A full fire resistance test on a full-size element is expensive, and most of them that fail teach a lesson that a smaller test would have taught earlier. The indicative fire resistance furnace exists for that lesson: it uses a small-scale furnace to evaluate fire resistance performance under the specific heating conditions of ISO 834-1 and EN 1363-1, saving substantial testing cost during development, while being explicit that its results are indicative, not classification results.
How the Indicative Fire Resistance Test Furnace works
A reduced specimen is mounted on the furnace and exposed to the standard heating curve. Temperature development on the unexposed face and integrity behaviour are observed over the exposure, letting engineers compare constructions, thicknesses and protection systems under identical heating before committing full-size elements to a formal test.
Key specifications
| Standards basis | Heating conditions of ISO 834-1 and EN 1363-1 |
|---|---|
| Furnace sizes | Small-scale furnaces in the 1.0 to 1.5 m class, as documented for this model |
| Purpose | Development screening and comparison - results are indicative and do not replace a full-scale classification test |
What the test reports
- Comparative integrity and insulation behaviour under the standard curve
- Unexposed-face temperature development
- Time at which failure indications appear, for design comparison
Applications
Manufacturers developing fire doors, boards, coatings and protected constructions use the indicative furnace in-house to iterate quickly, then send the best construction for formal testing. It is one of the highest-return instruments in a development laboratory.
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 I quote indicative results to customers?
You can describe them honestly as indicative development results. They carry no classification status; a rating can only come from a full-scale test on the complete element in an accredited furnace.
What specimen size should I plan for?
The documented furnace class is 1.0 to 1.5 m. The right size depends on whether your construction's behaviour - joints, fixings, edges - is represented at that scale; describe your product in the inquiry.
Configuration, installation and support
Every Indicative Fire Resistance Test Furnace 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 ISO 834-1, EN 1363-1. 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 Indicative Fire Resistance Test Furnace correctly the first time, send: the standard and edition you will test to (ISO 834-1, EN 1363-1); 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.