BISCO® FPC Fire Protection for Aerospace and Defence: How ABLE Enables Custom Converting for Complex Geometries
Fire protection becomes considerably more challenging when the components that need protecting are not flat, simple or easy to enclose.
Cables, wire bundles, electronic assemblies and other aerospace components often have irregular shapes and limited installation space. Engineers need fire protection that can conform to these geometries without adding unnecessary weight, complexity or bulk.
This is where BISCO® FPC Fire Protective Covering from Rogers Corporation can provide an important design advantage.
BISCO® FPC is a flexible silicone fire barrier designed to protect sensitive components from fire damage. The material consists of silicone elastomer cast directly onto a reinforcing fibreglass layer and is designed to resist flame burn-through at temperatures as high as 1,900°F (1,038°C). It also produces extremely low levels of smoke and toxic gas when exposed to fire.
As a Rogers Preferred Converter, ABLE can help manufacturers turn this flexible fire-protection material into custom components designed around the geometry and requirements of their application.
For aerospace and defence engineers, that means fire protection doesn’t necessarily have to be limited by the shape of the component.
Why Fire Protection Is Challenging Around Aerospace Electronics and Cables
In a small space, aerospace and defense systems frequently have heavy cable routing, electronic housings, power distribution lines, and other sensitive areas. Any material used for fire protection should offer protection without posing unnecessary problems in installation or interaction with adjacent components.
Hard barriers can be challenging to fit to curved surfaces, cable bundles, connectors, and irregularly shaped electronics. The use of flexible materials can offer more design flexibility and conform to those shapes with protective properties.
BISCO FPC is a flexible and durable silicone elastomer cast directly on a reinforcing fiberglass layer, especially suited for these kinds of applications. Rogers also provides FPC in other thicknesses and roll form, enabling fabrication to application-specific size.
What Is BISCO® FPC?
BISCO® FPC Fire Protective Covering is a specialty silicone foam developed by Rogers Corporation for protecting sensitive components from fire damage.
The material combines a silicone elastomer with a reinforcing fibreglass layer, creating a flexible yet durable construction. Rogers states that BISCO FPC can resist flame burn-through at temperatures up to 1,900°F (1,038°C) while helping reduce the spread of flames.
The material is available in thicknesses ranging from 0.063 to 0.250 inches, providing options for different application requirements.
Its flexible construction also allows it to be wrapped around cables and electronics or configured as a barrier curtain or blanket. Rogers identifies applications including electrical cable and power-line wraps and aerospace cargo covers.
Key characteristics include:
- Resistance to flame burn-through at temperatures up to 1900°F
- Low levels of smoke and toxic gas during fire exposure
- Flexible construction for wrapping and forming around components
- Good resistance to arcing
- Available in thicknesses from 0.063 to 0.250 inches
- Available with or without pressure-sensitive adhesive options
These characteristics make BISCO FPC useful when fire protection must be incorporated into assemblies without relying exclusively on rigid shielding.
How Does BISCO® FPC Protect Aerospace Components?
BISCO® FPC is designed to act as a protective barrier between a component and a fire source.
When exposed to extreme temperatures, the material helps resist flame penetration and burn-through, giving sensitive components additional protection.
The material’s construction is particularly important.
The silicone elastomer is directly cast onto a reinforcing fibreglass layer, creating a flexible material with durability and tear resistance.
This allows the material to be manipulated around complex components while maintaining its protective structure.
For example, instead of attempting to manufacture a rigid enclosure around a cable bundle, engineers can use a flexible fire-protective covering that conforms to the cable configuration.
That flexibility can make a significant difference when working with:
- Curved cable routes
- Irregular electronics packages
- Confined installation spaces
- Complex equipment geometries
- Areas where weight and space are limited
Fire Protection for Complex Geometries
The most significant benefit of flexible fire protective material is that it can meet the geometric requirements of the aerospace and defense industry, such as curved cable harness, uneven electronic packages, and limited installation space.
BISCO FPC can be wrapped around cables and electronics or fabricated into other shapes like barrier curtains, aircraft cargo covers, and blankets.
This is where custom converting becomes important.
Rather than treating the material as a simple sheet, ABLE can help transform BISCO® FPC into a component designed around the customer’s specific application.
How ABLE’s Converting Capabilities Add Value
Rogers develops the material technology. ABLE’s role is to help customers turn that material into a usable, application-specific component.
As a Rogers Preferred Converter, ABLE combines material knowledge with precision converting capabilities to support custom applications.
Rogers states that BISCO FPC is manufactured in roll form to allow fabricators to convert the material into specific dimensions.
This is where ABLE can provide additional value through processes such as:
Precision Die Cutting
Die cutting can be used to create repeatable shapes and configurations from flexible materials.
For BISCO® FPC, this can support the production of custom fire barriers, covers and other components where consistent geometry is important.
Laminating
Laminating can combine BISCO® FPC with other materials where the application requires additional functionality.
Depending on the design, multilayer constructions can help integrate fire protection with other requirements such as attachment or insulation.
Slitting
BISCO® FPC is available in roll form, making slitting an option for applications requiring specific widths.
Custom-width material can simplify downstream fabrication and installation.
Rapid Prototyping
Before committing to production, engineers may need to evaluate how a fire-protection component fits around an existing assembly.
ABLE’s rapid prototyping capabilities allow customers to test designs and make adjustments before moving into larger-scale production.
Assembly and Kitting
For complex aerospace systems, ABLE can also support assembly and kitting requirements, helping customers receive components in a more production-ready format.
BISCO® FPC Applications in Aerospace
BISCO FPC is designed for applications where sensitive components require protection from potential fire exposure. Rogers identifies electrical cable wraps and aircraft cargo covers among its applications.
Potential aerospace applications include:
- Cable and wire bundle protection
- Protection around electronic assemblies
- Fire barriers
- Aircraft cargo covers
- Flexible fire-protection blankets
- Protective coverings around irregularly shaped components
For aerospace manufacturers, ABLE can provide the converting expertise needed to transform BISCO FPC material into components tailored to the geometry and installation requirements of the application.
BISCO® FPC for Defense Applications
The need for lightweight, flexible fire protection extends beyond commercial aerospace.
Defence platforms can contain dense networks of:
- Power cables
- Communication systems
- Electronic equipment
- Sensors
- Computing hardware
- Mission systems
These systems may operate in environments where protection against heat, fire, vibration and other hazards is critical.
Flexible fire barriers can provide an option for protecting components where rigid systems may be difficult to integrate.
ABLE’s converting expertise can also help defence manufacturers develop application-specific prototypes and production components.
Why Choose ABLE as a Rogers Preferred Converter?
Choosing the right material is only one part of developing a high-performance component; it must also be converted accurately, consistently, and according to the final product’s design requirements. As a Rogers Preferred Converter, ABLE combines material knowledge, engineering support, precision converting, and prototyping capabilities to help aerospace and defense manufacturers develop customized solutions from concept through production. For applications involving cables, electronics, irregular surfaces, or other difficult-to-protect areas, ABLE can evaluate converting options for BISCO FPC and other Rogers materials.
Fire protection becomes more complex when aerospace and defense components have irregular geometries, limited installation space, or dense cable and electronics configurations. BISCO® FPC provides a flexible fire-protective material designed to resist flame burn-through up to 1900°F while producing low levels of smoke and toxic gas.
Combined with ABLE’s precision converting expertise, BISCO FPC can be transformed from flexible roll material into custom components designed for specific applications and geometries.
Contact ABLE to discuss BISCO FPC samples, custom converting options, and early-stage prototypes!
References:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/able-industrial-products/posts/?feedView=all
https://able123converting.com/blog/bisco-fire-protective-covering/
