Wood processing plants

Continuously flammable materials such as veneers, wood chips, sewage sludge or animal feed are dried in dryers in order to achieve a defined residual moisture content for further processing stages. Dryers are crucial parts of the production process: Material inlet and outlet points as well as extraction-, control- or cooling air ducts connect the dryer to other process areas.

• Materials and build-ups in a dryer can quickly be ignited by overheating, friction or machine break.
• High fire load of the materials and build-ups
• Sparks or glowing embers can escape via extraction ducts to outside surfaces and may lead to explosions

To protect the actual dryers against fire, Minifog ProCon water mist systems offer a particularly efficient fire extinguishing technology. ProCon extinguishing nozzles serve to finely spray the extinguishing water. This means that Minifog ProCon systems, compared with conventional deluge systems, consume up to 70 percent less water.

The areas where flammable materials are pneumatically extracted or transported presentan increased risk of fire. This particularly applies to the material mix in the extraction and conveyor systems.

• Sparks, hot particles or glowing embers in the processing machinery that penetrate into the conveyor systems
• Dust explosions

Function-monitored spark detectors respond reliably and immediately to the infrared radiation of passing ignition sources. They transmit a signal to the fire detection system, which consequently activates the solenoid valve of the automatic extinguishing systems within milliseconds. The extinguishing water is released through self-closing nozzles into the conveyor flow. The glowing particles fly into the water mist formed by the extinguishing nozzle and are thus extinguished. Immediately afterwards, the solenoid valve closes automatically.

Control rooms are very sensitive and high-quality facilities which control fundamental production processes. They contain electric switching and control equipment plus false floors with extensive cabling. Even minor defects may cause substantial operational failures.

• Short circuits
• Highly flammable materials

Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems offer reliable protection in control rooms. For smaller control rooms, MX 1230 extinguishing systems offer an economical alternative. The extinguishing system is triggered by a fire detection system using punctiform smoke detectors or HELIOS AMX5000 aspirating smoke detectors.

Offices, conference rooms and dining rooms are generally used by staff and guests. In addition, staff members may also retire to break rooms or smoking rooms and to kitchens during work. Corridors run through the entire building, serving as a main traffic route.

• Defective electrical devices such as projectors and computers
• Overheating of the lighting
• Short circuits at vending machines

Minifog EconAqua water mist extinguishing systems offer space- and water-saving protection and can be connected to an existing sprinkler system. In areas with higher ceilings, sprinkler systems provide reliable fire protection. 

Server rooms are important, sensitive areas. In these rooms, data of high importance for business operations is stored, managed and exchanged over the network. The irretrievable loss of this data through a fire may have considerable economic consequences for productivity or even the future of a company.

• Overheating of technical equipment
• Defects such as short circuits
• Considerable damage even in the case of small fires

For small and medium-sized server rooms, the MX 1230 extinguishing system is the ideal solution. It gives residue-free extinguishing using the innovative FK 5-1-12 extinguishing agents and requires very little space. Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are ideal for large server rooms. The MX 1230 extinguishing system and Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are triggered, and fires are detected, by a fire detection system using a HELIOS AMX5000 smoke aspirating system.

Hazardous substances are materials or mixtures that are explosive, combustible or harmful to human health or the environment. Warehouses where such substances are stored have a great variety of typical designs, subject, however, to specific laws and regulations applicable to their construction. Such provisions require e.g., fall-safe storage, soil protection in the form of collecting reservoirs and extinguishing water retention systems as well as the prevention of operational sources of ignition.

• Rapid spread of fire
• Devastating effects of fire on people and the environment

As a rule, the planned fire protection system for hazardous substance storage is determined in particular by the characteristics of the stored goods. Accordingly, nearly the full range of fire extinguishing systems is used in such facilities. For this type of storage, Oxeo inert gas extinguishing systems are often the preferred solution: they extinguish fires quickly without leaving residue, and reactions between the burnt materials and extinguishing agents are precluded. Alternatives are Oxeo EcoPrevent systems or CO₂ or foam extinguishing systems. A fire detection system triggers the extinguishing systems. UniVario flame and heat detectors are used for detection purposes.

During the entire production process, the raw materials, auxiliaries and consumables are transported to the next processing stations through enclosed or open conveyor belt systems.

• Overheated roller bearings
• Sparks generated during maintenance or welding works
• Spontaneous combustion of the material to be conveyed

Deluge systems are ideal for protecting conveyor belts against fire, as the rapid spreading of fire requires immediate and large-scale activation or extinguishing across the entire protected area. Minifog ProCon water mist extinguishing systems are an efficient alternative for the direct protection of conveyor belt systems. A significant advantage is that this system uses considerably less extinguishing water compared to deluge systems. Detection of fires and triggering of the extinguishing system is via a fire detection system equipped with UniVario flame detectors and multisensor fire gas detectors.

Filter systems are used whenever the production process generates fumes, or when dusts are released through abrasion. Fine dusts occur for example, when milling or cutting plastics or when processing other materials.

• Explosive atmosphere
• Highly flammable dust in the filter bags

Carbon dioxide extinguishing systems are ideal for protecting filter housings against fires. In the case of metal extraction, however, the Oxeo extinguishing system using the argon extinguishing agent is the right choice to preclude interactions of the extinguishing agent with combustible metal. A fire detection system will trigger the extinguishing system.