There are increasing demands on fire resistance of materials. It is therefore important to be able to demonstrate how fire-proof the material you are working with is. In this article, we would like to explain the different fire certifications you will come across in our industry.
Almost all fabrics sold by TTS are officially tested for fire resistance. This can be recognised by the letters FR, which means Flame Retardant. You can find it in the product properties. The tests are usually carried out according to the Euroclass system (EN = Euro-Norm). The Euroclass system is the leading standard in Europe for the classification of materials when it comes to fire safety. You will also come across other tests, such as the German DIN 4102-1 (indicated by the letter B) and French (M) tests.
The diagram below shows how the most common tests compare. The diagram compares the Euroclass system (EN 13501-1) with the German DIN 4102-1, the French NFP 92507 and the English BS 476/6 and BS 476/7.
EN 13501-1 is the European test standard for the behaviour of materials in the case of fire. This classification uses more classes than DIN 4102-1. It also considers smoke development (s) and dripping of burning particles (b), with a lower number after the letter indicating better fire safety. Classes A, B and C include non- and flame-retardant materials, while classes D, E and F represent normally flammable and combustible materials. EN certifications are valid indefinitely, as long as there are no modifications to the product or standardisation.
The German DIN (Deutsches Institut für Norming) has established the DIN 4102-1 classification for fire safety requirements of materials available within Europe. During a fire test, the flammability of different materials is determined and classified into different classes A1 (non-flammable) to B3 (highly flammable). A certificate obtained is valid for 5 years.
France uses its own certification, the NFP 92-507. These tests, like DIN tests, are valid for 5 years.
Many of our fabrics are fire-resistant. If this is the case, they are labelled FR (Flame Retardant), while Non-FR stands for not fire-resistant. You can ask our customer service which certificate your product has.