What Chair Parts Are Necessary For A Heavy Duty Office Chair?

A heavy duty office chair may seem only necessary for people with large bodies and heavy weights. When it comes to what chair parts are necessary for a heavy-duty office chair, durability and support are crucial.

In more demanding environments, you will also need a strong and durable heavy duty office chair. An office chair is frequently used in a 24/7 control room or call centre. Currently, standard chairs don't measure up. With a rated maximum load capacity of 120kg, they are designed for a normal 8-hour day. 

Office chairs must be designed to meet higher performance requirements to be "stronger" and "more durable". Using a standard office chair in a heavy-duty environment usually leads to two things. It may not work properly or cannot be used for a long time, or it may accidentally break.
Heavy-duty chairs need to be reinforced to withstand 24/7 operation. Office chairs for tall executives need to be bigger and stronger. Stronger bases, seats, mechanical devices, and armrests are key items.
To make a chair, all the components must be combined correctly. We have discussed some important components in this article.

What Chair Parts Are Necessary For A Heavy Duty Office Chair?

Understanding what chair parts are necessary for a heavy-duty office chair will help you select the right components.
The important components include the following:

1. Base Set For Heavy Duty Office Chairs

(1) Casters (2) 5-Star base
(3) Gas cylinder
(1) Casters
It is better to use large diameter casters for heavy duty office chair.
Wheels with larger diameters have a higher load capacity. Casters with a 60 mm diameter have a greater load-carrying capacity and are more manageable than those of 50 mm.
It is best to use casters with soft edges if the chair will be used on a hard floor such as tiled. They won't damage the floor.
On carpeted flooring, hard casters are perfect.

(2) 5-Star base
The 5-star bases can be made from aluminum, glass reinforced nylon or steel tubing.
The aluminum bases are recyclable and have a high load bearing capacity. Aluminum 5-star bases are used in heavy-duty chairs. They are also the most expensive.
Bases of Glass fiber reinforced Nylon is very popular. The nylon bases for heavy duty office chairs are made with high-quality nylon, a glass fiber reinforced filler of 30%, and the right design. These bases are incredibly strong. They are also flexible enough to be moved easily over slightly uneven flooring. Nylon bases cost less than aluminum bases. You can read more about the advantages of nylon chair bases in this article.

The welds of steel tubes (metal chair bases), are notorious for failing along the lines. The quality of the welding determines the strength of the 5-star base. These bases are not the most popular option for 24/7 chairs.

(3) Gas Cylinder
Gas cylinders allow you to adjust the height of your chair. It can also be used as a "damper", to cushion the initial impact, when you first sit down.
Gas cylinders should be manufactured in accordance with international design standards such as BIFMA5.1. The cylinders will be marked with the class rating and logo if they meet these standards.
Class 4 gas lifts are preferred for heavy-duty chairs because their load rating is higher.
Gas lifts without this mark could be of poor quality or not be able support the weight or load required.

2. Heavy Duty Office Chairs With Tilt Mechanism

You can adjust the seat and the backrest using the tilt mechanisms. With it, you can adjust the angle and height of the backrest and seat.
It is important to test the strength of an office chair tilting mechanism in heavy-duty environments. Strength tests should be performed to ensure that the mechanism can handle heavy duty use. Organizations such as SABS and BIFMA conduct tests in accordance with relevant product performance standards.
SGS has been testing and certifying the mechanism of Onex Chairs since 2005. The procedure involved 300 000 cycles of a 200kg weight on the mechanism!

3. The Seat On Heavy Duty Office Chairs

A chair's seat must be strong enough "to carry the load" in an environment where it is used 24/7. Standard office chairs are not made for heavy-duty use.
CHAIR SEAT is composed of three major components.
(1) Seat base
(2) Foam
(3) Upholstery materials
 

(1) Seat Base
Seat bases are commonly made of plywood, nylon or polypropylene. For heavy-duty seats, thicker plywood is required and there are more laminations. For polypropylene and nylon heavy-duty chairs, additional structural webs or reinforcement steel are required.

(2) Foam
All office chairs are covered with polyurethane flexible foam that can be molded or cut. Foam molded in the same way as car seats is more flexible, and it has a long lifespan. All heavy-duty chairs require molded foam of high quality and density.

(3) Upholstery Materials
Select the right upholstery material for your operating environment. The polyester, acrylic and nylon weaves have a higher breathability but are more difficult to maintain than vinyl or leather.

4. Backrests Of Heavy Duty Office Chairs

BACKREST is composed of three major components.
(1) Support structure
(2) Mesh or Foam (for upholstered rears).
(3) Lumbar Support

(1) Support Structure
The backrest structure of any office chair is less heavy than the seat. Upholstered plywood backrests do not usually require additional reinforcement. Polypropylene shells are usually reinforced with standard web reinforcement. The mesh backrest of the chair must be matched with a frame made from high-quality nylon reinforced by glass fiber. Office chairs in call centers and control rooms that are used 24/7 cannot be made of other plastics.

(2) Mesh or Foam
The foam in the backrest will not be damaged even if the chair is used heavily. It is usually sufficient to use softer foam block cuts.
A good quality mesh can easily last more than 10 year. The inferior meshes become "flabby" very quickly. They can no longer provide you with the right ergonomic support for your spine.

(3) Lumbar support
In an environment where people are using the same chair 24/7, they do not adjust their lumbar support at the beginning of a shift. The additional lumbar support function is therefore negated. Consider a chair for a call center or control room, such as Heathrow.

5. Armrests For Heavy Duty Office Chairs

Height adjustable armrests are a requirement for ergonomics in all office chairs that are used 24/7 in control rooms or call centers.
Height-adjustable arms can provide ergonomic benefits based on the type of work being performed. Some chairs come with multifunctional armrests. Height and width can be adjusted. They also allow the arm pads move forward, backward, or even rotate inwards or outwards.
Armrests on big and tall executive chairs should be reinforced. They are used by users to get into and out of their chairs.
Some armrests do not attach to the seat as is the norm, but to a steel plate attached to the mechanism of the chair. It is stronger and more rigid.

6. Headrests

The headrest can be removed. It is better to avoid decorating the headrest if the chair will be used by more than one person. It is harder to clean between users.

Conclusion

A heavy-duty office chair needs strong, durable parts for lasting comfort. These include heavy-duty casters, a sturdy gas lift cylinder, and a durable seat mechanism. Also, the chair needs tough materials for the seat and backrest. Examples are dense foam and reinforced fabric or leather. Moreover, armrests should be adjustable and made of strong materials to support heavier loads. With these features, the chair can offer reliable support and comfort for all users, regardless of their size or weight. Researching what chair parts are necessary for a heavy-duty office chair will help you make an informed decision.