Mirror Inspection and Quality Control Standards

Human civilization started manufacturing mirrors 8,000 years ago in Anatolia (modern-day Turkey). Today, mirrors are used for personal grooming, and decorative and architecture purposes. Mirrors are also integrated into countless modern day items such as cameras, telescopes, lasers, and automobiles.

To meet the need for high quality mirrors, large organizations around the world have formulated standards that aim to protect consumers, as well as assist manufacturers in producing high quality mirrors.

Here are a few key mirror inspection and quality control standards that are used in the creation of a good testing and inspection program:

ASTM C1503 – 08 Standard for Silvered Flat Glass Mirror

The ASTM C1503 – 08 is the most referred to mirror inspection standard in North America including Canada, which has withdrawn their own outdated standard for mirrors. ASTM C1503 – 08 covers silvered flat glass mirrors for indoor use. The properties specified in this standard include grades, cut size, thickness, and color. Silver coating appearance, blemish, squareness, and reflectance are just some of the characteristics measured by the tests provided in this ASTM standard.

ISO 25537:2008 Standard for Commercial Silvered Flat Glass Mirror

The International Standard Organization standard sets the requirements for mirrors to be used inside commercial buildings. The thickness of mirrors included in this standard is from 2 mm to 6 mm.

JSA JIS R 3220:1999 Standard for Glass Mirrors Unworked

The Japanese JSA JIS R 3220:1999 Standard is used for mirrors manufactured and distributed in Asia.

DIN EN 1036 (2008-03) Commercial Mirrors From Silver Coated Float Glass

This two-part German standard was created to set requirements, identify test methods, and to evaluate mirrors for commercial indoor use.