Research on the Application of Needle Flame Test Equipment in Fire Safety Detection of Electrical and Electronic Equipment and Related Products

Abstract

Needle flame test equipment is an essential fire safety testing device in fields such as electrical and electronic products, home appliances, lighting, and information technology equipment. It can accurately simulate the small flames generated by faults such as short circuits and component overheating inside equipment, and is used to evaluate the flame resistance and fire safety of products and insulating materials under small flame ignition scenarios. Taking LISUN ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment as the research object, this paper expounds its working principle, executive standards, core parameters, test procedures and multi-industry applications, and explains how needle flame test equipment provides compliant and reliable test data for product R&D, factory quality inspection and third-party certification, helping enterprises meet the fire safety requirements for domestic and foreign market access.

Introduction

During the operation of electrical and electronic products, household appliances, lighting fixtures, information technology and vehicle-mounted equipment, faults such as circuit short circuits, poor contact, component overload, and local overheating are likely to generate small flames. If the flame retardant performance of materials is insufficient, it will cause flame spread, equipment burnout and even fire accidents, which seriously threaten personal and property safety. Needle flame test equipment simulates real fault fire sources through standardized small flames, applies directional and quantitative flame action to samples, and detects whether the samples ignite, the duration of combustion, flame spread and the risk of ignition by drippings. It is the core means to evaluate product fire safety. LISUN ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment is specially designed to meet standards such as GB/T 5169.5 and IEC 60695‑11‑5. It integrates precise temperature control, automatic timing, data recording and remote control operation, and can stably complete needle flame tests. It is widely used in enterprise quality inspection, testing institutions and scientific research institutes.

Testing Principle and Executive Standards of Needle Flame Test Equipment

Needle flame test equipment outputs small flames with controlled height, temperature and energy through a standard needle-shaped burner, applies them to the test sample at a specified angle and time to simulate the small fire source generated by internal equipment faults, records the ignition status, combustion duration, combustion range of the test sample and whether the drippings ignite the underlying absorbent cotton, and determines the flame retardant grade and fire safety according to standards.

LISUN ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment strictly follows the following authoritative standards:

• GB/T 5169.5‑2020 “Fire Hazard Testing for Electrical and Electronic Products – Part 5: Test Flames – Needle Flame Test Method – Apparatus, Confirmatory Test Method and Guidelines”
• IEC 60695‑11‑5:2016 “Fire hazard testing – Part 11‑5: Test flames – Needle‑flame test method – Apparatus, confirmatory test arrangement and guidance”
• Compatible with product safety standards such as IEC 62368‑1, GB 4943.1, GB 7000.1 and UL 94

Core Technical Parameters of LISUN ZY‑3 Needle Flame Test Equipment

ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment adopts a modular structure and high-precision control system. Its key parameters fully meet the standard requirements to ensure the repeatability and accuracy of tests. The main specifications are shown in the following table.

Parameter Item	ZY‑3 (With Cabinet)	ZY‑3S (Without Cabinet)
Burner Angle	45° tilt during test, vertical during calibration	Same as left
Flame Application Time	0~999.9s (±0.1s), customizable	Same as left
Afterflame Time Recording	0~999.9s (±0.1s), automatic recording	Same as left
Flame Height	12mm±1mm	Same as left
Flame Application Gas	≥95% butane	Same as left
Temperature Measurement Range	0~1000℃	Same as left
Flame Temperature Rise Requirement	From 100℃±2℃ to 700℃±3℃, taking 23.5s±1s	Same as left
Thermocouple	Φ0.5mm K-type	Same as left
Operation Mode	LCD touch screen + remote control operation	Same as left
Body Material	High-temperature spray steel structure	Same as left
Weight	About 180kg	About 40kg

Typical Test Procedure of Needle Flame Test Equipment

Taking LISUN ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment as an example, the standard test procedure is as follows:

• Sample Installation: Fix the test sample in the test chamber and adjust the position so that the flame acts on the weak or key parts.
• Flame Calibration: Start the machine to calibrate the flame height and temperature rise rate to ensure they meet the requirements of 12mm±1mm and 23.5s±1s.
• Parameter Setting: Set the flame application time (conventional 30s), afterflame recording, number of flame applications, etc.
• Test Implementation: Start the test, the burner applies flame directionally at 45°, and the system automatically times and records data.
• Result Judgment: After the test, observe and record the ignition status, afterflame time, flame spread, and whether the drippings ignite, and give a qualified conclusion according to the standard.

Application of Needle Flame Test Equipment in Multiple Industries

(1) Electrical, Electronic and Home Appliance Industry

Insulators, housings and bases of products such as relays, contactors, circuit breakers, switches and sockets all need to use needle flame test equipment to verify their resistance to electric arc and overheating ignition, meet GB/T 5169.5 and IEC 60695 series standards, and ensure the safety of low-voltage electrical appliances and personal electricity use.

(2) Information Technology and Audio-Visual Equipment Industry

Components such as housings, driver boards and power modules of computers, printers, routers, monitors, chargers and other products evaluate the fire performance when chips and power supplies fail through needle flame test equipment, meet safety requirements such as GB 4943.1 and IEC 62368‑1, and reduce the risk of fire.

(3) Lighting Equipment Industry

LED drivers, lamp holders, ballasts, heat sinks and outdoor lamp housings use needle flame test equipment to detect flame retardancy under fault small flames, ensure compliance with GB 7000.1 and IEC 60598‑1, and improve the long-term operation safety of lighting products.

(4) Automotive Electronics and New Energy Industry

Vehicle-mounted chargers, navigators, wire harness insulators, charging pile insulators, battery management system housings, etc., simulate vehicle-mounted high-temperature and circuit fault scenarios through needle flame test equipment, meet requirements such as ISO 6722 and GB/T 2408, and improve the safety of vehicle-mounted and charging systems.

(5) Material R&D and Testing Certification

Engineering plastics such as ABS, PC and PA, flame-retardant modified materials, epoxy boards, polyimide films, etc., use needle flame test equipment to determine ignition and afterflame time, providing objective data for material formula optimization, flame retardant grade evaluation and certification testing.

Conclusion

Needle flame test equipment is an indispensable fire safety testing instrument in industries such as electrical and electronic products, home appliances, lighting, information technology and automotive electronics. It can truly simulate the small flames generated by internal equipment faults and scientifically evaluate the flame retardant performance and fire safety of materials and finished products. With the advantages of standard compliance, precise control, safe operation and stable durability, LISUN ZY‑3 needle flame test equipment can efficiently complete the needle flame tests required for IPD, safety regulations, quality inspection and certification, providing key support for product design improvement, quality control and market access. With the continuous improvement of product safety requirements, needle flame test equipment will play a more important role in the field of fire safety testing, promoting the industry to develop in the direction of higher safety and reliability.

Tags：ZY-3