Finnester Coatings opens in-house fire lab for composite testing
Lab will serve as a hub to test and confirm fire protection performance of Finnester’s RED gelcoat technologies for composite applications.
Photo Credit: Finnester Coatings Oy
Finnester Coatings Oy (Lahti, Finland) reported in Jan. 2021 that it has built an in-house fire lab and test facility, to confirm the fire protection performance of Finnester RED combined with a wide range of customer composites. In addition to now being able to test and monitor burning properties, Finnester Coatings says the combination of coatings, composites and fire testing technical expertise all in one house is a unique service for the composites market.
“We want to be the quickest, the smartest and the ultimate source of solutions for all composite manufacturers who are struggling with the fire proofing performance of their products,” explains Ari Hokkanen, CTO and founder of Finnester. “With this investment in our test capabilities, together with our deep knowledge of fire performance requirements and materials, we can reach the goal of being the leading solution supplier to create safer and better composites.”
Finnester has also developed RED, a high-performance, unsaturated polyester-based gelcoat technology for fire- and thermal-resistant protection of composites. Application use varies based on the product variants available (indoor or outdoor) for the aerospace, marine, automotive, infrastructure, energy, and transport industries. Finnester says it will continue to improve its solutions via its Viability Study-approach, which includes its in-house fire lab for testing.
“Our Viability Study service is available to everyone,” says Trevor Fielding, technical business manager. “We are really proud of the new laboratory and how it can support our customers and increase the know-how at our company. We now have the expertise to provide guidance on fire regulation certificates in multiple industries and provide RED options to meet requirements.”
Finnester is also arranging a “Don’t Fear the Fire!” webinar series explaining more about its solutions and possibilities. The first seminar runs March 11, 2021 11:00-12:00 CET and will focus on railway and rolling stock applications. Other upcoming webinars: Construction, May 20, 2021; marine, Q3 2021; and new energy, Q4 2021.
