Flame spread across a surface - not through it - decides how fast a room becomes untenable. Three test scales address it. BS 476 Part 7 exposes a vertical specimen to a radiant panel with pilot flames and classifies spread at set times. ISO 5658-2 uses a radiant panel on a vertical specimen for the IMO and railway worlds. And ISO 9705 takes the question to full scale: a complete room with the product on its walls and ceiling, a burner in the corner, and heat release measured from the exhaust - the reference test behind several classification routes.
How the Flame Spread & Room Corner Test Apparatus works
In the panel methods, the specimen faces a gas-fired radiant panel; pilot flames ignite the surface and the flame front's travel is recorded against time and distance marks. In the room/corner test, the lined room's doorway exhaust is collected in a hood and duct where oxygen consumption gives heat release rate for the room fire, with flashover behaviour as the central observation.
Key specifications
| Standards | BS 476 Part 7 (surface spread of flame), ISO 5658-2 (spread of flame), ISO 9705 (room/corner test); PPS/RPFS/SFT/RTA configurations are registered for this range |
|---|---|
| Scales | Bench radiant panel (Part 7 / ISO 5658-2) through to full-scale room (ISO 9705) |
| Measurement | Flame front progression on panels; oxygen-consumption heat release for the room test |
What the test reports
- Surface spread of flame class (BS 476-7)
- Flame spread results under ISO 5658-2
- Room heat release rate and time to flashover indicators (ISO 9705)
Applications
Wall and ceiling lining manufacturers, marine outfitters (IMO spread of flame), and laboratories supporting classification work use these instruments. The room/corner test is an installation project similar in scale to the SBI.
Frequently asked questions
Which standard should I order against?
Order against the standard your reports must cite. The instrument platform is shared across the listed standards, but fixtures, software templates and calibration routines differ, so name the standard (and its year) in your inquiry and the configuration will be matched to it.
Can the instrument be installed in an existing laboratory?
Yes, in most cases. Tell us the available floor space, ceiling height, exhaust capacity and gas supplies in your inquiry; large systems such as the SBI and tunnel furnaces need a dedicated exhaust arrangement, which is confirmed in the layout proposal before ordering.
Panel test or room test - which do I actually need?
Most classification routes are served by the panel methods named in your product standard. The room/corner test is a reference and research tool. If your standard names ISO 9705 results specifically, plan it as an installation; otherwise the panel apparatus is the working instrument.
Configuration, installation and support
Every Flame Spread & Room Corner Test Apparatus is supplied as a configured system, not a bare instrument: the test chamber or frame, the burner or heater assemblies named in the method, the measurement chain and the control software with the report templates for BS 476-7, ISO 5658-2, ISO 9705. Before quotation we confirm the installation conditions with you - floor loading and ceiling height for large rigs, exhaust and extraction routes, gas and fuel services, and power supply - because a fire test instrument only produces defensible data when the room around it is right. Commissioning covers assembly, calibration of the measurement chain against the method's own checks, and training of your operators on running the test and maintaining the apparatus. Spare ignition parts, thermocouples and other consumables for the first period of operation can be included in the supply, and the instrument is supported with calibration and maintenance services after installation.
What to include in your inquiry
To quote the Flame Spread & Room Corner Test Apparatus correctly the first time, send: the standard and edition you will test to (BS 476-7, ISO 5658-2, ISO 9705); the materials or products you will test and their sizes; the configuration options you already know you need; and the destination laboratory's location and available services. If you are building a new fire laboratory rather than adding one instrument, say so - this apparatus is often planned together with the other instruments in its category, and a combined layout and exhaust plan is cheaper than three separate ones.