BSEN 60331-1-2 is part of the European Standard (EN) which specifies procedures and requirements regarding the testing of cables for flame retardancy. Specifically, the BSEN 60331-1-2 standard covers the testing of cables for vertical combustion under fire conditions, often referred to as the vertical combustion test.

The test method requires that a cable sample of approximately 600 mm be placed vertically between two clamps. The cable is then ignited using a burner flame for the duration specified in Table 1 below. After the specified time, the flame is removed and the cable shall extinguish itself. In order to pass this cable fire resistance test, the cable should not burn more than 50 mm from either fixture.

This test is conducted on completed cables or insulated single conductors, exposing all cable layers to the burner flame.

CSA FT1 is a standard developed by the Canadian Standards Association to evaluate the performance of cables under vertical burning conditions.

The UL VW-1 Vertical Flame Test is a flame test typically used to evaluate the burning performance of wire and cable in the vertical condition. The test was developed by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an insurance industry standardisation organisation in the U.S. The UL VW-1 test is designed to determine whether cable materials are sufficiently flame retardant to meet fire safety standards, particularly for cable applications in building and industrial environments.

In UL VW-1 testing, cable samples are suspended in a vertical position and then a well-defined flame source is directed at the cable under specific laboratory conditions. The burning properties of the cable are observed during the test, including flame propagation speed, burning time, and the amount of smoke produced. The measurement of these parameters helps to assess the flame retardancy of the cable material.Our UL VW-1 compliant cable range.

For more information on our cable fire performance testing capabilities, please contact our technical team who can advise on the most appropriate cable testing for your application.