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Engineering Excellence: The PAROC® Vect Development Journey | Paroc Article
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RnD Leader Melanie Aubert with PAROC Vect Mat

Engineering Excellence: The PAROC® Vect Development Journey

Written By PAROC Technical Insulation•Date Published 2025-09-17

When new opportunities emerged to enhance fire protection levels, the PAROC® R&D team saw a chance to innovate. They transformed their approach to fire protection of ventilation ducts. The result is the PAROC® Vect portfolio: a testament to rigorous testing, close customer collaboration, and an unwavering commitment to safety and quality.

Developing advanced fire protection products requires exceptional engineering expertise. The PAROC® Vect portfolio required striking a delicate balance between regulatory compliance and real-world usability. The team never compromised on safety standards, but they also focused on creating products that installers would want to use in practice.

“The main challenge is to engineer products that are fully compliant and yet competitive in the market. Customers want solutions that are light and flexible, but to meet strict fire requirements, sometimes you need to make products thicker, denser, and less flexible than customers might prefer,” says Owens Corning R&D Leader Melanie Aubert.

“Our goal was to build a portfolio that is stronger and meets all criteria for fire safety. This challenge became an opportunity to fundamentally reimagine our approach to HVAC fire protection solutions. Instead of quick fixes, we embarked on a comprehensive re-development journey”, Aubert adds.

RnD team with PAROC Vect Mat

Engineering for the Future

The investment in PAROC® Vect went indeed far beyond product development as it included also strengthening the resources. Owens Corning Paroc significantly expanded its R&D team, bringing in specialists like Miroslav Smolka to deepen the R&D fire expertise.

“We hired new people not only in R&D, but also in quality and product management,” explains Aubert. “Enhanced testing capabilities will further strengthen our development process, enabling more internal validation and faster iteration cycles.”

The Science Behind Safety

Technical validation of PAROC® Vect products involved rigorous testing at Europe's leading fire laboratories. The new PAROC® Vect systems are classified to EN 13501-3, based on tests to EN 1366-1.

Miroslav Smolka, Senior Engineer in R&D, explains the comprehensive approach behind the testing process.

"Our stone wool is inherently non-combustible and achieves the highest fire safety classifications, such as A1 or A2, according to the EN 13501-1 standard, which is the European classification system for the reaction to fire performance of construction products and building elements. This means our products do not contribute to fire development and offer reliable protection in real-life scenarios. The robustness and consistency of PAROC® stone wool are key reasons why our solutions are trusted across Europe", he notes. According to Smolka, each product must undergo extensive testing to meet European standards.

"Each insulated duct assembly must be tested at least in four scenarios—both in horizontal and vertical positions, and with fire exposure from inside and outside of the duct. There are numerous parameters in these standards, from temperature development to duct size. We work with top external laboratories in Europe, which are accredited and truly at the top of their field. Their expertise and authority ensure our products meet the highest standards."

The EN 13501-1 fire testing process determines crucial performance ratings like EI 30, EI 60, and EI 120—indicating how many minutes the product maintains integrity and insulation properties. During the testing process, thermocouples are installed on specific spots determined by the standard, for which each thermocouple, the temperature should never rise by more than 180 degrees Celsius, and the average of 4 specific thermocouples should not be above 140 degrees Celsius.

"If you have EI 30, it means the product has kept average surface rise above ambient temperature below 140 degrees, not exceeding 180 degrees at any measured point of the product surface and maintained integrity for at least 30 minutes", Smolka explains.

"We also ensure our solutions meet the highest tightness requirements to minimize smoke leakage throughout the building in case of an accidental fire. At the same time, the fire-protected duct doesn't distribute to smoke in a fire situation—an essential safety factor."

RnD Leader Melanie Aubert Owens Corning Fire Testing

Quality That Never Compromises

Commitment to quality is woven into every aspect of PAROC® Vect production.

“Quality at PAROC® is about more than just passing tests once. It’s about ensuring consistency, reliability, and performance in every product we deliver. We have also strengthened our resources to ensure that, for example, internal documentation about customer and market expectations towards a specific product, as well as incoming material specifications, are always in place and up to date”, Hannu-Petteri Mattila, Quality Development Manager, explains.

PAROC Vect Fire Resistance Testing

Listening to the Voice of the Customer

A defining feature of the PAROC® Vect development journey is its strong focus on customer collaboration.

“It´s essential we can transfer customer experience and knowledge directly into production. Direct feedback is always easier and more actionable than feedback filtered through several layers”, Mattila explains.

This iterative approach included application rooms at PAROC® factories in Sweden, Poland, and Finland, where customers could test products and provide real-world feedback.

"We presented our designs, gathered detailed feedback, then acted on it. When installers found a product too stiff and difficult to work with, we returned to the lab, made improvements, and brought them updated product samples. The customer response was clear: 'Yes, this is much better'”, Aubert adds.

Global Expertise, Local Solutions

The development of PAROC® Vect leveraged international expertise while addressing local market needs.

"We have a global R&D structure that brings together expertise from across our international network. This project benefited from our ability to leverage fire science knowledge and testing capabilities from multiple locations, while ensuring our solutions meet specific regional requirements", Aubert notes.

Aubert explains that the HVAC business is very local. Different markets have varying preferences for product aesthetics and installation methods. In some countries, circular ducts are preferred; in others, rectangular solutions are the norm.

“That’s why we work closely with our Sales and Marketing teams to understand and address these differences,” Aubert says.

This collaborative approach—integrating Sales, Marketing, and R&D from the very start—ensures PAROC® solutions are tailored to meet diverse regional needs. It’s not new for PAROC®, but the Vect project has taken this collaboration to a new level of intensity and focus.

PAROC Vect Mat Packaging Roll

Innovation That Makes a Difference

A standout innovation in the PAROC® Vect portfolio is the PAROC Vect Mat BlackCoat EI60 which combines fire protection, thermal insulation, and condensation prevention in a single solution. The product is designed as a one-layer installation with a 3-in-1 system that combines passive fire protection, condensation risk reduction and thermal insulation for circular ductwork in HVAC systems. 

“This integrated approach is a significant advance over traditional two-layer solutions.” Aubert explains.

Reflections on the Development Journey

The PAROC® Vect portfolio is more than a technical achievement—it embodies Owens Corning Paroc commitment to safety, innovation, and customer partnership. The development journey has strengthened internal collaboration and set new standards for engaging customers in product development.

“I’m happy I could contribute my experience to the success of this project,” reflects Smolka. “This portfolio is more than products—it’s about delivering real safety to people who rely on our solutions in buildings across Europe.”

Smolka's specialized expertise in fire testing and approvals, honed through years as a global fire protection expert, helped strengthen the approach to ensure PAROC® Vect portfolio meets the most demanding requirements.

“My role has been to coordinate testing and approvals, making sure our solutions are robust, reliable, and fully documented. Working with top institutes, we’re building a portfolio that stands up to the strictest standards.”

Mattila highlights the collaborative spirit. 

“There’s a strong sense that we’re all working toward the same goal. The teamwork between R&D, quality, and customer-facing teams has never been stronger.”

Looking ahead, Aubert sees the broader impact of their work:

"PAROC® Vect demonstrates that when engineering expertise meets customer insight and unwavering quality standards, the result is fire protection solutions that deliver on their promise of protecting precious life below", she concludes.

For more information about the PAROC® Vect range, please contact us: 

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Explore the PAROC® Vect products here:

PAROC Vect Mat BlackCoat EI60

PAROC Vect Mat BlackCoat EI60

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PAROC Vect Wired Mat BlackCoat EI30

PAROC Vect Wired Mat BlackCoat EI30

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PAROC Vect Wired Mat BlackCoat EI60

PAROC Vect Wired Mat BlackCoat EI60

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