What is behind this standard?
EN 45545 is a fire safety standard which, since April 2016, has uniformly defined the fire safety requirements for all materials used in rail vehicles across Europe.
This means that all electrical components, and even their electrical insulation materials, must also meet the requirements of this fire safety standard. For this reason, flame-retardant rubber is used, amongst other materials. The moulded rubber parts and foam profiles manufactured in accordance with the guidelines of EN 45545 are therefore fire-resistant.
The EN 45545 standard was developed on the basis of the fire safety regulations of the International Union of Railways and takes into account the specific characteristics of this type of structure, such as the containment of fire spread and ensuring that occupants can evacuate the fire area unharmed. It defines all key objectives for mitigating fire-related hazards in order to minimise damage in the event of a fire. In an emergency, this fire safety is demonstrated by the fact that a wide variety of materials exhibit virtually self-extinguishing behaviour. If these materials, such as foam profiles, are set alight in accordance with EN 45545, the fire extinguishes automatically as soon as the heat supply ceases. EN 45545 therefore demonstrates how important it is for our physical safety and well-being to use non-flammable and self-extinguishing materials, even if these materials were originally intended for noise reduction or other, seemingly minor purposes. As a reliable partner to the rail vehicle industry, Vibraplast AG has been supplying components for sound and thermal insulation, as well as rubber and foam products, for over 60 years – whether for trams, regional trains, high-speed trains or locomotives. We supply acoustically optimised parts, assembled into ready-to-fit kits and labelled for series production, which are installed behind wall and ceiling panelling, in the floor area or in the ventilation ducts of the rail vehicle.
Our rail vehicle products meet the high requirements of the European fire safety standard EN 45545.
