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FIA SuitRacing

The importance of FIA type approval on your competition overall

Do you know the importance of FIA 8856-2000 type approval on competition overalls?

When a rally pilots choose their competition overalls they look for the qualities of comfort and aesthetic, but the most importance feature is the security provided by their FIA overalls.

Toda homologación FIA debe estar indicada en el mono mostrando el número de homologación y el año de fabricación

FIA 8856-2000 type approval is the warranty for the pilot that the overalls he is going to by brings maximum security when being on the steering wheel.

For the correct type approval of a FIA 8856-2000 overall is essential to do a series of test to all the fabrics and closing mechanisms of the overall to certificate. Those test will be done over 3 samples of every original fabric contained on the overall and over 3 samples of every fabric on dry, wet or commercial wash.

Hereunder the test done on FIA overall are described:

Dimensional stability: This test is done after washing the fabric to check if the original dimensions are mantained. This way it is ensured for pilots that their FIA overalls are not going to shrink after washing them.

Convective heat: This test is the most important one to certificate a FIA 8856-2000 overall. Convective heat consist on applying a direct flame to the fabric, with a heat detector on the other side of the flame, being in contact with the fabric, the time spent into reaching 24ªC is measured. Time must be 11 second minimum. Like this, pilots can be ensured that their FIA overall are going to protect them from flames heat during a time frame in case of accident.

Resistance to sewings traction: This testing method is used to determine the maximum traction strength that the most important overall’s sewings can withstand, or in other words, the sewings submitted to the most tension due to the movements and the pilot’s position.

Horizontal positioned flame: To determine the behaviour against fire of FIA overall, a flame is applied during 10 seconds in perpendicular to the fabric, later the flame is withdrawn and is checked that the fabric does not burn more than 2 seconds. In addition the flame’s mark on the fabric is observed. This way the behaviour of FIA overall before fire could be determined, i. e., if it is flame retardant.

Besides these four tests it is checked that the closures, like zippers, are always effective when opening or closing under extreme heat or cold conditions.

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