In the field of “reaction to fire,” the flame test is one of the easiest experiments available to assess the flammability of insulated wires or cables. The equipment and the method are completely described in the IEC/EN 60332-1 Parts 1 and 2 Standards. However, a round-robin study involving seven labs has highlighted a wide dispersion of the results. This may lead to a possible false performance conclusion on the product tested. To avoid this stumbling block, this article points out the necessity to know the test reliability in the product development frame, the quality survey, or homologation.
EN 60332-1-1:2005. Test on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions. Part 1-1: test for vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable—apparatus.
2.
EN 60332-1-2:2005. Test on electric and optical fibre cables under fire conditions. Part 1-2: test for vertical flame propagation for a single insulated wire or cable—procedure for 1 KW pre-mixed flame.
3.
ISO/IEC Guide 98–3:1995. Uncertainty of measurement—part 3: guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement.
4.
ISO 5725–1:1994. Application of statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 1: general principles and definitions.
5.
ISO 5725–2:1994. Application of statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 2: basic method for the determination of repeatability and reproducibility of a standard measurement method.
6.
ISO 5725–3:1994. Application of statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 3: intermediate measures of the precision of a standard measurement method.
7.
ISO 5725–4:1994. Application of statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 4: basic methods for the determination of the trueness of a standard measurement method.
8.
ISO 5725–5:1998. Application statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 5: alternative methods for the determination of the precision of a standard measurement methods.
9.
ISO 5725–6:1994. Application of statistics. Accuracy (trueness and precision) of measurement methods and results—part 6: use in practice of accuracy values.
10.
IEC/TS 60695-9-2:2005. Fire hazard testing—part 9-2: surface spread of flame—summary and relevance of test methods.
NFPA 262: NFPA 262: Standard Method of Test for Flame Travel and Smoke of Wires and Cables for Use in Air-Handling Spaces, 2011.
13.
EN 50399:2011. Common test methods for cables under fire conditions—heat release and smoke production measurement on cables during flame spread test—test apparatus, procedures, results.
