely in place and operation test
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- Paperwork - All inflatables are supplied with 12 Month Initial test certification or EN14960 certification where appropriate, 24 months warranty, Flame retardancy certification, Pat test certification where applicable, User manual/ Operating instructions & risk assessment and hire agreement templates. All our paperwork is available in multiple languages upon request.
- Blower Tube - All or inflatables are provided with multilingual inflation tags with correct blower and pressure specification displayed. Most of our designs also feature a zip to prevent accidental deflation.
- Deflation Zips - All our inflatables come with at least one deflation zip to allow for a more speedy pack up time. These zips are covered with a velcro flap that peels out of the way to aid deflation, solving the annoying problem of self closing zips!
- Anchor Points - All our anchor points are built to exceed the legal requirement of 163kn per anchor. We only use welded stainless steel D rings and 2" herringbone webbing for extra durability. Our anchors are suitable for approved ropes, approved pegs/ stakes or raw bolt washers greater than 80mm.
- Stress Points - All our inflatables are quad stitched at high stress points and reinforced internally ensuring maximum longevity of the product.
- Flame retardant - All our materials are flame retardant to M1 or M2 specification where required and fully compliant to BS5438 and BS5867.
- PVC Material - We only use the very best PVC in the world. The material we use is a non laminated Polyester or Nylon weave coated on both sides in a thick PVC mix. The PVC is formulated specifically for us in a laboratory to give perfect anti fungal protection to prevent mold, perfect UV stabilisation to prevent fading and over 100 denier base cloth to prevent the tearing under stress. All the materials are Lead free, Cadmium free, Certified to M1 or M2 specification where suitable and fully compliant to BS5438 and BS5867. The PVC is suitable for all products associated with EN71 and EN14960 use, all wrapped up in a really glossy professional, easy wipe finish.
We hope this helps for now and if you need to ask any questions, simply send us an email to info@better-bounce.co.uk via the Contact us page or give one of our technical team a call on : 0113 8878264
