Manufacturers must subject their products to various sorts of testing to abide by the government regulations and industry standards that dictate safety and quality guidelines. Important among these safety and quality concerns is the product’s flammability; established standards determine the appropriate flammability resistance for products’ various constituent materials. These characteristics are observed, measured, and deemed appropriate for use by conducting a flammability test.
These examinations are performed by third-party testing facilities, like Applied Technical Services, Inc. We are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (A2LA) Accredited to perform many types of flammability testing.
What is a Flammability Test and What Is Its Purpose?
Different materials require different flammability tests. Because a single product can be made of many distinct materials, the whole item is usually subjected to flammability testing only when conducting a failure analysis — determining why a product did not perform to expectations when exposed to fire.
If the flammability test is instead being performed to ensure materials conform to regulations and standards before production, an ATS technician will apply an appropriate flammability test considering which material she or he is examining and the application.
Most tests typically entail introducing the sample material to an open flame for a certain amount of time. This process will yield burn characteristics, including:
- Whether the sample material burned
- How much of it burned
- How long it burned after the flame was removed
- How long the material glowed from heat after the flame was removed
- Whether the sample dripped any burning material
- Whether the material displayed any unusual phenomena (warping, melting, etc.)
ATS technicians will use this information to provide results to the clients. Depending on the relevant flammability test method or industry standard, the results may include giving the material a pass/fail status or assigning the material to a classification.
See below for a complete list of the types of flammability tests we perform, as well as the related standards they follow:
Consumer Products
| Type | Standard |
|---|---|
| Soft Toys | ASTM F963–A5 (A2LA Accredited) |
| Fabrics | ASTM F963–A6 |
| Clothing Textiles | CFR 1610 (A2LA Accredited) |
Plastics
| Type | Standard |
|---|---|
| Plastics | UL94 (A2LA Accredited) |
| ASTM D4804 [Non-rigid Plastics] | |
| ASTM D635 [Horizontal Burn] | |
| ASTM D3801 [Solid Plastics, Vertical Burn] |
Automotive
| Type | Standard |
|---|---|
| Interior Materials | FMVSS 302 (A2LA Accredited) |
| ASTM D5132 | |
| SAE J369 | |
| ISO 3795 | |
| DIN EN ISO 75200 (A2LA Accredited) | |
| 49 CFR 571.302 [US Standard] | |
| GB8410 [Chinese Standard] | |
| TL1010 [Volkswagen Standard] | |
| DBL 5307 [Mercedes Standard] | |
| GS 97038 [BMW Standard] | |
| HES D6003 [Honda Standard] | |
| GMW 3232 [General Motors Standard] |
ATS and Flammability Testing
The variety of the materials of construction and their areas of application have necessitated development of several different testing standards. ATS is one of the few testing laboratories in the country that can fulfill all the testing needs of a client in-house. For over 50 years, we have provided world-class engineering consulting, inspection, and testing services to clients from a variety of different industries.
Our flammability testing lab is thoroughly qualified to handle your product testing needs, as we are ISO/IEC 17025:2017 (A2LA) Accredited to perform many types of flammability test methods.
ATS doesn’t just produce test results — we supply an accuracy and timeliness that our clients have come to depend on.
