Needle Flame Test

1.       Test goal

To assess the fire hazard which be produced by small flames

2.       Application

Up to the end product standards

3.       Test apparatus

a. In vertical position, height of test flame is 12 + 1 mm

b. A piece of flat smooth white pinewood board, 10 mm thick covered by a single layer of wrapping tissue, is positioned at a distance of 200 + 5 mm below the place where the needle flame is applied to the specimen.

c. for free-standing equipment, it is placed in its normal position of use on the tissue-covered board extending for 100 mm outside the base of the appliance in all directions.

d. For wall-mounted equipment, it is fixed in its normal position of use 200 + 5 mm above the tissue covered board.

4.       Conditioning

The board and tissue are stored for 24h at 15 ~ 35 o C & 45 ~ 75%RH.

5. Test specimens

a. If the test can not be made on the complete specimen, a suitable part may be cut from it.

b. Care must be taken to ensure that the test flame is not applied incorrectly, for example to an edge created by cutting.

6. Test procedure

a. The specimen is arranged in its most unfavorable position of normal use.

b. During the adjustment of the test flame, any influence of heat or radiation on the specimen shall be avoided.

c. The test flame is applied to that part which is likely to be affected by flames resulting from normal use or from fault conditions, or from any source of ignition accidentally applied.

d. The burner must stop when the tip of flame is in contact with the specimen.

e. The test flame is removed after t a - 5/10/20/30/60/120 (+0, -1) s.

f. For EN60598-1, t a is 10 s.

g. Unless other specified, the test is made on three specimens.

7. Evaluation

Pass the test if one of the following situation applies:

a. No flame and no glowing of the specimen and no ignition of the wrapping tissue or

scorching of the pinewood board.

b. Flames or glowing extinguish within 30s after the removal of the needle-flame – t b < 30s, the surrounding parts and the layer below have not burnt away completely and there has been no ignition of the wrapping tissue nor scorching of the pinewood board.

Note: t b is the duration of burning.

Appendix A Illustration of Test flame (See figure 1)