Amid rising consumer anxiety about fire, following a string of major fires that have caused casualties due to the use of fire-vulnerable building materials, a fire-retardant home door that can guard against fires in multi-use facilities and homes has been launched, drawing attention.
Cube Inc. (Chairman Kim Jin-dong), a manufacturer of non-combustible materials, has launched its fire-retardant home door 'SAFED,' which replaces conventional membrane doors and ABS home doors that are vulnerable to fire, and has begun a full-scale push into the home door market.
The product Cube Inc. developed and unveiled after years of research is made by firing vermiculite mineral at 1,300 degrees and then forming it into sheets through a papermaking process. The vermiculite sheet, which has obtained the KFI flame-retardant certification issued by the Korea Fire Institute (KFI), is applied to both surfaces of the 'SAFED' door to produce a safe door that does not burn.
Conventional membrane doors and ABS doors use PVC decorative sheets (synthetic resin), which generate toxic gases in the event of a fire, posing extreme danger. In contrast, 'SAFED' produces no flame spread and no toxic gas during a fire, minimizing casualties.
In the Korea Fire Institute (KFI) smoke density test, SAFED's smoke density was measured at 47.2 to 53.1—significantly lower than the standard of DM(corr) 400 or below—proving its safety. It also showed excellent results in the density test, afterflame, afterglow, char area, char length, radon inspection, and heavy metal inspection. In addition, with a low thermal transmittance of 0.39 W/㎡K, it offers superior insulation to membrane and ABS doors, and its outstanding soundproofing and impact resistance mean it is not easily broken even by external intrusion.
Cube Inc. Chairman Kim Jin-dong explained, “Interior home doors should no longer be chosen merely as aesthetic designs that satisfy the eye or as simple partitions. Only by using verified materials with fire-resistant substance can much misfortune be prevented and happiness enjoyed. Fire can strike anyone without warning, and the only option is to always be prepared and ready. In a true emergency, simply closing the door should turn a space into a safe zone for evacuation, and if no toxic gas is released, the golden time is extended even further, allowing lives to be saved. A SAFE DOOR that protects the safety of the people will become the new standard for home doors.”
Applying patented technology, a fire-retardant home door is completed by heat-laminating flame-retardant LPM onto a mineral sheet
The SAFED home door uses vermiculite mineral sheets produced with proprietary patented technology for both the inner and outer skins, and the surface design is created by bonding highly durable flame-retardant LPM under heat and pressure, resulting in a home door with high moisture resistance, non-combustibility, stain resistance, and dimensional stability.
There are two types of conventional home doors. ABS synthetic-resin doors are resistant to moisture and are mainly used for bathroom doors in humid areas, while membrane doors made of MDF wood are used for room doors in low-humidity areas—though ABS synthetic-resin doors are increasingly being used for room doors as well. The SAFED door, however, can be used for both bathroom doors and room doors without distinction. This is because both the inner and outer skins used in the door are made from mineral sheets that are moisture-resistant and highly rigid, and from thermosetting resin. The sheet has strong physical properties that undergo no deformation whatsoever from heat or chemical reactions, and the production of a 2 mm-thick sheet is unprecedented anywhere in the world.
Cube Inc. has formally brought its fire-retardant home door 'SAFED' to market and has begun both special-order and retail sales. Cube Inc. assessed that, given the current trend of increasing high-priced housing and the very high consumer interest in eco-friendliness and safety, the SAFED home door has ample market competitiveness. In addition, because SAFED doors are shipped with a flame-retardant certification stamp affixed to every product during distribution—without distinguishing between ordinary doors and flame-retardant doors—they instill confidence in the product among consumers and can be applied immediately in all locations such as multi-use establishments stipulated in fire-safety laws, which is expected to greatly reduce the inconvenience of having to wait after ordering. Furthermore, since they can be applied to fire-vulnerable built-in wardrobes, sink cabinets, shoe cabinets, and sliding hanger doors, offering differentiated competitiveness, a strong response is anticipated from sellers looking to handle a stable revenue item.
Along with the fire-retardant home door SAFED, Cube Inc. plans to unveil a variety of interior items with flame-retardant performance, such as architectural composite panels, ship furniture, and wall finishing materials that use flame-retardant sheets. In particular, at a time when responding to fires is becoming more difficult due to the increase in high-rise apartments, the company plans to help protect residents’ lives and property through the development of various flame-retardant items that can prevent fires. 043-881-3581
▲ Direct-flame combustion test of a membrane door, SAFED door, and ABS door
