IFTS - International Fire Testing + Services is a subsidiary of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain International AG and is located on the premises of Saint-Gobain Germany's research and development centre in Herzogenrath (near Aachen).
IFTS is a test laboratory certified to ISO/IEC 17025 and accredited by the German national accreditation authority of the Federal Republic of DAkkS. It carries out around 200 fire resistance tests per year in accordance with the requirements of the relevant EN, ISO, BS, UL, ASTM, NFPA and IMO standards. IFTS also works with recognised, independent testing and certification bodies (Notified Testing Bodies, NTB), which assess tests, validate the results and issue certificates.
See also: Contraflam fire protection glass for the Humboldt Forum Berlin
Oven now tests glass up to 4 by 4 metres in size
The laboratory has two test furnaces: the medium-sized (1.5 by 2.5 metres) ‘workhorse’ for efficient validation of new design ideas and the new 4 by 4 metre test furnace for full-size systems and applications. For example, tests on fire door applications including side panels and fanlights or entire partition walls can now be tested in the large oven.
Thanks to the modern oven, customers can accelerate the market launch of new solutions with the support of Vetrotech Saint-Gobain's team of experts.
High-tech monitoring for safer tests
The new furnace is video-monitored inside - two cameras allow a view of the exposed surface of the test element during the test without customers having to climb onto a platform behind the furnace and look through the eyepiece. Anyone attending the test live on site will find a well-equipped, comfortable, safe and confidential environment.
A lounge area and a separate meeting room enable personal dialogue with partners, experts and test personnel directly on site. Customers can also follow the tests live via a secure video link at their company location without having to be on site in Herzogenrath.
Depending on the area of application of the component and the requirements of the construction guidelines, a test takes between 30 and 120 minutes, during which the temperatures in the test furnace rise to over 1,000° C. Fire protection frame systems made of steel, aluminium and wood, among others, are tested for all common classifications.
Also interesting: World’s first low-carbon fire-resistant glass
Only if the fire-resistant glass in combination with the frame passes the fire test does it fulfil the highest quality requirements and can the tested building element be used in practice.
