Glow Wire Test

The IEC 60335-1, commonly referred to as the "Household Appliance Standard," addresses the safety of electrical appliances primarily intended for private household use. This includes for example, ovens, kettles, vacuum cleaners, heat pumps and many more. Devices used in commercial settings may also be covered by this standard. The operating or rated voltage of these devices is up to 250V for single-phase and up to 480V for multi-phase systems.

In our whitepaper, we focus on the fire behavior of individual components, which is tested under the general term "GWT (Glow Wire Test)“.

Plastic parts of individual components used in the relevant devices must pass a fire behavior test. A typical example is the plastic housing of a connector, i.e., the pure plastic in the form of a test plate. However, it is also possible to assess the fire behavior of the entire connector within the scope of a so-called component test. In this case, not only the plastic part itself is evaluated but also its fire behavior in relation to the entire construction of the connector.

Why do we deal with this topic, and what benefits does it offer you? In practice, the two Glow Wire Tests conducted with a standard-compliant test plate are used as the basis for fire resistance. This result is also accepted by independent testing bodies. However, our experience has shown that regulatory measures may sometimes be insufficient to ensure the safety of your products. Therefore, we additionally recommend the Glow Wire Test conducted directly on the component. The reasons for this are explained in our whitepaper.