Overview - IEC TR 60695-2-16:2025 (Glow‑wire / pyrometer round robin summary)
IEC TR 60695-2-16:2025 is a Technical Report from the IEC that documents the results of a pre‑round robin and two round robin tests on the use of pyrometers for glow‑wire temperature measurements performed according to IEC 60695-2-10. The report summarizes objectives, test plans, participant data and measurement comparisons (pyrometer vs thermocouple), and supports a proposal for a new Annex in IEC 60695-2-10 that defines minimum technical characteristics and usage conditions for pyrometers as an alternative temperature‑measurement method.
Key technical topics and requirements
- Measurement verification: Comparative evaluation of pyrometer measurements against conventional thermocouple readings under glow‑wire test conditions.
- Instrument characteristics and usage conditions: Proposed minimum technical specifications for pyrometers (field of view, emissivity considerations, response time, positioning) and recommended usage practices as an alternative to thermocouples.
- Calibration and traceability: Requirements and procedures for pyrometer calibration documented in the second round robin.
- Test plans and repeatability: Pre‑round robin and two round robin test plans that address measurement reproducibility across multiple laboratories.
- Physical and geometric factors: Analysis of glow‑wire pocket‑hole dimensions, thermocouple air gap, and their influence on temperature readings (including X‑ray CT scan investigations).
- Material verification tests: Use of melting‑point samples (e.g., silver and potassium bromide) to compare pyrometer and thermocouple performance.
- Data quality and uncertainty: Assessment of inter‑laboratory data consistency, heating‑current verification and criteria for acceptable measurement uncertainty.
Practical applications
- Ensures consistent, repeatable glow‑wire testing in fire hazard evaluations for electrical and electronic components and insulating materials.
- Enables laboratories to adopt non‑contact temperature measurement (pyrometer) where appropriate - reducing probe intrusion and potential perturbation of the test sample.
- Supports manufacturers, test houses and certification bodies seeking harmonized procedures for temperature measurement during fire hazard testing and component safety certification.
- Informs instrument manufacturers and calibration labs about minimum technical and calibration requirements for pyrometers used in standardized glow‑wire tests.
Who should use this Technical Report
- Test laboratories performing IEC 60695 glow‑wire testing
- Product safety and compliance engineers in electronics, appliances and automotive sectors
- Standards committees and accreditation bodies
- Pyrometer and thermocouple manufacturers, and calibration laboratories
Related standards
- IEC 60695-2-10 (glow‑wire test method - temperature measurement fundamentals) - primary normative reference.
- Other parts of the IEC 60695 series on fire hazard testing.
Keywords: IEC TR 60695-2-16:2025, glow‑wire testing, pyrometer, thermocouple, IEC 60695-2-10, fire hazard testing, round robin, temperature measurement, calibration, measurement uncertainty.
Open preview (PDF)Fire hazard testing - Part 2-16: Glowing/hot-wire based test methods - Summary of the round robin tests related to the use of pyrometer for glow-wire temperature measurements according to IEC 60695-2-10
