At WHP Trainingtowers™, we stay ahead of the competition by constantly innovating. Whether it’s the training tower structures themselves or accessories that enhance training, we are always looking for ways to make firefighter training more realistic, safer, more accessible, and more affordable. One of the products we’re most proud of is our Padgenite burn panels.
What Is a Padgenite Burn Panel?
An essential component of any fire training facility is the burn room, where firefighters can practice real-life scenarios and hone their skills. A burn room is only as effective as the insulating material selected to protect the structure. Werner-Herbison-Padgett (the company our founder, Bill Jahnke bought in 1997 and renamed WHP Trainingtowers™) introduced the first high-temperature, thermal insulating burn room panels specifically made for fire training. These burn panels are one inch thick and made from calcium silicate which provides the optimum blend of durability and heat resistance. Because these panels produce a controlled fire, they enable firefighters to experience the heat, smoke, and challenges of an actual fire without the associated risks. Padgenite™ panels are engineered to simulate real fire conditions while ensuring the utmost safety for trainees.
Continuous Innovation in Burn Panels
Over the years, we have improved upon these panels. We started with Padgenite I™ – a calcium-silicate-based thermal lining system that provided the best balance of durability and thermal protection. In 2002, we developed Padgenite Super™ which is a denser board able to withstand higher temperatures. Our latest iteration is our Padgenite Interlock System™.
Padgenite Interlock System™
In 2020, we introduced our Padgenite Interlock™ System. As materials and machining technologies have evolved, we were able to create an even more durable and safer system. We still utilize a calcium-silicate-based thermal lining system, but now our Padgenite™ burn panels fit in a grid system. This system offers several advantages:
- Insulation – With its built-in air space, it insulates so effectively that you can touch the outside metal of a WHP building while burning with no discomfort.
- No Cooldown Period Required – Because it requires no cooldown periods between live burns, the Padgenite Interlock™ system allows firefighters to conduct more training evolutions.
- Retrofitting – The system can be used to update existing burn rooms as well as burn rooms in new towers.
Our Padgenite Interlock™ system features the highest density board offered on the market, making it the most durable and quality consistent burn room panel offered in a thermal lining system to date. The panels are part of a system that arrives on-site with a full set of pre-engineered drawings. This thermal lining system can be used with both Class A and Class B training.
Retrofitting Makes Our Padgenite Interlock™ System Affordable
Whether a burn room is in a concrete structure, metal building, or shipping container, we can retrofit it with our Padgenite™ burn panels. This allows departments and districts to upgrade their training towers without the substantial expense of building a new tower. Our goal is to make fire training available to as many firefighters as possible. Keeping costs low by retrofitting existing buildings with the latest and best Padgenite burn panels allows more accessibility to more firefighters.
New Padgenite Interlock™ Production Facility
All of that history leads us to today. Our burn panels have been so successful that demand has risen and, in response, we have expanded our manufacturing ability. We will now be processing our Padgenite Interlock System™ at our new facility at 3520 Robinson Pike Road in Grandview, Missouri. (pictured above). This location is dedicated solely to creating our Padgenite burn panels and Padgenite Interlock™ System.
At WHP we are global leaders in fire training construction. If you’d like to learn more about WHP Trainingtowers’ innovative fire training products, hazmat props, or turnkey solutions, call 1-800-351-2525 (for international calls: 1-913-385-3663) or, contact us online!
