Museum Display Case Standards: A Guide to PAS 198 & CLASS A
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How to choose museum display cases that meet international standards
When visiting a museum, you're there to see the artifacts and learn their stories. You might not think about what keeps these objects safe. Museum display cases are key. They're carefully made to protect our shared history.
For curators, designers, and collectors, picking the right showcase is very important. It's about how things look, but it's also about keeping items safe. That's where international standards come in handy. They show you what's good and reliable. Let's discuss two important standards: CLASS A and BSI PAS 198.
Understanding these standards helps you pick a good showcase. You'll see the big difference between a normal cabinet and a real museum-quality one.
Why Museum Showcase Standards Are Important
Before looking at specific standards, let's talk about why they matter. Museum showcase main job is to keep things safe from damage. This means keeping the humidity, temperature, light, and pollution steady.
Think of a good showcase as more than just a box. It's a system that keeps things safe. Normal showcase might look nice, but they can be made with bad materials. These materials can release chemicals that damage what's inside. Museum showcases, on the other hand, use safe materials that don't release harmful chemicals.
That's why it's best to find a showcase supplier that follows international standards. This makes sure you're buying something that will really protect your items.
BSI PAS 198: Keeping Things Safe in the UK
BSI PAS 198 is a well-respected standard in the museum world. It was created by the British Standards Institution (BSI). It tells you how to manage the environment for cultural items. It doesn't check the showcase itself, but it sets rules for what the showcase should do. It covers four main things:
- Temperature: Keeping it from getting too hot or cold, which can hurt materials.
- Relative Humidity (RH): Controlling moisture. Too much can cause mold and rust, while too little can make things like wood and paper break.
- Light: Too much light can fade and harm sensitive objects. PAS 198 tells you how much light is okay for different materials.
- Pollution: Including dust and fumes from outside, as well as chemicals from the showcase materials.
Showcase made to meet PAS 198 helps control these four things. It's made well and uses certain materials. For example, to meet PAS 198's rules for keeping the environment steady, showcase must have very little air exchange. This means it needs to be sealed very well.
The materials and construction are very important here. Good showcases use silicone seals to keep air from getting in or out. Also, the materials inside the showcase must be safe. This means they don't release chemicals that could harm the items. Safe materials include:
- Powder-coated steel or aluminum
- Laminated, low-iron glass
- Acid-free papers and boards
- Stable plastics like acrylics and polycarbonates
By using these ideas, a PAS 198-compliant showcase keeps things safe. It slows down damage and keeps artifacts safe for the future.
CLASS A: The Best Quality Museum Showcase
While BSI PAS 198 gives a framework for managing the environment, CLASS A is a term used to describe the best museum showcases. It's not a formal standard like PAS 198, but it means the showcase is excellent in many ways.
CLASS A showcase usually means it's very good at:
- Airtightness: It has very little air exchange, often less than 0.1 air changes per day. This is important for keeping the inside environment steady and blocking pollution.
- Climate Control: These showcases can easily work with systems that control the climate. This might include things like silica gel to control humidity or connections for better climate control systems.
- Security: This is very important. CLASS A showcases often have strong, multi-layer glass that resists breaking and blocks UV light. They also have strong locks that are hidden in the design.
- Safe Materials: Like with PAS 198, CLASS A showcases must use materials that don't release harmful chemicals.
- Good Glass: The glass is usually low-iron and anti-reflective. Low-iron glass is very clear, while anti-reflective coatings reduce glare.
Choosing CLASS A showcase means you're buying the best materials and technology to keep artifacts safe. It shows you care about quality and conservation.
Putting It All Together: Standards and Construction
BSI PAS 198 and CLASS A aren't competing standards. They work together to keep artifacts safe. PAS 198 sets the goals for the environment, while CLASS A showcase helps you reach those goals.
When you pick a showcase from a supplier that knows and follows these standards, you're getting the benefit of their knowledge. They know a lot about conservation and engineering. This is what makes a professional museum showcase supplier different from a regular furniture maker.
At Boxin, we know these standards well. Our showcases are designed to keep things safe. We use good materials and construction methods to make sure our showcases provide a stable and secure environment for your collection.
Checklist for Choosing a Museum Showcase
When choosing a showcase, it helps to have a checklist. Here are some things to ask potential suppliers, based on BSI PAS 198 and CLASS A:
- What is the showcase air exchange rate? (Look for a low number, below 0.5 air changes per day, if you need high conservation).
- What materials are used? (Ask for a list to make sure they're safe).
- What kind of glass is used? (Ask about laminated, low-iron, and anti-reflective options).
- What security features are included? (Ask about the locks and the strength of the glass).
- Can the showcase work with climate control systems? (Check for space for silica gel or options for active control).
- Can the showcase be made to fit my collection's needs? (A good supplier will help you create a custom solution).
By asking these questions, you can talk to your supplier in a better way. You'll make sure you're picking a showcase that really meets your collection's needs.
Investing in the Future
Museum showcases are more complex than they seem. International standards like BSI PAS 198 and the CLASS A standard are important. They help make sure our history is kept safe for the future.
When you pick showcase that meets these standards, you're not just buying case. You're buying peace of mind. You're creating a safe place for your items, so their stories can be told for years to come.
We invite you to explore our museum showcases. See how our commitment to international standards can help your collection. Our team can answer your questions and help you find the right solution.
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