Introduction
FP200 Gold is a fire resistant cable produced by a manufacturer called Prysmian. It is classified as 'standard' fire cable, which is a classification defined by British fire alarm and emergency lighting standards.
So what is it used for? In this article, we'll outline four use cases for FP200 Gold cable to help give you an idea of where it's installed and why.
Construction
Before we take a look at what FP200 Gold cable is used for, it's first worth understanding how it is constructed, in order to give you a better idea as to why normal non-fire-resistant isn't always good enough.
FP200 is fully screened with aluminium foil, which helps prevent interference or crosstalk from other cables run alongside it. As well as this, it features a low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) outer sheath which produces far less toxic emissions than, for example, standard PVC. Other cables can be screened with an LSZH jacket though, so what's different with FP200?
Firstly, a full-size CPC (Circuit Protective Conductor) is in direct contact with the screen. As well as this, the cable features tough Insudite insulation, which makes the cable very damage-resistant. Lastly, FP200 is tested against a variety of standards for construction, fire resistance, flame propagation, smoke emission and corrosive & acid gas.
Use Cases
1. Fire Detection & Fire Alarm Systems
It goes without saying that systems that are designed to detect and make people aware of fires in buildings need to be as fire resistant as possible. If the cables used in these systems burnt up straight away, the whole thing would be useless as the alarms and detectors wouldn't be able to talk to each other. Hence, fire resistant cable must be used here.
2. Voice Alarm Systems & Emergency Voice Communication
Again, as mentioned above, because voice alarm systems such as loudspeakers need to continue functioning in case of emergency, the cables in these systems must be resistant to fire and damage.
3. Emergency & Escape Lighting
Emergency lighting needs to remain active during an emergency to allow people to find their way out of a building when normal lighting has ceased to function. This means that once again, the cables used in these systems must be fire and damage resistant.
4. Control Circuits For Life Safety & Fire Fighting Systems
This use case is probably the most obvious. Systems that are used in fire fighting must be able to resist fire as they may come in direct contact with it.
Where Can You Buy It?
Now that you know what FP200 cable is used for, you probably want to know where it can be bought from. At Cable Intelligence we have good stock of this cable with regular shipments coming into our warehouse. What's more, we are usually able to offer it at a very competitive price compared to the 'big' online companies, so it's always worth clicking here to see our prices.
