Fire Rated Vinyl

[SpeedproSOC]

Good afternoon everyone,

We have a customer who is looking to make some signs that would withstand heat/fire for at least an hour. Do they make any solvent printable vinyl/laminate that is fire rated?

 

[P Wagner]

Good afternoon everyone,

We have a customer who is looking to make some signs that would withstand heat/fire for at least an hour. Do they make any solvent printable vinyl/laminate that is fire rated?

I have never heard of a fire rating on vinyl, though FR certifications are common on woven and textile wall covering products that are designed to go into public spaces. To my knowledge, vinyl is non-combustible (though it can melt).

 

[SpeedproSOC]

So if the customer wants to a glass sign in a hallway and it withstand fire, how would you recommend that be accomplished?

 

[danno]

would it be possible to etch what he wants in the glass?

 

[SpeedproSOC]

Is there a fire rated over-laminate that could protect the vinyl?

 

[SpeedproSOC]

would it be possible to etch what he wants in the glass?

I don't believe so, they want to mount images of some sort to fire rated glass.

 

[P Wagner]

So if the customer wants to a glass sign in a hallway and it withstand fire, how would you recommend that be accomplished?

Some manufacturers (3M for example) will publish documentation about the their products' flammability and resistance to fire and heat. Attached is one such document for 3M IJ180cV3

 

[Rick]

What type of project is this for?(hospital, apartments...?)

 

[CreatedDesigns]

As a Fire Fighter. I have not seen or heard of any type of vinyl capable of withstanding heat or fire for one hour. I can tell you not much of anything will last an hour. But if you had a realistic temp range it would make it easier to help you determine a material closer to what you need.

 

[AF]

The concept of fire ratings is for life / safety. It doesn't mean something is not going to be destroyed by fire for one hour, but rather that it will maintain its integrity thus allowing occupants to escape before it fails. I will tell you that normal glass will not last an hour in a fire. You would need special ceramic glass, like Firelite, for that sort of fire resistance. I do not think adding something to the surface of a fire glass will allow it to perform the same since the dynamics of the heat will change, but some fire ceramic glass has a fire film on it so I could be wrong. Most likely, the vinyl will melt off in the first minute and then its okay. But it is expensive to get assemblies properly rated at testing facilities. There are special stamps and labels that go along with the certification, plus lengthy test documents with pictures of the various burn tests involved. If this is an elective fire rating and not a required one, then it probably doesn't matter how you pull it off. And of course if there is never a fire...

 

[visual800]

If I didnt know any better I would swear a freaking architect was asking for this. Sell them on oracal 651 and tell them its fire rated per their reqquirments. This makes about as much sense as someone ordering fire proof pillows for a couch, it seems this would be the least of your worries!

 

[rjssigns]

Here is what I know from working with a powder coater. ALL vinyls, lams etc... that I've used to produce stencils last mere minutes at 350 to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Edges start to curl within 3 minutes, but that is exactly what he wants to happen.

As long as it had PSA and my Summa would cut it I made a stencil. High performance vinyl(any color) is what holds it shape the longest(3 to 4 minutes)

IF you want truly fireproof have the signs made from MVMA. Get the pieces sheared to size and have the lettering cut through with a waterjet or engraved with an industrial CNC. MVMA is a special alloy used in the manufacture of afterburners for pollution control. It can withstand continuous temps in excess of 2000 degrees indefinitely and never change.

Has this ever been done? I doubt it. Although the building could burn to powder and the signs could be rinsed off and reused.

 

[J Hill Designs]

quote porcelain enamel on steel, and watch the specs change before your very eyes

 

[AF]

quote porcelain enamel on steel, and watch the specs change before your very eyes

So very true.

 

[GMS Product Manager]

Fire ratings depend on the material the label is going to be put on. Putting a heat rated material on plastic, wood, and other materials that will melt or combust won't really do much good. And usually the person asking has a response like, "Oh, I didn't think about that." I have been tasked to research this a few times.

We sell material that will go through solder baths, on the inside of grills, on tail pipes, etc. If a customer wants something on a tail pipe, it might have to last up to 400°-500°F. But if they want it on a header, the temp is a lot higher, and now you're talking big bucks for the media, and you can't buy a 10 yd. roll. Thermal Resin colors will last through really high temperatures, but solvent inks won't... or so I'm told by some in-mold decorating guys I know. Grill Covers get really hot, and can be hot for long periods of time. But there are labels that will withstand those temps, so it might be good to get more specific details about how hot it will get, and what is the sign/label going to be applied to. Like the steel/porcelain combo, when they see the price, they'll probably drop the idea.

Doug Goodloe
Graphic Marking Systems
800-232-8018

 

[Z SIGNS]

I thought I heard it all

Why does the vinyl have to be fire rated ?

Who is the genius requesting this and why ?

Anybody ever hear of a vinyl film on a window kill anybody or trap anybody in a burning building.

Like Visual says this sound dumb.

 

[danno]

How about direct print on glass? Depending on glass size, that could be an option.

 

[Rick]

What type of project is this for?(hospital, apartments...?)

I ask the question again...

 

[SpeedproSOC]

I am sorry for the amateur question. I was told by a coworker that we had a request for a customer who wanted to put images on fire rated glass and wanted to know if there was a vinyl media that could survive for an hour in fire heat. I assumed that the answer no, but I didn't know for certain. So I came here to ask. Thanks for all the advice though. The customer has been informed.

 

[ToasTuk]

Fire rated or intumescent, in the purpose of a door is intended to keep it as air tight as possible in order to give people longer to exit a building safely.

Fire signs on doors are normally stainless steel with a silk screen coating applied and are normally to advise the door must be kept shut before a fire takes place.

It is funny someone mentioned architects, I have been asked for clear external intumescent paint for timbers before. This also didn't exist but looked good on technical specifications we got the customer to challenge the architect by asking the name of the product and who the manufacturer was, this meant the spec was revised and the correct product could be used.