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3/4/15, 6:13 PM   #1
uniforms
bowbuild
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Are all uniforms with SFI 3.2/5 rating the same or is their more we need to look at?
 
3/4/15, 6:28 PM   #2
Mattmac05
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I would only buy nomex. They make treated cotton suits that are sfi5, but I think whatever they use to treat the cotton eventually wears off after so many washes.
 
3/4/15, 11:10 PM   #3
Re: uniforms
Bad Dad 54
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http://www.ogracing.com/blog/2013/01...-driving-suit/

The SFI is a rating for suits on how long it will protect you in a fire, what you have to look at is the track you race on. Is it a 1/4 mile w/ walls or 1/2 mile w/ no walls. How long is it going to take the safety crew to get to me? (If the track doesn't have one LEAVE). Ok to measure a suit have a tailor do your measuring, tell him what it's for, make sure it's lose fitting as the air gap inside is also an insulation factor. Do not get a tight fitting suit, heat will transfer quicker, it's not the fire but the heat that burns you. Get some good underwear too, believe you don't need it & a t-shirt will be fine? Then you're an idiot, put on a wet t-shirt & hold a hair dryer up to it at full heat. Sweat soaked t-shirt don't get it, think of you family, your job. You're laid up from burns cause you can't work is tough.
 
1 member likes this post: davidm
3/5/15, 12:16 AM   #4
Re: uniforms
Joe Whisler
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(Disclaimer: I am with Hinchman Racing Uniforms. Part of what I do is our R&D, which includes testing of materials and combinations to be used in suits.)

The quick answer is NO. I could spend the next 12 hours writing on this topic, but I will save all of us that trouble.

If a suit has a patch for SFI 3.2A/5, it means that it is "MANUFACTURER CERTIFIED" to meet a certain set of testing minimum parameters. Each manufacturer sends in specific material lay ups to be tested for each specific suit combination (example: Hinchman's Tri-Ply). Once the samples pass SFI's testing, the manufacture can "Certify" that suit's combination exceeds SFI's minimums for that category by sewing the SFI patch to it.

3.2A = Racing Suit.
/5 = TPP greater than or equal to 19

(the next TPP grade being /10 which is greater than or equal to 38)

Divide the TPP# by 2, to get the theoretical # of seconds to a 2nd degree sub-dermal burn. (Example TPP = 19.0 = 9.5 Seconds)

http://www.sfifoundation.com/wp-cont....2A_032713.pdf

So the first variable in your question is that it could be a TPP of 19.0 all the way up to 37.99. We currently sell 4 different combinations in this category ranging from (SFI test average) 19.6 to 31.5. Each of those combinations are quite a bit different.

Another variable was mentioned by another poster: Materials. There are WAAAAY too many materials to even begin to talk about here, and opinions... well you know what they say. There are a lot of factors that come into play when we are looking at what materials we use. Obviously TPP, Flammability, Thermal Shrinkage... But how well will the material hold up? Who is our customer base? Will it be as protective (and keep the driver looking good) after 1 season? 2 seasons? 10 seasons? Believe it or not, these are legitimate questions we ask ourselves. Side note: I have a suit in for alteration right now that we sold the customer July 31, 1984. He is now Vintage Racing. Another factor is driver comfort. Some of this is in materials, some in construction.

Unfortunately, from here I should probably stop before I get too long winded and get into specifics within the industry. I will, however, answer questions if I can.
 
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