Steel Framing Industry Association (SFIA) member Forex Metals Trading, manufacturer of metal framing products, received its SFIA and Intertek certification for the production of non-structural metal studs and track. The certification, which is part of the SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program for Cold-Formed Steel Stud and Track, assures specifiers and users that Forex steel framing products meet code requirements by complying with International Building Code and other industry standards.
Forex’s Commitment to Quality
Located in Medley, Florida, Forex Metals Trading is a direct importer and distributor of galvanized steel and a manufacturer of metal framing products.
“We are thrilled to announce that Forex Metals Trading LLC received SFIA and Intertek certification for production of non-structural metal studs and track,” says a company post on LinkedIn. “The certification confirms our commitment to service, compliance, quality and traceability. We would like to thank BuildSteel [SFIA] and Intertek for their continuous support.”
The SFIA certification program requires the manufacturer to have a documented quality assurance, or QA, program that defines the controls and procedures used during the manufacturing to ensure the correct steel is ordered. Checks during the manufacturing process allow production crews to monitor tolerances and stud shapes as the framing material comes off the line.
Both structural and nonstructural stud and track products are tested for their mechanical properties, coatings, dimensions and labels. Panels are also labeled under the SFIA program. Record-keeping requirements provide a variety of benefits, including the ability to confirm the processes resulting in the production of high-quality products.
Certification Provides Quality Assurance
To ensure the integrity of the steel framing industry’s quality assurance product certification, the SFIA Code Compliance Certification Program for Cold-Formed Steel Stud and Track is administered by Intertek Group, PLC, a recognized independent third-party verifier that periodically performs unannounced visits to the member plants and audits individual products.
The SFIA program is unlike other certification programs because it has oversight from a group of industry peers composed of manufacturers, contractors, suppliers/distributors and others. The high standard of quality assurance provided by the program makes it the only steel framing code compliance certification program endorsed by the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry.
Contractors Benefit from Certification
Before QA became an important consideration, contractors had a difficult job selecting cold-formed steel (CFS) products, Walls & Ceilings says. Literature comparisons, statements of code compliance, data about physical properties, limiting heights tables vary substantially from one manufacturer to the other.
This lack of uniformity has been a cause for unease among contractors facing scrutiny from building inspectors and an environment where product liability lawsuits have significantly increased over the last decade, but not with contractors choosing SFIA-certified steel framing products.
The SFIA program is unlike other certification programs because it has oversight from a group of industry peers composed of manufacturers, contractors, suppliers/distributors and others.
“For the contractor trying to select a product, a QA certification ensures that correct processes are in place, providing a high level of certainty that the products are being produced consistently and with the same characteristics, as the sample tested under QC,” says Larry Williams, SFIA executive director.
A complete list of companies and manufacturing facilities that produce SFIA-certified CFS stud and track is found on the Intertek web site.
Additional Resources
- SFIA Provides Solutions as IBC-Referenced Standards Evolve
- SFIA Certification Program for Professional Contractors
- SFIA Certification Program for Truss Fabricators