In our last blog, we discussed how National Firesleeve fiberglass fire sleeves meet a wide range of industry specific, national and international standards for fire safety and fire resistance. But how exactly do we measure compliance with those standards, and how is the quality of National Firesleeve products monitored, both internally and externally?
Let’s take a closer look at the standards and testing that are used to ensure your fiberglass fire sleeves both meet and exceed your requirements for performance and safety.
In house standards
National Firesleeve fiberglass fire sleeves are manufactured in the United Kingdom to the highest British Standards, which are recognized and respected around the world. The production plant, based in Preston in Lancashire in the North West of England, carries ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification and uses an ISO certified supply chain. This ensures that all materials and manufacturing conform to a set formulation that can be quantified and quality controlled at all times.
The product itself is constantly monitored, with the internal diameter and wall thickness of every batch carefully checked, to ensure that it has been manufactured to the correct tolerances for the end use application. What’s more we log the raw materials and machine details of every batch to allow for full traceability and provenance throughout the production process.
Independent testing
At National Firesleeve, we don’t test our products internally; we leave it to independent experts to impartially assess the quality of our fiberglass fire sleeves. Currently, this testing is undertaken by the Interscience labs at Gosport, in Hampshire in the south of England. Whenever we update or upgrade any part of our specification or the materials used, these changes are resubmitted for approval before any changes are made or any new materials are released for production.
Interscience has built a worldwide reputation for excellence in fire testing, with 30 years experience in the field. Their team works in BS, ISO, IEC, ASTM and CEN standards committees and are fully familiar with these standards, national and regional regulations and codes.
National Firesleeve works in partnership with Interscience to not only provide the testing itself, but also offer testing advice and product stewardship. This expert input helps us to constantly advance and improve the design and specification of our fiberglass fire sleeves.
In the United States, our fiberglass fire sleeves are independently tested by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). This agency develops and enforces safety and health rules for all U.S. mines, and provides technical, educational and other types of assistance to mine operators and their suppliers.
Meeting and exceeding standards
As we discussed in our previous article, the fiberglass fire sleeves produced for National Firesleeve not only meet the high standards of national and international tests, they exceed them, achieving the very highest rating possible.
For example, in the UL94 tests, many companies are satisfied with a V-1 rating. This is the best they can hope for, due to the lower grade of silicone used in their manufacturing processes. Here at National Firesleeve, we insist on the highest grade of silicone for our manufacturing. This means that our fiberglass fire sleeves are graded at the very top level of UL94 – V-0.
Unbeatable quality you can count on
When you choose National Firesleeve, you are choosing quality without compromise, from the way we source our raw materials, to the stringent testing of our finished products. When it comes to the safety of your people and your plant, there is simply no place for anything less.
To find out more about industry leading fiberglass fire sleeves from National Firesleeve, get in touch today.
