BORFLEX rubber makes FLAMESTOP® at Innotrans 2012

Sept. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- The FLAMESTOP® range, designed for the rail industry, fulfils the requirements of the new EN 45545 European standard for fire and fumes safety, which will be mandatory from January 2014.

Olivier Quintin, Chairman of BORFLEX Group, explains, “The development of the FLAMESTOP® range is the fruit of two years’ effort and is the pride of our company. Our close work with the largest European railway operators and the technical members of the European Committee for Standardisation has allowed us to understand the forthcoming standards and the stakes concerning on-board passenger and staff safety.”

BORFLEX will be present at INNOTRANS, the transport-technology trade fair due to take place in the German capital from 18 to 21 September of this year (Hall 3.2, Booth 210K). During INNOTRANS, BORFLEX will introduce FLAMESTOP®, its innovative range of rubber products for the rail industry. This range already meets all the requirements under the EN 45545 standard, i.e. the set of European regulations regarding fire and fumes for rail vehicles, which will apply from 1 January 2014.

The most common fireproofing systems are based on protection using halogenated products, such as bromine and chlorine. The European regulation for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances (REACH) now forces transport specialists to find substitutes for the most dangerous chemical substances.

Using new materials, BORFLEX’s R&D department has developed the innovative FLAMESTOP® range, which contains no halogenated products, in order to meet European regulatory requirements. This new range of waterproofing substances will replace today’s solutions, which have been rendered obsolete by the adoption of the EN 45545 regulation.

FLAMESTOP® will allow for the standardisation of waterproofing systems in the rail sector, while simultaneously reducing approval costs and guaranteeing the safety of interconnecting gangways in railway rolling-stock units.

With global expertise in sealing technology across numerous continents for over 60 years, the BORFLEX group is a well-established European market leader in general rubber manufacturing. Across Europe, BORFLEX has equipped domestic rail-sector operators such as CFF of Switzerland, UK-based tram group Metrolink, ÖBB of Austria, SNCB of Belgium, SNCF of France, and RENFE of Spain. BORFLEX has also equipped rail vehicles in North America and in Asia.

Depending on how and where they are used, railway vehicles come under various categories — open-air, tunnel, raised structures, etc. Each category poses specific problems with regard to the potential spreading of fire through passenger and staff spaces (including the darkening of fire exits and the presence of toxic fumes). These problems are different for an underground train and a tramway, for instance. Additionally, the various designs for rail vehicles need to be taken into account:  standard, couchette, split-level, etc.

Under the EN 45545 standard, materials used for the various categories and designs are arranged into three hazard levels, depending on the level of risk. FLAMESTOP® products already meet every EN 45545 requirement across all categories and designs of vehicles.

The EN 45545 regulation constitutes a unified standard regarding fire safety in railway vehicles for all the countries of the EU, together with Iceland, Norway and Switzerland, whereby differing national or regional norms were previously used. The FLAMESTOP® range developed by BORFLEX is the ideal solution in this respect, within the context of the new European regulation.

About BORFLEX

BORFLEX, which is based in Lille (in Northern France), is a European leader in the manufacturing of parts made from rubber, polyurethane and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which are used in sealing technology for the railway industry.

BORFLEX Group offers solutions built around innovation, safety and performance in transport technology; the specialist company employs 200 staff.

BORFLEX will be exhibiting at INNOTRANS, in Berlin (Germany), from 18 to 21 September 2012. The company will be present in Hall 3.2, Booth 210K.

For further information about the trade show, please go to: http://www.innotrans.de/en/

For further information about the company, please go to: www.borflex.fr


For further information, please contact :

Quote ref. : FTPB3766
Ms Katherine WOODS - Press Officer
UBIFRANCE Press Office in London
Tel: +44 (0) 207 024 3640
katherine.woods@ubifrance.fr  
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