CMP SOLO LOW SMOKE & FUME (LSF) MATERIALS

CMP Products has been instrumental in the field of providing cable management solutions produced from materials that are designed to reduce the risk of toxic emissions and smoke inhalation. These solutions or products include cable cleats, cable clamps, cable glands, and their accessories, all of which are required to meet the same exacting standards as is applied to electric cables. In the past cable gland seals were generally manufactured form Neoprene materials (e.g. Polychloroprene or Chloroprene CR), although there are varying grades and types of Neoprene materials on the market, and shrouds were most commonly produced from PVC (Polyvinyl chloride). At the time when these materials were first selected for certain applications they may well have been chosen because they were the best or the most readily available material source to suit the intended use. Now with the benefit of hindsight, and with a greater emphasis on environmentally friendly substances, taking into account the Health & Safety requirements for people occupying public buildings or being in public places, the commonly used materials of the past have become less attractive for use in cable management products.

With the availability of a new generation of improved material compounds and formulas it has been possible to draw comparisons identifying that Neoprene and PVC would no longer be the first choice when it comes to smoke and fume emissions. With its SOLO LSF brand of Low Smoke & Fume elastomeric compound formula, CMP Products has helped spearhead the drive in the industry, by specification, to ensure a higher degree of protection in terms of reduced levels of noxious fumes and toxic emissions generated from cable related products in the event of a fire.

CMP Products has had the material used in the CMP LSF Seals and Shrouds independently 3rd Party tested to EN 50267-2-1, the test standard applied to cables to determine the amount of halogen acid gas evolved during combustion of materials. The objective of the test is to identify whether the halogen acid gas evolved from the material is within the maximum 5mg/g permitted by the standard. CMP Products declares that the CMP SOLO LSF material emits less than 5mg/g acid gas, which satisfies the requirements of this EN 50267-2- 1, and the results of the Fire Laboratory tests confirm that material is classified as "Halogen Free".

For clarification, the EN 50267-2-1 standard reveals that :-

  • Materials found to emit <150 mg/g (<15%) halogen acid gas during combustion are classed as Low Halogen
  • Materials found to emit <5 mg/g (<0.5%) halogen acid gas during combustion are classed as Halogen Free

For further information please refer to EN 50267-2-1 : 1999 -
Common Test Methods for Cables Under Fire Conditions - Tests on Gases Evolved During Combustion of Materials From Cables - Part 2- 1: Procedures - Determination of the Amount of Halogen Acid Gas.

The CMP SOLO products initially witnessed significant demand during the new construction of public buildings such as airports, tunnels, MRT systems, office blocks, shopping centres, sports stadia, libraries etc. but the maturing market demand has also extended to wider areas other than the above.

One particularly significant application has been the use of CMP SOLO LSF range within the underground railway system in the UK's capital city. Throughout London Underground Limited (LUL) there is an overriding priority for the safety of passengers. One of the greatest dangers in any deep bore metro system is the difficulty of evacuating customers and staff in the event of a major fire. It has therefore been LUL's policy for many years to control the fire performance of materials used underground through its own requirements in addition to those required by legislation. Although this is not a new situation, LUL operates a process, within its fire safety department, that evaluates the properties of compounds used in cable and cable related products against specified materials fire performance requirements. CMP Products has extensive experience of meeting the conditions of these tests and supplying various products to such a safety critical area.

One of the advantages of using new polymer compound formulas for the manufacture of cable gland seals and shrouds etc. is that they can also offer additional benefits in the way of performance in several key areas, such as :-

  • Increased Resistance to Ozone
  • Improved UV Resistance
  • Improved Oil Resistance
  • Increased Maximum Operating Temperatures
  • Improved Minimum Operating Temperatures
  • Reduced Shore Hardness

CMP Products offers a range of SOLO gland packs specifically for this application, these include:

A2 SOLO, BW SOLO, CW SOLO, & E1W SOLO

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