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Dripping Test Machine

Dripping Test Machine
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Product Categories
Fire and Flammability Testing Equipment
Standards
95/28/EC
NF P 92-505
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Reaction-to-Fire Dripping Tester for Building & Fitting Materials

QualiDTM™ NF505 is a specialized dripping tester designed to perform the complementary the French reaction-to-fire M classification system for building and fitting materials. As a critical supplementary instrument in the fire performance testing workflow, this dripping tester determines whether thermal melting materials produce inflamed or uninflamed drips under radiant heat exposure — a classification parameter that cannot be captured by the primary burning tests alone.

The QualiDTM™ NF505 dripping tester is specifically indicated for use with thermally sensitive materials including thermoplastic films, flexible foams, synthetic textiles, and composite laminates that exhibit dripping or melting behavior when exposed to the Epiradiator heat source used in NF P 92-501 or the electrical burner used in NF P 92-503. The dripping behavior observed during these primary tests triggers the requirement for complementary testing on the QualiDTM™ NF505, where the material's drip character is definitively classified based on whether the collected droplets ignite a standardized cotton wool indicator.

Designed for building product manufacturers, construction material testing laboratories, fire safety research institutions, and regulatory compliance facilities across the United States and Canada, the QualiDTM™ NF505 is built to the structural and dimensional requirements of NF P 92-505 and European Directive 95/28/EC. Its compact, integrated tabletop architecture — housing the 500 W Epiradiator heat source, adjustable specimen support, and drop receptacle on a common base — delivers a self-contained dripping tester platform that is straightforward to operate and maintain in any fire testing laboratory.

Dripping Test Machine — QualiDTM™ NF505 Applications

The QualiDTM™ NF505 dripping tester is used in the following testing and compliance scenarios:

  • Complementary dripping test per NF P 92-505 following primary fire reaction tests (NF P 92-501 or NF P 92-503) where inflamed or uninflamed dripping was observed
  • M classification determination for building and fitting materials exhibiting thermal melting or dripping under fire exposure conditions
  • Fire performance assessment of thermoplastic interior finish materials including wall coverings, ceiling liners, synthetic foams, and decorative laminates
  • Complementary testing following the NF P 92-504 flame persistency test when dripping was observed during that test in addition to the main test
  • Material qualification and regulatory pre-submission compliance testing for products targeted at French and European building markets requiring M-class fire ratings
  • R&D screening of candidate thermoplastic and composite materials for drip character under radiant heat — supporting material selection and formulation development
  • Third-party fire testing laboratory services providing NF P 92-505 complementary dripping tester certification for client building material samples
  • Quality control testing at building product manufacturers requiring documented M classification evidence for product data sheets and CE marking support
Dripping Test Machine

Applicable Standards & Regulatory Compliance

The QualiDTM™ NF505 dripping tester is designed and validated for compliance with the following internationally recognized fire test standards and directives. No Chinese national standards are referenced for North American market applications.

  • NF P 92-505 — French standard for the complementary dripping test as part of the reaction-to-fire M classification system for building and fitting materials: defines the Epiradiator heat source, specimen support, drop receptacle, and cotton wool indicator requirements
  • 95/28/EC — European Parliament and Council Directive on the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicle (where applicable to vehicle interior trim materials subject to dripping characterization)

Dripping Test Machine — QualiDTM™ NF505 Key Features

Integrated Common-Base Architecture

  • All functional components of the dripping tester — Epiradiator heat source, specimen support assembly, and drop receptacle — are mounted together on a single common base, ensuring fixed geometric relationships between components and eliminating misalignment errors between tests

Epiradiator Heat Source

  • 500 W Epiradiator-type radiant heat source: delivers calibrated radiant heat flux compliant with NF P 92-505 test requirements
  • Radiant surface: translucent vitreous fused silica disk, 100 mm diameter — replicates the Epiradiator source geometry used in the primary NF P 92-501 test for consistent heat flux delivery
  • Mounted at the top of the first stand for vertical top-down irradiation of the specimen below

Epiradiator Positioning & Removal

  • Movable handle device: allows the Epiradiator support to be lifted slightly and rotated 90° in the horizontal plane, safely removing the heat source from above the specimen for loading and unloading without disturbing the apparatus geometry

Specimen Support Assembly

  • Second stand bears an adjustable-height assembly accommodating both the specimen support (upper) and the drop receptacle (lower), fixed at a 300 mm separation between them — as specified by NF P 92-505
  • Specimen support: metal ring with a flat circular grid in stainless steel wire — provides stable, horizontal specimen placement while allowing drips to fall freely through the grid into the receptacle below

Drop Receptacle

  • Small dish with a flat bottom surface completely covered by standardized cotton wool — serves as the ignition indicator for dripping droplets per NF P 92-505 classification criteria
  • Positioned 300 mm below the specimen support grid to intercept all droplets produced during the test

Distance Adjustment & Verification

  • Guiding mark integral to the Epiradiator support, combined with a graduated metal rule fixed to the second stand, allows precise and repeatable adjustment of the distance between the Epiradiator radiant surface and the upper face of the specimen — critical for heat flux repeatability

Construction & Installation

  • Compact tabletop footprint: 520 mm (W) × 350 mm (D) × 650 mm (H) — fits within a standard laboratory fume hood or ventilated testing enclosure
  • Lightweight at 30 kg — easily repositioned within a laboratory environment
  • Wide-input power supply: 110–230 V AC, 10 A — compatible with both U.S. (110 V) and Canadian (120/240 V) laboratory electrical standards without a voltage converter
  • Operating ambient temperature: 10°C to 30°C — compatible with standard conditioned laboratory environments

Theory and Method

The QualiDTM™ NF505 dripping tester evaluates the fire hazard posed by dripping or melting material droplets produced when a thermoplastic building material is exposed to radiant heat. The test method is based on the principle that a material's M classification can be adversely affected or confirmed depending on whether the droplets it produces under heat exposure are capable of igniting secondary combustibles beneath it.

The test specimen, placed on a circular stainless steel wire grid supported by a metal ring at the upper assembly, is positioned directly beneath the 500 W Epiradiator-type heat radiation source. The Epiradiator's 100 mm diameter translucent fused silica radiant disk delivers calibrated infrared radiant heat to the upper face of the specimen. The distance between the radiant surface and the top face of the specimen is precisely set and verified using a guiding mark on the Epiradiator support and a graduated metal rule fixed to the second stand — ensuring repeatable heat flux delivery to each specimen.

As the specimen heats up, melting and dripping material falls from the specimen grid downward into the drop receptacle positioned 300 mm below. The drop receptacle consists of a small dish whose entire flat bottom surface is covered with standardized cotton wool. If any falling droplet whether burning or non-burning ignites the cotton wool, the material is assigned an M4 classification regardless of its performance at the primary test. If the cotton wool is not ignited, the classification from the primary test (NF P 92-501 or NF P 92-503) is either maintained or downgraded, depending on whether uninflamed or inflamed dripping was observed during that primary test.

The Epiradiator support is mounted on a movable handle mechanism that allows the radiant source to be lifted and rotated 90° horizontally out of position — enabling the operator to safely remove the test piece or reset the specimen without disturbing the vertical alignment of the apparatus. This design ensures both operator safety and test geometry repeatability throughout the dripping tester's operational cycle.

Dripping Test Machine — QualiDTM™ NF505 Technical Specifications

ParameterSpecification
ModelQualiDTM™ NF505 (Dripping Test Machine)
Applicable Primary StandardNF P 92-505 — Complementary Dripping Test for M Classification
Applicable Directive95/28/EC — Burning Behaviour of Vehicle Interior Materials
Related Test StandardsNF P 92-501, NF P 92-503, NF P 92-504
Heat Source TypeEpiradiator-type radiant heat source
Heat Source Power Rating500 W
Radiant Surface MaterialTranslucent vitreous fused silica
Radiant Surface Diameter100 mm
Epiradiator PositioningMovable handle: lifts and rotates 90° horizontally for specimen access
Specimen SupportMetal ring with flat circular stainless steel wire grid
Drop ReceptacleSmall dish with flat bottom fully covered by cotton wool
Specimen-to-Receptacle Distance300 mm (fixed)
Distance AdjustmentGuiding mark on Epiradiator support + graduated metal rule on second stand
Base ConfigurationAll components on common integrated base
Overall Dimensions (W × D × H)520 × 350 × 650 mm
Net Weight30 kg
Voltage110–230 V AC, 10 A (U.S. and Canadian compatible)
Operating Ambient Temperature10°C to 30°C

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