Industrial Fire Detection and Early Warning Systems
Standards-compliant fire detection and early warning systems protecting life and property in industrial facilities.
Fire detection in industrial facilities operates under conditions unlike an office building. High ceilings, dust, steam, welding fumes and constant air movement cause a standard detector either to detect late or to raise continual false alarms. False alarms are the most common reason a system ends up being disabled. Contech designs fire detection systems around the real environmental conditions of the plant.
A design starts by dividing the facility into zones. Production hall, raw material store, electrical room, chemical store and office area each carry different fire risk and call for a different detection method. For each zone, the likely combustion product is assessed: early smoke appears first in an electrical room, flame in a chemical store, a rise in heat in a cable tunnel. Detector selection follows that assessment. Optical smoke detectors are effective on slowly developing fires but raise false alarms in dusty environments; heat detectors are unaffected by dust but detect later; flame detectors come into their own on fast-developing liquid fires. Halls with high ceilings and strong air movement are a special case, because smoke dilutes before reaching the ceiling; there, aspirating systems or beam detectors are evaluated. For electrical panels and cable galleries, in-panel early detection is planned separately. With an addressable system, every detector appears individually at the panel; which point raised the alarm is known immediately, which directly shortens response time. On zonal systems, only the zone is known. Cabling is carried out in fire-resistant types, since circuit integrity must be maintained for a defined period under flame. Audible and visual alarm devices are positioned with production noise in mind, and sound levels are calculated to stay above ambient noise. The system is tied into the facility’s emergency plan: stopping ventilation, closing fire dampers, returning lifts to ground level and, where required, safely stopping the production line are linked through the automation. After installation, every detector is tested individually, alarm device sound levels are measured and the commissioning report is handed to the plant. A periodic testing and maintenance schedule is planned alongside.
- Facility divided into zones, with detection method chosen per zone by likely combustion product.
- Detector types that avoid false alarms in dusty, steamy and welding environments.
- Aspirating or beam detectors evaluated for halls with high ceilings.
- In-panel early detection for electrical panels and cable galleries.
- Addressable systems showing every detector individually, shortening response time.
- Fire-resistant cabling maintaining circuit integrity under flame.
- Integration with ventilation shutdown, damper closing and safe line stopping.
- Fire detection in production halls, raw material and finished goods stores
- Early detection in electrical rooms and inside panels
- Flame detection in chemical and solvent stores
- Heat detection in cable galleries and tunnels
- Converting an existing system to an addressable one
Our system raises constant false alarms — what can be done?
False alarms usually come from a detector type unsuited to the environment; an optical smoke detector in a dusty hall is the most common example. Environmental conditions are examined zone by zone and detector types are changed. The most dangerous outcome is disabling the system instead of resolving the false alarms.
What is the difference between addressable and zonal systems?
On an addressable system every detector appears individually at the panel, so the point raising the alarm is known immediately. On a zonal system only the zone is known and the point has to be searched for. In large facilities that difference markedly affects response time.
Can the fire system stop the production line?
Yes, where required. Stopping ventilation, closing fire dampers and bringing the line to a safe stop are linked through the automation. Which scenario triggers what is decided together with the facility’s emergency plan.
Related Services
All ServicesLet's discuss your project
Tell us what you need. We will assess the site conditions together and propose a solution built for you.