CSA FT1、FT2、FT4、FT5 和 FT6 Cable Test

CSA FT1、FT2、FT4、FT5 和 FT6 Cable Test

To promote safe electrical practices, wires and cables undergo rigorous testing. Canadian standards FT1-FT6 are covered here. CSA is a highly regarded North American certification that regularly undergoes updates, in addition to random registration and testing of all official distributors and manufacturers.

CSA FT1 Flame Test

FT1 is a vertical flame test procedure that subjects the cable to five 15-second applications of a 3,000 BTU/hour flame.

The pass/fail criteria are that the finished conductor should not transmit flame or continue to burn for more than 60 seconds after five 15-second applications of the test flame. If more than 25% of the indicator's extended portion is burned, the conductor is considered to have transmitted flame.

CSA FT2 Flame Test

The FT2 certified horizontal test procedure applies a 1,700 BTU/hour flame to a horizontal wire or cable specimen for 30 seconds.

The pass/fail criteria are that the length of the charred portion of the wire specimen must not exceed 100 mm, and no burning particles must be released (CSAC 22.2 No. 49).

CSA FT4 Flame Test

FT4 certification is one of the most popular certifications because it is one of the most difficult tests to pass, given the 70,000 BTU/hour flame. This certification test procedure involves mounting the cable on a vertical tray and exposing it to a 70,000 BTU/hour flame for 20 minutes. This test is identical to the IEEE 1202 flame test. The reduced char height requirements of FT4 and IEEE 1202 make them more difficult to pass than the UL 1685 vertical tray version.

The pass/fail criteria for FT4 certification is that when tested, the finished wire or cable should exhibit no more than 1.5m (5 feet) of charred material (CSAC 22.2 No. 38).

CSA FT5 Flame Test

The FT5 horizontal flame test is used for power cables and portable cords, such as SHD-GC, used in surface or underground mining applications.

The FT5 certified test procedure involves three horizontally placed one-meter specimens. The specimens are heated with an electric current (either a DC or AC voltage source) until the conductor temperature reaches 205°C. Once this conductor temperature is reached, a 1,700 BTU/hour flame is applied to the center of the cable for 60 seconds.

The pass/fail criteria for the FT5 are that the length of the cable's burned area must not exceed 150 mm, and the burning time must not exceed four minutes when subjected to the flame test (CSA No. 96).

CSA FT6 Flame Test

The US version of this test is called the NFPA 262 Steiner Tunnel Flame Test. This test measures flame spread and smoke generation in air handling plenums. The FT6 certified test procedure uses a 25-foot Steiner tunnel with controlled airflow intake and exhaust ducting. The cable is installed in a single-layer tray and sealed. Two circular burners were then mounted vertically at the entrance end of the tunnel, just in front of the cable tray. Methane burned at a velocity of 240 feet per minute. The flames were extinguished after 20 minutes of tunneling. Flame spread and smoke density were monitored throughout the test.

The pass/fail criteria for the FT6 flame spread distance was no more than 1.52 meters (5 feet). A peak optical density of no more than 0.5 and an average optical density of no more than 0.15 for smoke were considered adequate for fire resistance and low smoke generation (NFPA 262).