Testing for seat flammability began in the 1980s, and as you can imagine has advanced significantly in the four decades since. Our facility utilizes the NexGen Sonic Burner by Marlon Engineering which greatly enhances our testing capabilities. Our upholstery team will construct the seat cushions for testing, each test specimen will be constructed of the same principal components and assembly process as the production seat cushions.​

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Our testing includes testing various ignition sources with the direct burner exposure applied to the weakest points of the cushion across several tests. Our lab has produced consistent results that meet FAA guidelines and regulations, showing that our understanding of flame-resistant materials and burn rate are second to none. We strive to meet every customer's needs through testing, and we're here for you whether it's day and night. 

 

Prior to testing, we record data for each component to ensure uniformity across specimens before aligning the cushion on the seat frame following FAA guidelines. After warming up the burner, the seat is placed directly in front of the burner for a prolonged testing period, and testing is only completed when the cushion has completely self extinguished or after five minutes following burner shut off. Then we record the same data for each sample to log the changes in weight and burn lengths on every side of the seat. A minimum of three burner tests are conducted for each configuration. With strict criteria for mass loss and burn length, our experience with configuring cushions that exceed that criteria is vital to the testing process. 

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In the event of an interior fire onboard an aircraft, seconds matter, and minutes make all the difference. Fire-blocking materials can buy an additional 60 seconds or more for evacuation during a fire inside an aircraft. We’re striving everyday to develop materials and seating options that are truly self-extinguishing and have a minimal burn rate in the event of a post-crash fire that cannot be extinguished.​