NTTM backs made-in-India aluminised fire entry suit

The National Technical Textile Mission (NTTM) has supported an innovative project titled ‘Development of Specialised Fire fighting Suit.’ The project, an initiative by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, is implemented by Northern India Textile Research Association (NITRA), in collaboration with its industrial partner, M/s System 5S Private Ltd.

The specialised firefighter suits are designed for use by firefighting and emergency services, defence forces, oil and gas industry, aerospace and aviation, power plants and thermal industry, etc.

India currently imports most of its specialised fire entry suits from Europe, US, and China with domestic manufacturing still in its nascent stage. The annual demand for these suits is estimated at around 1,000 sets, but with the introduction of an Indian-certified aluminised suit, demand is expected to rise sharply, the Ministry of Textiles said in a release.

According to EN 1486 (a European Standard that specifies the requirements and test methods for protective clothing for firefighter), protective clothing for specialised fire fighting must protect the full body, including the head, hands, and feet, against radiant heat and flame impingement. This protective gear includes a garment, a hood (integrated or separate), gloves, and over boots. Additionally, the design of such suits is intended for use with respiratory protection, with designs varying on whether the breathing apparatus is worn inside or outside the protective clothing.

The suit developed by M/s System 5S Private Ltd meets the EN 1486 or ISO 15538 standards. The development process prioritises the safety, comfort, and ease of donning and doffing for firefighters. The suit is developed using aluminised coated glass fabrics, OPAN (Oxidised Polyacrylonitrile) Nonwoven battings and FR (Flame Resistant) viscose fabric. All the inner layers are quilted together.

The industrial partner has already begun manufacturing these suits for trial purposes, and commercial manufacturing will commence once the fire manikin test is completed successfully, as per the EN ISO 13506 (a standard that defines a test method for evaluating the performance of protective clothing against heat and flame) standard, to ensure the suit meets all necessary performance requirements. System 5S Pvt Ltd has an annual production capacity of 1000 suits with this commercialisation.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (HU)