How is FM fireproof certification/factory mutual certification tested?
FM Global (Factory Mutual Global) is one of the world's largest commercial and industrial property insurers. Through its subsidiary certification body, FM Approvals, the company provides testing and certification services for commercial and industrial products worldwide. FM Global is renowned for its substantial insurance payouts and robust coverage; however, clients participating in FM insurance must meet FM's requirements for material selection in facility construction. Crucially, FM Approvals is the only organization outside Europe authorized to grant the CE marking directly to fire protection products. FM certification is globally recognized and assures consumers that the product or service meets the highest US and international testing standards. Consequently, FM Global's insurance clients favor using FM-approved products to protect their property.
Currently, in developed countries like the United States, whether a fire protection product possesses FM certification is the primary consideration for building contractors when selecting such products.
The FM fire test methodologies leverage FM Approvals' world's largest full-scale fire test facility for product performance simulation. For thermal insulation materials, FM employs Fire Test Standard 4924 (FM 4924). The defining feature of this standard is the full-scale (or proportional) fire test, which simulates real-world fire scenarios to the greatest possible extent, thereby evaluating a product's performance under actual fire conditions. Furthermore, FM certification requires manufacturers to test both the thinnest and thickest specifications within their product line to demonstrate compliance across the entire range. For composite materials, FM also mandates that different combinations must be tested individually, or each base material within the combination must itself be FM certified. Adhesives and other auxiliary materials must also undergo testing together with the primary material as per the requirements of the intended application.
FM certification applies not only to a specific product type, but also requires that the same product manufactured in different plants must be certified separately; certifications are not interchangeable.
ArmaFlex's products such as Class 0 series, Class 1 series and matching glue have all comprehensively obtained FM certification.
