PAFSS Fire Suppression System Success Story Midland Fire Protects CNC Warehouse

While it’s never nice hearing that a client has had to deal with a real life fire situation, it’s always good news for us when we learn that our work has made a difference and helped protect a local business. That’s how we felt when one of our clients recently got in touch to report the successful activation of a PAFSS system that we’d previously installed for them.

The fire in question started in the electrical control cabinet of a CNC brick setting machine belonging to a building products manufacturer. CNC machines can pose a particularly high fire risk as they’re unattended and automatic, and tool breakage and the use of flammable coolants or lubricants doesn’t help.

PAFSS (Pneumatically Actuated Fire Suppression Systems) is the perfect solution for protecting CNC machines, as it offers speedy detection and automatic suppression of fires at the source. In this instance, without PAFSS in place, the fire could have quickly spread throughout the vast warehouse space where it was located, which could have been devastating for the business owners, and also really dangerous for the staff on duty.

Let’s take a look at exactly what happened and how PAFSS stepped in to save the day.

“PAFSS is a really effective system in high-risk warehouse settings, and every business owner with CNC machines and other electrical enclosures should make sure they have them installed. We see time and again the damage they prevent when activated, and we’re pleased that we can do our bit to protect our clients’ businesses by fitting them.”

Matt Nicholls, Midland Fire Suppression Manager

The Incident

So how did it all start? Quite simply, during normal operations, an electrical short circuit occurred within the electrical control cabinet of the CNC machine, which led to the arcing and overheating of the machine’s components. This then likely caused sparking which ignited flammable materials in the machine (like wiring insulation or plastic parts), quickly starting a fire. This is a fairly common cause of industrial fires and something that should always be protected against by fire suppression systems.

Luckily in this case, an automatic fire suppression system was in place – installed by Midland Fire.

How their fire suppression system responded

PAFSS is designed to kick in automatically in situations like this, self-activating to put out the fire quickly and effectively, without the need for staff intervention.

Here’s a step by step breakdown of how it worked in this scenario:

1. FIRE DETECTION

The CNC machine was fitted with a detection tubing pressurised with inert gas, routed throughout the internal compartment of the machine’s control cabinet. When the fire broke out, the heat from the flames caused a localised section of the detection tube to rupture at the point of highest temperature.

2. SYSTEM ACTIVATION

The rupture triggered the system, depressurising the tubing instantly which opened a valve on the suppressant cylinder. This was done mechanically, meaning that no electrical components were needed – ideal for protecting against electrical faults like this one.

3. FIRE SUPPRESSION DISCHARGE

The system discharged the fire suppressant agent directly onto the fire through the ruptured section of the tube. In this case, the fire was extinguished almost immediately at its source, limiting its spread and impact. Meanwhile, the system communicated with the main fire alarm system, and the alarms sounded.

The outcome

The benefits of using a PAFSS system to automatically suppress a fire are immeasurable. In this scenario, our client benefited from the following:

• Minimal damage – As the fire was detected and extinguished so quickly, it didn’t have the chance to spread and completely destroy the CNC machine and any surrounding machinery. Instead, the machine only suffered superficial damage like minor charring and melted insulation.
• Saving lost business time – In this case, the need for major repairs to the machinery was avoided and the factory didn’t need to evacuate or shut down. The machine was back up and running quickly so operations weren’t drastically delayed.
• Staff were kept safe – Most importantly, no one was hurt as a result of the fire. The self-activating nature of the fire suppression system meant that staff didn’t put themselves in danger by trying to fight the flames, and a large fire which could have led to multiple injuries was avoided.
• Cost savings – The costs in the fallout of a fire can be devastating, often leading to businesses not being able to bounce back. But not in this case. Potentially thousands of pounds were saved related to machine repair, production loss and potential injuries. Happy days.

The benefits of PAFSS

The proof is all here – PAFSS really is worth the investment. It’s an automatic system, meaning that fires are brought under control quickly without compromising on the safety of staff, saving you money in the event of an incident and helping to protect your business.

Installation is easy on both new and existing equipment, and flexible tubing allows for an unlimited number of fire detection points in enclosed spaces. PAFSS systems are highly reliable, using polymer tubing that’s specially engineered and unaffected by dirt, dust or oil, keeping your equipment safe no matter what. You can monitor and control your system remotely too, meaning no nasty surprises.

Automatic fire suppression systems can be installed in all kinds of places, from public transport to industrial warehouses to kitchens, so whatever business you run, there’s a PAFSS solution for you.

Need fire suppression system installation for your business?

Midland Fire is an authorised and registered installer of both direct and indirect Jactone PAFSS® systems. Our team is experienced and specialised in the design, installation and servicing of the systems for businesses of all sizes, across a range of industries.

We provide a free consultation, in which our friendly engineers will advise you on the best solution for your business. We can then go on to design and install your PAFSS system, providing you with ongoing maintenance and support once the system is in place.

At Midland Fire WE PROTECT. Contact us today for more information and your free consultation.