Enclosure range maintains safety for up to 90 minutes in event of fire

Protecting cable junctions, connection boxes, and distribution boards, the Lifeline enclosures allow alarms, lighting, and fire suppression system to operate even under flame and extreme heat. The lightweight, highly durable polycarbonate enclosures enable flexible wall-mount installation and retrofit in buildings and tunnels.

In the event of fire in a building or tunnel, the function of alarms, smoke detectors, and fire suppressant devices is vital. It’s also crucial for some safety systems to continue operation long after a fire has commenced. This includes water booster systems to supply extinguishers, as well as smoke and heat extraction systems, through to evacuation-able fire brigade elevator systems.

To protect the electrical supply to these systems, the enclosures that secure cable junctions, connections, and distribution boards, must provide a barrier to extremes of heat and flame for up to an hour or more. Concrete has traditionally been used as a barrier to encase electrical wiring, but the drawback is a lack of flexibility in installation, and subsequent retrofit.

Alternatively, Spelsberg’s Lifeline system provides up to 90 minutes fire protection in a flexible and highly durable enclosure that can be externally mounted on building or tunnel walls. This enables fast and straightforward installation and retrofit of fire-protected devices and cabling whenever required.

Spelsberg’s fire protection enclosures use heat and fire-resistant materials to achieve electrical functional integrity. Certified between E30, E60, and E90, this guarantees functional integrity of the enclosures for at least 30, 60, or 90 minutes, assisting continued electrical supply to connected devices and are tested in accordance with DIN 4102-12, the European Standard for fire resistance of electric cable systems required to maintain circuit integrity. They also hold certification from VDE, the German electrical standards and testing association.

Constructed from thermoplastic polycarbonate, which is non-conductive during fire or heat exposure, the enclosures also prevent the risk of short circuit. Within the enclosure, high temperature-resistant ceramic terminal block clamps ensure integrity of the housing structure. In the event of fire and the use of sprinkler systems or hoses, the enclosures are protected to IP66 preventing ingress from strong water jets. IK08 rating also means the enclosures provide high resistance to physical impact.

The Lifeline fire protection enclosure range covers cabling requirements including connections and junctions, safeguarded junctions with fuses, communication cables for signal and control systems, as well as heavy duty cable connections for tunnels with the Rapid-Box enclosure.

All Spelsberg Lifeline boxes are pre-assembled to save time in installation, with only wall-mounting and wiring required. The cable and junction boxes are simply attached by a pair of pre-fitted lugs that allow 90° rotation and the terminal block can be set in a variety of positions.

“The Lifeline enclosures are designed to meet the stringent EU and UK regulations on fire protection for use in both buildings and tunnels,” says Chris Lloyd, Managing Director, Spelsberg UK. “While the boxes achieve this, providing protection for up to 90 minutes, they are fast and simple to install. The advantage of Lifeline enclosures for building and infrastructure managers, as well as electrical contractors, is that fire-protected connections can be quickly added, as and when required.”