Fire Certification
8 July 2021
A1 & A2 Reaction to Fire Classification in Accordance to EN13501- A2-s1-d0
Polyester Powder Coated Rainscreen Cladding Systems.
Post Grenfell has seen a rise in scrutiny, correct and some would say long overdue, Aluclad Systems have recently re-tested the entire Rainscreen Cladding panel range, we decided to do this to ensure all panel types and colours are covered by the certification, So either EN13501 A1 or A2 making us eligible for both sub & over 18m working environment.
Panel types:
- Flat sheet.
- Cassette panels.
- Turreted panels.
- Bespokely formed.
- Various thicknesses.
The question is why? As a manufacturer and part of the Construction Industry, we must take some responsibility, so having noticed the growing trend of single panel testing we decided to submit various panels across the range for testing.
Typically when reading certificates they demonstrate a flat sheet panel in white to obtain EN13501 A1, obviously testing one type of panel in one colour does not automatically cover the range.
BS EN 12206 depicts the weight of the coating and the colour applied to items, in this instance Rainscreen cladding panels, the parameters can vary dramatically pending the panel type, so flat sheet or cassette, not to mention the actual colour used and how it is applied, Qualicoat takes BS EN 12206 one step further (please review).
Why does this matter? All variations that occur either during Manufacture of the panels or coatings have a profound effect on the finished item, so flat sheet formed into a cassette, the bend part of the process will dramatically affect the coating if applied, or subsequently applied thereafter, reducing its performance during a fire test, this coupled with the actual colour used can reduce a product from EN13501 A1 to EN13501 A2 or worse, The Colours pigmentation (Inorganic and Organic) content will vary, again affecting performance, so to say you have achieved A1 using white will not suffice when using other colours or styles of panel from within your own range.
Aluclad Systems have achieved A1 for lighter colours and A2 for all other colours, we also extended the testing to cover our new Timber and Stone effect range, so have confidence when selecting from our system ranges.
For more information please contact our local representative.
Aluclad Systems Team!