Comparison Between Different Electric Signal Fire Resistant Cables Behaviour During Fire Tests

Technical standards about security and safety in buildings always include strict requirements about the resistance to the ignition and propagation of fire of electrical components. In particular both power distribution and signal transmission cable insulation must often provide the best flame retardancy possible, especially in public places and transportation systems. This paper presents the outcome of a research work involving different models of fire resistant signal transmission cables; such cables were purposely manufactured varying some design characteristics and were subjected to a fire test. The relevant performances were compared and analyzed by statistical methods such as the weibull and the design of experiment (DoE) techniques, allowing to identify the best cable morphology in order to have the highest probability to meet the standard requirements.