DIN EN 249:2010-11

In the last two decades in particular, vast changes have been recorded in the sanitary market. Not just the variety of designs demanded by the end user as a result of special needs, but also the measures for implementation of demands resulting from the reduction of user noises and simplification of assembly methods, lead to a raised cost pressure for the manufacturers and to a changed competitive situation on the market. However, this is also due to the fact that, in the sanitary branch, materials alternative to traditional materials, which can be introduced for manufacture of the end product, are constantly being searched for. For this purpose, considerable investment is required to be made by material suppliers as well as by the processors, in order to verify the processability of a material for a certain final product. These projects had already been considered in the middle of the 1990s. However, they fell behind because, even at that time, it was not possible for the leading European manufacturers to come to an agreement on certain quality requirements for the products. Additionally, this situation had become more complicated due to the prioritized implementation of mandate M/110 "Sanitärausstattungsgegenstände" ("Sanitary appliances") which was given to CEN and the very lengthy consensus building on the sometimes extremely contrary ideas within the countries regarding the task and content of harmonized European Standards. Once referred exclusively to the mandatory requirements in the harmonized standard for shower trays (here, DIN EN 14527), the path became clear for the specification of strictly qualitative requirements, which support a high fitness for purpose of the products. In both standards, a material-oriented limitation of the scope is imposed. For shower trays in accordance with these standards, certain constructive requirements (material, waste outlet and overflow holes, hole edges, dimensional deviations and deviations of geometric parameters), on the one hand, and, on the other hand, a series of important functional requirements (surface appearance, resistance to temperature changes and impact, permitted deflections) shall be verified. Only when the requirements for shower trays are met by the manufacturers themselves and the manufacturers' assembly and instructions for use are being followed by the installer or end user, a higher fitness for purpose of the products is ensured. The standards have been prepared by CEN/TC 163/WG 4 "Badewannen (auch Whirlwannen), Duschwannen (Leistungsanforderungen)" ("Baths (W/Pools) - Shower trays (Performance testing)") (secretariat: BSI, Great Britain) with the significant support of Committee NA 119-05-18-10 UA "Bade- und Duscheinrichtungen" ("Bath and shower installations") at NAW.