Kolchugino (Vladimir region)
The Kolchuginsky plant Elektrokabel (part of the Cable Alliance Holding, which united the cable assets of UMMC) launched a new test facility worth about 1.5 million rubles.
The new equipment will allow to investigate the materials from which cable products are made for fire safety. The oxygen index determined during the tests is a very important indicator of the material's ability not to spread combustion when a flame occurs.
The essence of the tests is quite simple - the material cut into plates is placed in a device in an atmosphere of nitrogen and oxygen. For 30 seconds, the material is exposed to the flame through the burner (three sets of 5 seconds). If the material has not ignited, then it can be used for the production of cables with increased fire safety.
“The air contains about 20.5% oxygen. If the material contains less oxygen than air, such material can easily catch fire if exposed to elevated temperatures. To eliminate this factor, we simulate an air environment in a test setup in which the oxygen content is even higher than in normal conditions - 32%. This is done so that the material has a margin of resistance to fire ", - said the head of the test center of JSC" EKZ "Natalia Tarakanova
Among the advantages of the new installation, the plant's specialists highlight the automation of the preparation and testing process. Previously, the operator had to manually determine the percentage of nitrogen and oxygen entering the test chamber. Accordingly, the accuracy of tests increases, the influence of the human factor on the results of the experiment decreases. In addition, the volume of testing materials for fire safety will increase.
“Fireproof cables are one of the key positions in the company's wide product line. Great attention is paid to their quality, since these products are used in places of mass stay of people, in social institutions and at strategic sites. A modern testing facility allows us to trace defects at the zero stage - before the materials go into production. Implementation of incoming control on high-tech equipment is a competitive advantage of our enterprise and a contribution to safety, "said Raul Taimatov, director of EKZ JSC.
