Executive Summary: Raising the Bar on Compliance and Quality in Cable Manufacturing
In railway cable manufacturing, meeting EN 45545 and ISO 5660-1 benchmarks defines not just compliance—but trust, credibility, and sustained contract eligibility.
This case study highlights how a leading Indian Railways cable supplier strengthened its fire-safety validation process by adopting DNG’s Cone Calorimeter—a system built in India with globally aligned components, rigorous calibration, and unmatched repeatability.
Compliance Roadblocks: Where Traditional Fire Testing Falls Short
Many suppliers still rely on legacy calorimeters or outsourced testing. These setups often cause inconsistent results, longer certification cycles, and limited traceability.
Typical bottlenecks include:
- Inconsistent test conditions: Uneven heat-flux and unstable airflow distort results.
- Data fragmentation: Manual readings or disconnected systems hinder analytics and audit reporting.
- Integration challenges: Older systems don’t sync with digital QA environments, making compliance proof tedious.
The cable manufacturer faced all three issues—leading to repetitive testing, delayed audits, and inefficiencies in quality reporting.
Solution Spotlight: DNG’s Cone Calorimeter — Precision, Reliability, and Compliance Engineered In
When the supplier upgraded to DNG’s Cone Calorimeter, the goal wasn’t just new hardware—it was end-to-end reliability.
What Sets DNG Apart
- Locally Engineered, Globally Aligned: Designed and manufactured in India, DNG’s system adheres strictly to ISO 5660-1 / ASTM E1354 methodologies and EN 45545 requirements.
- Precision-Built Components:
- Conical Radiant Heater: Crafted from high-temperature alloys with uniform heat-flux mapping for stable exposures.
- Gas Analysis Train: Uses a finely tuned oxygen analyzer and exhaust-flow controller to maintain accuracy in HRR measurement.
- Photometric Optics: Laser-based smoke measurement with self-aligned detectors for long-term signal stability.
- Quality Assurance Manufacturing: Every unit undergoes multi-stage calibration—heat-flux mapping, flow verification, and oxygen span checks—before leaving the factory.
- Digital Integration: Plug-and-play connectivity with LIMS or QA databases enables automated data logging, report generation, and traceable audit trails.
- Operator Empowerment: DNG’s training modules and maintenance programs ensure consistent operation and minimal downtime.
“With DNG’s Cone Calorimeter, our test workflow became more predictable and repeatable. It brought data confidence we didn’t have before,” — Quality Head, Indian Railways Cable Supplier
Implementation and Measured Improvements
The manufacturer integrated DNG’s system into its QA laboratory, replacing an outdated foreign-make calorimeter.
Key outcomes included:
- Standardized procedures: Test methods aligned seamlessly with railway tender specifications and audit templates.
- Faster review cycles: Digital result exports cut down manual report preparation.
- Reliable reproducibility: Calibrated hardware reduced test-to-test variation, improving confidence during audits.
- Cross-functional insight: Engineers could analyze heat-release and smoke-generation trends to refine cable formulations.
The focus shifted from reactive troubleshooting to proactive compliance planning.
Behind the Build: What Makes DNG’s Cone Calorimeter World-Class
Unlike rebranded imports, DNG’s equipment is designed, machined, and assembled in-house—allowing full control over quality and customization.
Engineering Integrity in Every Component
- High-Grade Materials: Use of corrosion-resistant stainless steel and refractory insulation ensures durability under continuous thermal load.
- Precision Machining: CNC-fabricated fixtures and mounts maintain geometric accuracy for reproducible results.
- Thermal Stability: Optimized insulation design minimizes temperature drift during extended runs.
- Calibration Rigor: Each system is factory-tested with traceable instruments for heat-flux, flow, and oxygen linearity verification.
- Serviceability: Modular design enables easy calibration checks and quick component replacements—critical for labs working to tight certification timelines.
These manufacturing details are the unseen factors that define measurement confidence and audit readiness in the long term.
ROI Beyond Numbers: Operational Confidence and Compliance Continuity
While DNG’s Cone Calorimeter streamlines certification, its greater value lies in predictable quality control.
With automation, data traceability, and long-term system stability, quality teams can:
- Validate formulations faster for new railway contracts.
- Maintain test integrity across production batches.
- Demonstrate end-to-end traceability to auditors and clients.
- Operate confidently under evolving EN 45545 and ISO 5660-1 updates.
“The equipment supplied by DNG has enhanced our research and compliance capability in material fire testing.” — Dr. S. Wazed Ali, IIT Delhi
Is Your Fire Testing Infrastructure Audit-Ready?
Ask yourself:
- Are your results repeatable across every test cycle?
- Is your QA team equipped with traceable, digital-ready fire-testing data?
- Does your calorimeter align with EN 45545 and ISO 5660-1 without workarounds?
- Can your process withstand audit scrutiny without additional validation steps?
If the answer is “not yet,” DNG’s in-house engineered Cone Calorimeter can help you modernize with minimal disruption.
Why DNG Technologies
- Engineering Depth: Built by specialists with decades in fire-testing instrumentation.
- Lifecycle Partnership: From design and calibration to operator training and maintenance.
- Future-Ready Integration: Software and data architecture aligned with evolving QA and compliance platforms.
- Made-in-India Assurance: Local manufacturing and service mean faster support and total component traceability.
Next Step: Schedule a Compliance Consultation
Explore how your laboratory can meet the next level of reliability in fire-performance testing.
Request a confidential, no-obligation consultation with DNG’s compliance experts.
We’ll assess your setup, suggest calibration improvements, and design a path toward smoother, standard-aligned testing—without sales pressure, only practical guidance.
Contact DNG Technologies to make your fire-testing process more precise, efficient, and compliant with EN 45545, ISO 5660-1, and Indian Railways specifications.
