MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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DRAFT TANZANIA STANDARD  
 
 
 
Steel filing  cabinets for general office purposes  — Specification   
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
              TANZANIA BUREAU OF STANDARDS  
 
 
© TBS 2 021                                                                                                    First  Edition 20 21 
  MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 This Tanzania Standard was published under the authority of the Executive Council of Tanzania 
Bureau of Standards on 2021-XX-YY.  
 
Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) is the statutory national standards body for Tanzania 
established under Standards Act No. 3 of 1975 amended by Act No. 1 of 1977.  
 
The Mechanical Engineering Divisional Standards Committee, under whose supervision this Tanzania 
Standard was prepared, consists of representatives from the following organizations;  
 
College of Engineering and Technology, University of Dar es salaam  
National Institute of Transport  
Mechanical Engineering Industries Development Agency  
Ministry of Infrastructure Development  
Weights and Measures Agency  
Tanzania Industries Research Development Organization  
ALAF  
Daima Associates Limited  
 
The followin g organizations were directly represented on the technical committee entrusted with the 
prepar ation of this Tanzania Standard;   
 
University of Dar es Salaam  
M M Integrated Steel Mills Co Limited  
College of Engineering and Technology  
National Development  Corporation  
Tanzania Automotive Technology Centre  
Metallurgical Engineering Works  
 
Tanzania Bureau of Standards  
P.O BOX 9524  
Dar es Salaam  
Tel +255 (22) 2450206/2450949/2450298  
Fax: +255 22 2450298  
E-mail: info@tbs.go.tz  
 
 
ISBN: 9976 64 890 1  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 Steel filing cabinets for general office purposes — Specification  
0 Foreword  
This draft Tanzania Standard has been prepared under Metals and Structures Technical Committee 
MEDC 02 , under supervision of Mechanical Engineering Standards Divisional Committee.  
During preparations of this draft standards assistance was derived from the following standard:  
IS 3313:1983  (Reaffirmed 2005)  Steel filing cabinets for general office purposes  — Specification  
 
1 Scope  
This standard lays down requirements for  materials, sizes, construction , finish and tests of steel fil ing 
cabinets for general office purposes . 
 
2 Normative references  
ISO 636, Welding consumables — Rods, wires and deposits for tungsten inert gas welding of non -
alloy and fine -grain steels — Classification  
ISO 2560,  Welding consumables — Cove red electrodes for manual metal arc welding of non -alloy 
and fine grain steels — Classification  
ISO 5184 , Straight resistance spot welding electrodes  
ISO 4960 , Steel strip, cold -reduced with a mass fraction of carbon over 0,25 % 
ISO 6932 , Cold-reduced carbon steel strip with a maximum carbon content of 0,25 %  
ISO 3574 , Cold-reduced carbon steel sheet of commercial and drawing qualities  
ISO 5954 , Cold-reduced carbon steel sheet according to hardne ss requirements  
ISO 1482 , Slotted countersunk (flat) head tapping screws  
ISO 2009 , Slotted countersunk flat head screws — Product grade A  
ISO 1518 -1, Paints and varnishes — Determination of scratch resistance — Part 1: Constant -loading 
method  
ISO 1518 -2, Paints and varnishes — Determination of scratch resistance — Part 2: Variable -loading 
method  
ISO 15184 , Paints and varnishes — Determination of film hardness by pencil test  
ISO 17132, Paints and varnishes — T-bend test  
ISO 9227, Corrosion tests in artificial atmospheres — Salt spray tests  
 
3 Terms and Definitions  
For the purpose of this standard the fo llowing definitions shall apply:  
 
   MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 3.1 Drawer  
A drawer is a part of filing cabinet piece of office furniture usually used to store paper documents in 
file folders , supplies, and accessories .  
3.2 Drawer Handle  
A drawer handle is the attached piece of hardware  to the filing  cabinet  that is used to open and close 
a cabinet door or drawer . 
3.3 Label Holder  
Label holder is the attached piece of hardware to the filing cabinet that is used to show the contents of 
your drawer  and file cabinet . 
 
4 Materials  
4.1 Electrodes  
Electrodes for gas, arc and spot welding shall conform  to ISO 636 , ISO 2560  and ISO 5184  
respectively.  
4.2 Mild Steel Sheets  
Mild steel sheets shall conform to  ISO 4960 , ISO 3574 , ISO 6932  or ISO 5954 . 
4.3 Screws  
Screws shall conform to  ISO 1482  or ISO 2009 . 
 
5 Types  
5.1 The filing cabinets shall be of mainly two categories:  
a) drawer  type filing cabinet, and  
b) door type filing cabinet  
5.2 The drawer type filing cabinets shall be of three  types, namely, two -drawer type, three -drawer 
type and four -drawer type.  
5.3 The door type filing cabinets shall be of three types, namely, one -door type, two -door type  and 
four-door type .   MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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Figure 01 : A Typical Four -Drawer Type Steel Filing Cabinet  
 
  MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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Figure 0 2: A Typical Two-Door Type Steel Filing Cabinet  
 
 
 
 
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 6 Dimensions and Tolerances  
6.1 Dimensions  drawer -type filing cabinets   
The overall dimensions , clearances  and t olerances  of the three types of drawer type lockable  filing 
cabinets shall be as agreed between supplier and purchaser . The recommended dimensions are 
specified  in Annex B . 
6.2 Dimensions d oor-type filing cabinets  
The overall dimensions , clearances  and t olerances  of the three types of d oor type filing cabinets shall 
be as agreed between supplier and purchaser. The recommended dimensions  and tolerances  are 
specified in Annex B.  
 
7 Fabrications  
7.1 Sides and Back  
The sides and back shall be made from steel  sheet not less than 0.8 mm thick and without any burrs 
or dents. The  width of the side sheets shall correspond to the depth of the cabinet. The  width of the 
back sheet shall correspond to the width of the cabinet. A top cover shall be provided and the sides 
and back shall extend from  the bottom edge of the top cover to the floor.  
7.2 Top and Bottom  
The top and bottom shall be of steel sheet not  less than 0.8 mm thick. The width of the top and 
bottom shall cover  the width of the  cabinet and the length shall cover the depth of the  cabinet . 
7.3 Filing Drawer  
The drawer shall be made from steel sheet not  less than 0.63 mm thick. The drawer front shall have a 
back cover  secured to it to make it box type. The drawer shall have an arra ngement  on the sides to 
seat it on the slides and an arrangement by a locking  mechanism to stop it when fully pushed in.  
7.4 Clutch Compressor Plate or Cradle Strips  
The clutch compressor  plate shall be made from steel sheet not less than 1.0 mm thick  and shall be 
suitably guided throughout the depth of the drawer. It  shall have an arrangement for clutching the 
drawer at any desired  position. If instead of clutch compressor plate cradle strips are provided,  they 
shall be fitted to each drawer in pairs exten ding over the depth of  the drawer. They shall be of 
aluminium, galvanized steel or mild steel.  In the case of mild steel cradle strips, they shall be either 
painted or  provided with a plastic or aluminium cladding, or cadmium plated.  
7.5 Checks  
Each drawer  of the cabi net shall be removable but shall be fitted with a positive stop to prevent 
inadvertent withdrawal. The  drawers may be fitted with an automatic check to prevent rebound, if  
required by the purchaser.  
7.6 Drawer Suspension  
The drawer suspension s hall be one of the  following types  to ensure withdrawal of the full depth of the 
drawer:  
a) Ball -bearing suspension,  
b) Solid -roller suspension, and  
c) Ball -bearing -roller suspension  
   MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 7.7 Handles  
7.7.1 Each drawer shall be provided either with a handle  made from corrosion -resistant material and 
fixed to the front of the  drawer or with a built -in pull.  
7.7.2  The drawer handle shall be strong enough to take a normal  minimum pull of 50 N. There shall 
be no sharp corners or edges to  avoid injury and damage t o clothing.  
7.8 Label Holders  
The label holders shall be made from corrosion resistant  metal sheet or mild steel sheet, not less than 
0.63 mm in thickness,  to hold card of size 100 x 50 mm and shall be fixed to the front of  the drawers. 
Mild steel label holders shall be properly finished as laid  down in 9. 
7.9 Locks  
Locks, if provided, shall be of the automatic unit type having not less than 6 levers or of the pin 
cylindrical type having not less than 4 pins , with duplicate keys of non -corrosive metal.  
7.10 Locking Mechanism  
7.10.1 The locking mechanism shall be made  from steel sheet not less than 1.6 mm thick: The 
arrangement shall be  such as to lock all the drawers simultaneously from the front of the  cabinets.  
7.10. 2 At the time of locking the whole cabinet if one of the drawers  has not been pushed in fully and 
thus remains partly open, that drawer  shall remain unlocked. As soon as that drawer is pushed in 
fully, it  shall get locked automatically without further opera tion by the user . 
 
8 Assembly  
The components shall be assembled by bolting, welding or riveting.  
 
9 Finish  
9.1 All dents, burrs and sharp edges shall be removed from the various  components. The 
components shall be individually pickled, scrubbed  and rinsed to remove grease, rust, scale or any 
other foreign element.  
9.2 All other components shall be finished as agreed to between the  purchaser and the manufacturer.  
 
10 Performance Requirements o f Finish  
10.1 Scratch and Hardness Test  
A sample of mild steel plate shall be  subjected to scratch hardness test in accordance with  ISO 1518 -
1 and ISO 1518 -2 and ISO 15184 . A scratch, showing the bare metal shall  not be produced on the 
test samp le. 
10.2 Flexibility and Adhesion Test  
A sample of mild steel plate shall be subjected to flexibility and adhesion test in accordance with ISO 
17132 . The paint film o n the test piece shall not show damage, detachment or cracking when 
examined under x 10 magnification.  
10.3 Corrosion Test 
A sample of mild steel plate shall be subjected to  Salt spray test  in accordance with ISO 9227 . The 
metal  surface shall show no signs of corrosion after the test.    MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 11 Tests  
11.1 Drawer Suspension  
11.1.1 The suspension slides shall not show any apparent distortion,  cracks or failure to operate in a 
normal, smooth manner after running  for 50,000 cycles at a rate of 1,000 cycles per hour with an 
evenly  distributed load of 30 kg ( excluding the weight of the drawer ) in any  of the drawer. One 
opening and one closing of the drawer shall consti tute one cycle. For guidance, the detail of the test 
apparatus and the procedure for the test is  given in Anne x A. 
11.1.2 When a drawer is loaded with a uniformly distributed load of  20 kg, the cradle strips shall not 
deflect by more than 3 mm in the  vertical direction. T he operative edges of the cradle strips shall be  
smooth and rounded in order to facilitate easy movement of files.  
11.2 Ease of Drawer Operation  
With an evenly distributed load of  30 kg ( excluding the weight of the drawer ) in any of the drawers, the  
force required to move the drawer from the position of rest shall not  exceed 50 N. 
 
12 Packing  
All component part of the cabine ts shah be packed in such a way that no damage is caused to them 
during transit.  
 
13. Information to Be Supplied by the Purchaser  
13.1 The purchaser shall supply the follow ing information to the supplier along with the order:  
a) Type required,  
b) Desired colour of finish,  
c) Whether the drawers to be provid ed with clutch compressor plate or cradle strips, and  
d) Whethe r corners to be rounded or not.  
13.2 Where alternative methods  of construction and finish are specified they shall be clearly stated in 
the order.  
 
14 Marking  
14.1 All steel filing cabinets shall  be marked with a suitable mark identifying the manufacturer.  
a) mark identifying the manufacturer,  
b) date of manufacture or batch number , and 
c) country of origin.  
14.2 The steel filing cabinets may also be marked with the  TBS Certification Mark.  
 
 
 
   MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 ANNEX A  
(Normative)  
PROCEDURE AND APPARATUS FOR  
DRAWER SUSPENSION  TEST  
A-1 APPARATUS  
A-1.1 The testing apparatus (see Fig. 1 ) shall be capable of reciprocating  drawer of a filing cabinet at 
a un iform speed so as to generate 1 000 reciprocating cycles per hour. Each cycle comprises the 
activity from  opening out to closing  in of filing cabinet drawer. Drawer may open  out to 90 percent of 
its total depth. Force applied per drawer reciprocation  should be parallel to the direction of drawer 
sliding.  
A-1.2 The essential parts of one testing apparatus which has been found  suitable are reciprocating 
rod actuated by pneumatic hydraulic cylinder  through mechanical linkages ( alternatively motorized 
crank mechanism  converting rotary motion int o reciprocating one can be used ). The  stroke of 
reciprocation can be adjusted with the intermediate links connecting  oscillating slotted arm and 
pneumatic/hydraulic cylinder to suit  different depths of drawers of filing cabinets.  
A-2 PROCEDURE  
A-2.1 Connect the free end of reciprocating arm of apparatus to centre  of front end of the drawer 
which is to be tested.  
A-2.2 Adjust speed of re ciprocation of drawer to give 1 000 cycles per  hour.  
A-2.3 Test the drawer for 50 000 cycles and check for any functional or  material failures during and at 
the end of the test.  
 
Figure  1: Apparatus f or Drawer Suspension Test  
 
  MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 ANNEX B  
(Informa tive) 
DIMENSIONS AND TOLERANCES  
B.1 Dimensions  drawer -type filing cabinets   
B.1.1 The overall dimensions of the three types of drawer type lockable  filing cabinets shall be as 
given in Table B.1. 
Table B.1: Overall Dimensions of  Drawer Type Steel Filing Cabinets  
S/No.  Dimensions, mm  Two-Drawer  
Type  Three -Drawer  
Type  Four-Drawer  
Type  
1 Overall height from  finished floor 
level to  top of the cabinet  
including pedestal  750 1080 1380  
2 Depth from face to  back  700 700 700  
3 Width  
 470 470 470  
NOTE:  
Other dimensions may be applied as agreed between supplier and purchaser.  
 
B.1.2 The minimum clearances required for the filing cabinets to be put into recesses or openings, 
where required, shall be as follows:  
a) For top of cabinet – 20 mm,  
b) For each side of cabinet – 10 mm, and  
c) For depth of cabinet – 5 mm.  
B.1.3 Drawer Dimensions  
The minimum clear internal dimensions of the drawers for all the three types shall be suitable for 
holding a standard suspension holder running o n cradle strips having centre to centre distance of 385 
mm, the height of the largest holder being 255 mm including 15 mm high tab. The depth of the 
drawers shall be not less than 600 mm. The bottom of the lowest drawer shall be minimum 75 mm 
above the flo or level.  
B.2 Dimensions d oor-type lockable filing cabinets  
B.2.1 The overall dimensions of the three types of d oor type lockable filing cabinets shall be as given 
in Table B.2. 
Table B.2: Overall Dimensions of  Door -Type L ockable  Steel Filing Cabinets  
S/No.  Dimensions, mm  One-Door 
Type  Two-Door 
Type  Four -Door  
Type  
1 Overall height from  finished floor 
level to  top of the cabinet  
including pedestal  1800 1850  1850  
2 Depth from face to  back  450 400  400 
3 Width  
 380 900  900 
NOTE: Other dimensions may be applied as agreed between supplier and purchaser.  
 
B.2.2 The minimum clearances required for the filing cabinets to be put into recesses or openings, 
where required, shall be as follows:    MEDC 02 (3 97) DTZS  
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 a) For top of cabinet – 20 mm,  
b) For each side of cabinet – 10 mm, and  
c) For depth of cabinet – 5 mm.  
B.3 Tolerances  
All dimensions specified in 6 .1 and 6.2  shall not vary by  more than ± 5 mm.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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