PRAGATI PROCESS CONTROLS

Glow wire test apparatus is the commonly used equipment for testing solid insulating material for fire hazard testing. This test apparatus is covered in IEC 60695-2-10:2021 and commonly referred for various devices in many standards such as IEC 60335, IEC 60695-2-11, IEC 60695-2-12, IEC 60598-1, IEC 60947, IEC 60898, IEC 61008-1, IEC 60669-1, IEC 60884-1, IEC 60950-1 / IS 13252, IEC 60238, IEC 60745-1, IEC 60400, IEC 60730-1, IEC 61050, IEC 60320-1, IEC 61058-1, ASTM D 6194-03 and UL 60745-1.

As per IEC 60695 - 2 - 10 : 2021 (Glowing/hot-wire based test methods – Glow-wire apparatus and common test procedure), parts of solid insulating materials are ignited by glowing wires. A nickel/chromium wire is heated to 960°C and the insulating material is pushed against it with a force of 1 Newton. It is checked that the insulating material does not attain a certain temperature or catches fire so as to prevent fire hazard in their vicinity. For complete description, please refer IEC 60695 - 2 - 10 : 2021, even if you have product specific standards such as IEC 60898 for Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB), IEC 60335 for Safety of Electrical Appliances or IEC 60947 for Switchgears and so on. If your product is to be tested for conformity assessment, please also refer ASTM D 6194 – 3 (Standard Test Method for Glow-wire ignition of materials).

Glow Wire Test Manufacturers in India:
A glow wire test is suitable for fire hazard tests of electrical and electronic products, household appliances and their internal combustible materials. 

The test is conducted to determine the ignition hazard of electrical and electronic equipment, and the flammability, glow-wire ignition temperature (GWIT), and glow-wire flammability index (GWFI) of solid insulating materials and other solid combustible materials by heating the heater wire of specified material and shape to the test temperature with high current for a specified period of time, then scalding the test specimen vertically with specified pressure for a certain period of time, and observing whether the specimen and the bedding object ignites or the burning time.

If a product uses unqualified combustible materials in the production process, there would be a high fire risk of these materials due to various reasons when the device is running. Therefore, the glow-wire test of materials is necessary for quality control. The following conditions may cause combustible materials to catch fire:
1. When the device is powered on and the live connection parts are in poor contact, the combustible materials may catch fire.

2. When the device is powered on and the temperature of internal components rises too high, the combustible materials supporting it may catch fire.

Test standard: IEC 60695-2-10, IEC 60695-2-13, GB/ T 5169.10, GB/T 5169.13 are commonly used.

Test conditions:
The glow-wire test is divided into steps such as pre treatment, documentation of the test process and determination of the results, as  below:
1. Specimen pre treatment and experimental environment:
Condition the pine board and wrapping tissue for 24h at 15–35 and at a relative humidity between 45% and 75%.
Condition a specimen with a length ≥ 60mm, a width ≥ 60mm, and a preferred thickness of (0.75±0.1)mm, (1.5±0.1)mm, (3.05±0.2)mm for 48h at 23±2 and at a relative humidity between 45% and 75%.
The test shall be completed within 30 min after the pre treatment under the standard testing environment.

2. Test process recording:
a) Mount or clamp the specimen with the flat test surface vertical and the tip of the glow-wire centered on the specimen surface.
b) Place the gift wrapping tissue/wooden board at a distance of 200mm±5mm below the place where the glow-wire applied to the specimen.
c) Heat the glow-wire to the specified temperature. Ensure that this temperature is constantly within 5K for a period of at least 60s, the glow-wire is at least 5.0mm away from the specimen, and no further adjustment to the heating current or voltage is to be made until the test is completed.
d)The tip of the glow-wire is brought slowly into contact with the specimen for 30s±1s. An approximate rate of approach and withdrawal would be 10mm/s to 25mm/s. However, the rate of approach shall be reduced to zero upon contact to avoid forces of impact exceeding 1.0N ± 0.2N. and the contact time of 30s ± 1s. Then the head shall leave at the same rate. If an ignition occurs, the time TE from the start of the flame to its extinction shall be recorded. The penetration of the tip of the glow-wire into and through the specimen shall be limited to 7 mm ± 0.5 mm.

3. Test criteria:
a) There is no ignition, or
b) the flames or glowing of the specimen extinguish within 30s after removal of the glow-wire and there is no ignition of the wrapping tissue.

Test equipment:
Pragati is equipped with glow-wire tester, which can be used for the combustible materials on devices, single boards, complete machines and other products. 

Glow Wire Test Apparatus:
A glow wire test is suitable for fire hazard tests of electrical and electronic products, household appliances and their internal combustible materials. 

The test is conducted to determine the ignition hazard of electrical and electronic equipment, and the flammability, glow-wire ignition temperature (GWIT), and glow-wire flammability index (GWFI) of solid insulating materials and other solid combustible materials by heating the heater wire of specified material and shape to the test temperature with high current for a specified period of time, then scalding the test specimen vertically with specified pressure for a certain period of time, and observing whether the specimen and the bedding object ignites or the burning time.

If a product uses unqualified combustible materials in the production process, there would be a high fire risk of these materials due to various reasons when the device is running. Therefore, the glow-wire test of materials is necessary for quality control. The following conditions may cause combustible materials to catch fire:
1. When the device is powered on and the live connection parts are in poor contact, the combustible materials may catch fire.

2. When the device is powered on and the temperature of internal components rises too high, the combustible materials supporting it may catch fire.

Test standard: IEC 60695-2-10, IEC 60695-2-13, GB/ T 5169.10, GB/T 5169.13 are commonly used.

Test conditions:
The glow-wire test is divided into steps such as pre treatment, documentation of the test process and determination of the results, as  below:
1. Specimen pre treatment and experimental environment:
Condition the pine board and wrapping tissue for 24h at 15–35 and at a relative humidity between 45% and 75%.
Condition a specimen with a length ≥ 60mm, a width ≥ 60mm, and a preferred thickness of (0.75±0.1)mm, (1.5±0.1)mm, (3.05±0.2)mm for 48h at 23±2 and at a relative humidity between 45% and 75%.
The test shall be completed within 30 min after the pre treatment under the standard testing environment.

2. Test process recording:
a) Mount or clamp the specimen with the flat test surface vertical and the tip of the glow-wire centered on the specimen surface.
b) Place the gift wrapping tissue/wooden board at a distance of 200mm±5mm below the place where the glow-wire applied to the specimen.
c) Heat the glow-wire to the specified temperature. Ensure that this temperature is constantly within 5K for a period of at least 60s, the glow-wire is at least 5.0mm away from the specimen, and no further adjustment to the heating current or voltage is to be made until the test is completed.
d)The tip of the glow-wire is brought slowly into contact with the specimen for 30s±1s. An approximate rate of approach and withdrawal would be 10mm/s to 25mm/s. However, the rate of approach shall be reduced to zero upon contact to avoid forces of impact exceeding 1.0N ± 0.2N. and the contact time of 30s ± 1s. Then the head shall leave at the same rate. If an ignition occurs, the time TE from the start of the flame to its extinction shall be recorded. The penetration of the tip of the glow-wire into and through the specimen shall be limited to 7 mm ± 0.5 mm.

3. Test criteria:
a) There is no ignition, or
b) the flames or glowing of the specimen extinguish within 30s after removal of the glow-wire and there is no ignition of the wrapping tissue.

Test equipment:
Pragati is equipped with glow-wire tester, which can be used for the combustible materials on devices, single boards, complete machines and other products. 

Pragati Process Controls is a leading Glow Wire Test Equipment manufacturer in India, specializing in precision-engineered solutions for IEC 60695 standard compliance.
We manufacture Flammability Test Apparatus designed to evaluate the flammability characteristics of materials according to the UL94 standard. This apparatus is essential to ensure products meet the stringent safety requirements for flammability as set by Underwriters Laboratories (UL).

The UL94 standard is a widely recognized test method used to determine the flammability of plastic materials used in electrical devices and components. It assesses how materials behave when subjected to a flame and categorizes them based on their burning characteristics. The results from UL94 tests help ensure compliance with safety regulations and enhance product safety.

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