Makeover for fire test centre

Leighs Paints has completed the first phase of a multi-million pound rede- velopment plan to its onsite FIRETEX fire test centre.

The initial £500,000 investment to replace the stack and associated fil- tration system, will allow an in- creased number of new product de- velopment tests to be performed each day.

During the test, Leighs Paints fire protective coatings range, known as FIRETEX, are tested to extreme tem- peratures in two onsite furnaces. The tests play a vital role in ensuring the coatings protect steel structures from collapse in the event of a fire. Andy Taylor, Head of Science at Leighs Paints, said: “This is the first phase of an exciting redevelopment plan of our fire test facilities. It will help Leighs Paints’ technical team in their ongoing quest to develop safer and more efficient coatings.”