What is a Fireproof Coating Test Furnace?

In the field of building safety, there is a type of equipment that acts like an "invisible guardian," silently protecting the fire safety of high-rise buildings—that is the Fireproof Coating Test Furnace.The Fireproof Coating Test Furnace evaluates thermal insulation and fire resistance of steel-structure coatings, complying with GB 14907-2018. It features automatic fire-curve tracking, stable pressure control, precise temperature measurement, and an intelligent platform, offering a reliable, highly automated testing environment for labs, inspection centers, manufacturers, and certifiers.

Application

This test furnace is suitable for determining:

1. Thermal insulation efficiency of steel structure fireproof coatings

2. Fire resistance limit of coated steel components

3. Back-surface temperature rise under standard fire exposure

4. Heating and furnace-pressure stability during fire resistance tests

It is widely used in:

5. Fire protection coating manufacturers

6. Building material testing laboratories

7. National and third-party inspection institutes

8. Research universities and engineering research centers

9. Fireproof material certification and quality evaluation agencies

Standards

This instrument is developed and manufactured in accordance with the following standards:

Primary Standards

GB 14907-2018 – Fire-Resistant Coatings for Steel Structures

GB/T 9978-2008 – Fire-Resistance Tests for Building Construction Elements

International Standards

Although the furnace is primarily based on Chinese national requirements, its fire-curve control and measurement systems align with major global fire-test methodologies, including:

ISO 834 – Standard Fire Resistance Test Curve

EN 13381 Series – Test methods for determining the contribution of fire protection materials to structural elements

ASTM E119 – Standard Test Methods for Fire Tests of Building Construction and Materials

BS 476 (Part 20–24) – Fire tests on building materials and structures

This compatibility allows the furnace to support laboratories that reference or compare international fire-test systems.

Features

The furnace incorporates advanced design and control technology to ensure stable, accurate, and repeatable testing.

Control System

Touchscreen and PC dual-control interface

Wireless connection supported; one PC can manage multiple furnaces

Automatic elimination of faulty thermocouples to maintain curve accuracy

Testing Performance

Full-automatic testing process from ignition to cooling

Real-time tracking of temperature and pressure curves

Automatic re-ignition if the flame is extinguished during testing

Automatic stop when reaching preset temperature or test duration

Safety and Reliability

Anti-power-off protection mode to avoid damage caused by sudden shutdown

Automatic cooling and exhaust system at the end of the test

Temperature deviation consistently lower than the limits required by GB standards

Data Management

Storage capacity for more than 100 sets of test data

Curve display for furnace temperature, back-surface temperature, and pressure

User-friendly interface for on-site operation or remote control

Parameters

Test Procedures

1. Cut the sample using a 250mm × 90mm template. If the sample is a melt-shrinkable product, use a 250mm × 180mm template.

2. Clamp the sample in a 250mm × 90mm sample holder, tighten the wing nut, and secure the sample. The sample holder size for melt-shrinkable products is 250mm × 180mm. At this point, do not yet mount the sample holder onto the horizontal rod.

3. Turn on the power switch and set the ignition time to a slightly longer duration, such as 5 minutes. Select the appropriate positioning device according to the ignition method. After pressing "Start Test" and the burner stops at the 45° position, insert one end of the positioning device into the burner. Now mount the sample holder onto the horizontal rod and adjust the sample holder's up, down, left, and right positions to meet the test requirements. Remove the positioning device. Press the return key. After the burner resets, press "Test Reset".

4. Press and hold the ignition button, and simultaneously adjust the flame adjustment valve on the instrument panel. After igniting the gas, adjust the flame height to 20 ± 1mm. When adjusting the flame from large to small, it is easier to first tighten the flame adjustment knob on the panel. The height gauge should be at 20mm. Close the front door.

5. Place two pieces of filter paper in the collection tray and then place it under the sample.

6. Set the ignition time, press "Start Test," and the burner will automatically rotate to the 45° position and remain there for the set ignition time, then reset.  The afterglow time starts counting simultaneously. If the sample stops afterglow before reaching the marked line, press "Stop Afterglow." If the sample afterglow reaches the marked line, immediately press "Stop Afterglow." Record the burning time.

7. Press "Test Reset" to stop the test. To continue the test, repeat the above steps; otherwise, turn off the power. Provided by Shandong Provincial Textile Science Research Institute.

Advantages of Fireproof Coating Test Furnace

The Fire Protective Coating Test Furnace is a critical piece of equipment used to evaluate the fire resistance performance of fireproof coatings under standardized fire conditions. Its core advantages are mainly reflected in automation, high precision, multifunctional compatibility, and safety.

Fully Automatic Control and High-Precision Temperature Regulation

The system adopts a PLC + touchscreen or computer-based control system and strictly follows standard temperature rise curves specified in standards such as GB/T 9978-2008 and ISO 834.

For example, the standard furnace temperature curve is:

T-T_0=345\log(8t+1)

The furnace temperature deviation is maintained below the limits required by national standards, while the unexposed-side temperature control accuracy can reach ±4°C.

Integrated Multifunctional Design

The equipment can simultaneously perform tests for two critical indicators:

Thermal insulation efficiency

Fire resistance limit

Some models are also compatible with fire resistance testing of various building components, including:

Cable trays

Fire doors

Fire-resistant glass

The equipment complies with the latest standards such as:

GB 14907-2018

Automated Data Acquisition and Reporting

The system can:

Real-time record multiple thermocouple temperatures, furnace pressure, airflow, and other parameters

Automatically generate temperature-time curves

Support one-click export or printing of standardized test reports compliant with relevant specifications

Multiple Safety Protection Mechanisms

To ensure operator and equipment safety, the furnace is equipped with:

Gas leakage detection

Furnace pressure release systems

Leakage protection devices

Air duct thermal protection

Emergency shutdown functions

High Stability and Long Service Life

The furnace adopts a multi-layer ceramic fiber insulation structure:

Inner-layer temperature resistance up to 1300°C

Outer-layer surface maintained near room temperature

The overall system is designed for a service life exceeding 15 years while maintaining relatively low maintenance costs.

Compatibility with Various Specimen Types

The equipment is not only suitable for testing fireproof coatings for steel structures (such as standard steel beam specimens measuring 500 × 500 × 6 mm), but can also be used for coating tests on:

Cable trays

Fire stopping materials

Other substrate materials

This provides broad applicability across the construction, electrical, and fire protection industries.