CPR
Construction Products Regulation (CPR) for cables
TKD continuously adapts its cable portfolio to the requirements of the Construction Products Regulation (CPR). From 1 July 2017, all relevant products will have the required tests and certificates in accordance with the regulations of the CPR.
DOP Finder
Power, control and communication cables that are permanently installed in structures/buildings and that contribute to the functionality of the structure/building fall under EU Regulation 305/2011 (the so-called Construction Products Regulation).
Comments:
Exempt from this:
– Lift cables, cables inside machines and cables for use in industrial installations.
– Cables with insulation and functional integrity (resistance to fire), such as NHXH E30/E90, will be dealt with separately in another future harmonised standard. Classification according to the Construction Products Regulation is only possible when the corresponding harmonised European standards are available. Partial classification and CE marking according to EN 50575 is not permitted.
They are therefore also not the subject of the current implementation of the Construction Products Regulation!
It is therefore unlikely that the Construction Products Regulation will be applied to these cables for the time being.
Since 01.07.2016, the European standard EN 50575 has been applicable to cables considered as construction products with regard to the requirements for fire behaviour. The standard specifies the classification of cables into certain reaction to fire classes (classes A to F), sets out the requirements for the test procedures and tests required in each case and specifies for which reaction to fire classes the involvement of a notified body is required and to what extent.
With the application of the standard, the cable types covered by the standard are considered as construction products in the sense of the Construction Products Regulation (EU) No. 305/2011 and must fulfil the documentation and information requirements set out therein (e.g. the issuing of a declaration of performance).
According to the definition of the European Commission and the European Court of Justice, a cable is only considered a construction product in the sense of the Construction Products Regulation if it cannot be removed from the building without construction work. This is particularly the case with cables laid under plaster or in permanently installed cable ducts. Cables connected by means of plug-in connections (assemblies) or simple screw or clamp connections (lamp cables, cables for supplying power to machines and systems, etc.), on the other hand, are not regarded as construction products and are therefore not covered by the Construction Products Ordinance. Therefore, neither the documentation and information requirements of the Construction Products Regulation nor the concretising requirements of EN 50575 apply to them.
With the inclusion of cables and wires in the list of construction products, the EU has defined 6 main fire protection classes for cables – from Aca to Fca (ca stands for ‘cable’). These were awarded on the basis of the criteria of flame spread and heat generation. From incombustible (Aca) and flame retardant (B1ca, B2ca, Cca) to normally flammable (Dca, Eca) and easily flammable (Fca).
(Note: Currently, due to available insulation materials for cables & wires, there is no product on the market that meets the main fire protection classes Aca or B1ca)
For further requirements such as smoke development (s), acidity or freedom from halogens (a) and burning dripping (d), there are three supplementary classifications in each case.
Table 1: New Euroclasses, test methods and classification criteria
Table 2: Additional classifications
| Class | Test method | Classification criteria | Additional classification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aca | EN ISO 1716 | PCS ≤ 2,0 MJ/kg | |
| B1ca | EN 50399 (30 kW Burner) |
FS ≤ 1,75 m THR1200s ≤ 10 MJ PEAK HHR ≤,20 kW FIGRA ≤ 120 Ws-1 |
> Smoke development (s1, s1a, s2b, s2 or s3) > burning dripping/falling off (d0, d1 or d2) > Acidity (a1, a2 or a3) |
| EN 60332-1-2 H ≤ 425 mm | |||
| B2ca | EN 50399 (20,5 kW Burner) |
FS ≤ 1,5 m THR1200s ≤ 15 MJ PEAK HHR ≤,30 kW FIGRA ≤ 150 Ws-1 |
> Smoke development (s1, s1a, s2b, s2 or s3) > burning dripping/falling off (d0, d1 or d2) > Acidity (a1, a2 or a3) |
| EN 60332-1-2 H ≤ 425 mm | |||
| Cca | EN 50399 (20,5 kW Burner) |
FS ≤ 2,0m THR1200s ≤ 30 MJ PEAK HHR ≤,60 kW FIGRA ≤ 300 Ws-1 |
> Smoke development (s1, s1a, s2b, s2 or s3) > burning dripping/falling off (d0, d1 or d2) > Acidity (a1, a2 or a3) |
| EN 60332-1-2 H ≤ 425 mm | |||
| Dca | EN 50399 (20,5 kW Burner) EN60332-1-2 |
FS ≤ 1,5m THR1200s ≤ 15MJ PEAK HHR ≤,30kW FIGRA ≤ 150Ws-1 |
> Smoke development (s1, s1a, s2b, s2 or s3) > burning dripping/falling off (d0, d1 or d2) > Acidity (a1, a2 or a3) |
| EN 60332-1-2 H ≤ 425 mm | |||
| Eca | EN 60332-1-2 | ||
| Fca | Does not meet the class Eca | ||
FS (m) + H (mm): flame spread
THR (MJ): Heat generation
FIGRA (WS-1): Fire growth rate
PEAK HRR (kW): max. Heat release
| n. EN 50399 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| s - Smoke | SPR | Transmittance n. EN 61034-2 |
TSP 1200s |
| s1 | ≤ 0,25 m²/s | ≤ 50 m² | |
| s1a | ≤ 0,25 m²/s | ≥ 80 % | ≤ 50 m² |
| s1b | ≤ 0,25 m²/s | ≥ 60 % & ≤ 80% | ≤ 50 m² |
| s2 | ≤ 0,25 m²/s | ≤ 400 m² | |
| s3 | failed / without exam | ||
| n. EN 50399 | |||
| a - acid | Conductivity | Acid value | |
| a0 | < 2,5 µm/mm | >,4,3 ph | |
| a1 | < 10 µm/mm | >,4,3 ph | |
| a3 | failed / without exam | ||
| n. EN 50399 | |||
| d - droplets | without | with max. 10 sec. |
|
| d0 | ≤ 1.200 s | ||
| d1 | ≤ 1.200 s | ||
| d2 | failed / without exam | ||
SPR: Peak Smoke Production Rate
TSP: Total Smoke Production
Although EN 50575 came into force on 01.07.2016, there is an implementation deadline of 30.06.2017 for its application. Within this period, cable manufacturers have the choice whether to apply the standard (and thus be subject to the obligations of the Construction Products Regulation) or to place the cables on the market according to the previously applicable law (which did not include the cable in the scope of the Construction Products Regulation). Products placed on the market for the first time by 30.06.2017 therefore do not require documentation in accordance with the Construction Products Regulation and EN 50575.
The implementation deadline of 01.07.2017 refers to cables placed on the market for the first time in the European Union. The date of the first delivery of our production facility to the respective European customer is thus decisive for the fulfilment of the respective applicable legal requirements. Thus, if a product is placed on the market before 01.07.2017 without complying with the requirements of the Construction Products Regulation and is resold within the EU after this date, the reseller is acting absolutely legally: since the cable has already been placed on the market in conformity with the standards and directives, the subsequent dealers in the distribution chain can resell the cable even after 01.07.2017 without the compulsory information and documents according to the Construction Products Regulation.
TKD | CCG is currently and continuously categorizing and typing its numerous cable types to determine which of the cables are to be considered construction products and which reaction to fire classes should reasonably be specified for these cables. Unfortunately, since this is a completely new regulatory area, the process is not entirely in our hands. For example, classification under reaction to fire classes A to E requires the involvement of a notified body, but it is only since 07/2016 that the first German testing institutes have been authorised to carry out the tests and factory audits in accordance with EN 50575.
You can find more information here: www.zvei.org
