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the diverse stages of the furniture designing, manufacturing,
and verification procedures; such an approach is a blueprint
for the next phases of our efforts, as it provides novel baseline
ideas to rethink the testing process.

In addition to the pre-formulated central function-related
goal, namely, verifying the structure of the cube with respect
to the stability, static load, and impact capacities, other
major factors of influence on persons such as the users and
manufacturing operatives have to be recognised.
Prominently included in this set are chemicals, represented
edge stability, could be improved to match the performance by, for instance, volatile organic compounds. The relevant
of mass-produced furniture. substances then comprise, among others, formaldehyde, an
With respect to the examined physical quantities and ingredient of the glue that is used in diverse types of plywood.

product capabilities, and considering the relevant standards, we Formaldehyde, by extension, finds application also in surface
compared our procedural testing approaches discussed herein finish lacquers, fabrics, carpets, stationery, and electronics.
with those applied by other researchers. In seating furniture, Importantly, materials for the indoor environment are subjected
interesting static and dynamic options, including progressive to testing before entering the market.
loading, are set out in the very recent study by Diler et al. To characterise formaldehyde in a balanced manner, we
These authors tested a large set of items under varying should describe the substance’s benefits too: a colourless
conditions and loads to establish that the strength and capacity glued splice joint, superior shear strength, favourable cost,

of a product markedly depend on the loading direction. In and hardening temperatures between 10 and 180 deg C.
contrast to our concept, Diler et al.’s methods are markedly Yet formaldehyde is released into the air, and this drawback
broader, more detailed, and involve factors such as inherent reflects in the legal requirements on children’s furniture; within
material properties; the techniques have been formulated the European Union, the applicable regulation consists in the
specifically to evaluate chairs, whose basic function nevertheless standard EN 71-3, its Czech Republic equivalent being ČSN
largely corresponds to that of the play cube. EN 71-3+A1 (94 3095), that sets forth stipulations concerning
Further, a comprehensive, optimisation-oriented testing the safety of toys and the migration of selected chemical
strategy had been proposed by Güray et al.; in this case, a elements.
high number of wood matter and impact force types were During the 1970s, the emission value reached 100 mg/100

employed, forming a model for the future studies. g of the mass. Since 2004, European producers have been
In the Czech-based laboratories within this article, by supplying chipboard and plywood boards in two emission
comparison, the scope of corresponding tasks was relatively classes, E1 and E2. In view of the released volumes of
modest, as our project had been conceived significantly less formaldehyde, plywood are categorised into the A group
generously, due to the limited amount of materials. (ČSN EN 1084, cancelled in 2014), and multiplex plywood
The associated development, refining, and (to a limited are classified according to their response to fire with the C
extent) basic tests of children’s or purpose-specific furniture designation in the standard ČSN EN 13501-1.

are all exposed in the research by Zhang et al. and Jai-ai et The class E1 stipulates emissions below 0.1 ppm (0.124
al., with the former outlining the role of artificial intelligence at mg/m3, as set out in ČSN 717-1/EN 717-1); in chip- and