Fire protection for the woodworking industry
Prevent fire and sawdust explosions in the wood industry
Wood is a valuable natural resource and woodworking plants are often highly automated to make the best possible use of the material. This means costly machinery operating at high speeds, where production stoppage often means significant financial losses.
75%
Share of insurance losses in the wood and furniture industry due to fires and explosions
260
degrees C – approximate ignition temperature of wood dust.
Fires – Leading cause of financial loss
Fires and explosions are the most significant causes of loss in a majority of property insurance claims in the wood processing and furniture manufacturing industry. According to a 10-year study conducted by. leading insurance consultancy Risk Logic, these claims account for almost 75% of the accumulated financial losses in the wood processing and furniture manufacturing industry. In a furniture manufacturing plant, wood dust and oxygen is always present. In case of a mechanical failure in a machine or a fan the wood dust can easily be ignited, resulting a fire or worst case a dust explosion. Firefly’s preventive and protective solutions for the woodworking industry help detect the first signs of ignition and suppress fire at an early stage, avoiding costly downtime and damage to machinery.
Wood dust – High risk, low ignition
Large quantities of wood shavings and saw dust are frequently present in and around woodworking machinery. If ignited, these materials can cause rapid fires resulting in substantial damage. In the worst case, wood dust can cause an explosion.
The ignition temperature of a layer of wood dust is around 260 degrees C and in dust clouds, it is around 470 degrees C. Bearing in mind that hot particle below 650°C are not perceived by the human eye to be glowing, this is just seen as a “black” particle.
Firefly’s solutions for the woodworking industry help detect the first signs of ignition and suppress fire at an early stage, avoiding costly downtime and damage to machinery. Our solutions are suitable for many different applications within the woodworking sector.
Custom solutions for the woodworking industry
Firefly PlanerGuard™
In many cases, large amounts of shavings are accumulated in and around the open planer. When ignited, these shavings can cause rapid fires resulting in considerable damage. Firefly’s PlanerGuard™ solution for open planers monitors the machine by using flame detectors installed local to the area. Non-invasive water mist suppression aims at quick and effective suppression of the fire, even in the closed areas of an open planer.
Firefly SanderGuard™
The fine dust generated by a sanding machine can, when ignited, give rise to severe dust explosions and rapid spread of fire. Firefly’s SanderGuard™ system solution is designed for all types of sanders.
Firefly’s SanderGuard™ system solution includes quick flame detection inside the sanding machine and water mist suppression, providing optimal protection of this important link in the production chain.
Firefly filter and silo protection
The bag house filter and silos are critical components in woodworking facilities but also pose significant fire and explosion risks. Fine dust particulates within the filter, coupled with high airflows, create ideal conditions for rapid fires or dust explosions if ignited by an external source. Silos, in particular, present additional challenges, as extinguishing a silo fire is complex and hazardous, often taking days or weeks to resolve, with a constant risk of explosion.
To mitigate these risks, Firefly offers innovative protection solutions. For filter protection, Firefly utilizes its unique True-IR detector HD400, capable of detecting sparks and hot particles with temperatures as low as 400°C (752°F). Positioned before and after the filter, these detectors are complemented by a powerful full cone extinguishing zone to swiftly address any detected threats. Similarly, for silo protection, Firefly employs the True-IR detector HD250, which can detect sparks and hot particles down to 250°C (482°F). Placed strategically before the silo or within drop chutes if materials are mechanically fed, these detectors are followed by an effective extinguishing zone to promptly suppress potential ignition sources.
By proactively addressing ignition risks before they reach critical equipment, Firefly’s solutions offer enhanced safety and peace of mind for woodworking facilities, ensuring the protection of valuable assets and personnel.
Key benefits
• Hot particle detection
Minimum Water Usage
• Insensitive to daylight
Quick System Response time
Safe and certified for your industry. Read more about our certifications and approvals here.
Unique Fire Protection Solutions for the woodworking industry
ULTRA QUICK SYSTEM RESPONSE TIME
The Quick Suppression System, which is part of our protection solution for shredders, operates with high performance flame detectors for extremely quick detection. The efficient water mist system has remarkable suppression capabilities which reduce damages on machinery.
PRECISION DETECTION
The True IR Spark detectors enable Precision Detection of ALL types of ignition sources such as hot black particles, glowing embers and sparks. The detectors are insensitive to daylight. Systems are also equipped with Multi-Channel flame detectors, using advanced algorithms for Precision Detection of flames with high immunity to false positives.
EXCELLENT SUPPRESSION CAPABILITIES
The Water Mist System with fire-tested and verified extinguishing capabilities utilizes very small amounts of water resulting in less impact on machinery, minimized production loss and down time
FIREFLY FILTER PROTECTION
Dust extraction systems are vital to take care of dust generated in dry bulk handling processes. The risk in these units is considered very high due to the high concentration of dust. Firefly’s FM-approved Spark Detection and Extinguishing System will efficiently prevent ignition sources from entering the risk zones.
Downloads
Firefly EXIMIO™
Firefly Spark Detection System
Firefly Quick Suppression System
Firefly Woodworking
Firefly EXsolvo®
Keeping industry leaders safe
KONSTANTIN ČERNYCH
Project Manager
Grigeo
“The installation of the Firefly systems has brought safety to the operators.
Before, we had to be very observant and we knew that our reaction was crucial for the handling of incidents. Now we can rely on the Firefly Fire Protection System.”
NICOLAS AL HOUAYEK
Corporate manager
Acme corp
“Firefly has been on our side since day one, we have worked with their team during the project definition to get the best ratio between risk management and CAPEX optimization. Firefly keeps our people safe while we concentrate on improving our performance standards in the alternative fuel industry.”
LEENDERT-JAN VAN DER HOUT
Project Engineer
Cérélia
“With the Firefly System an early detection of hot particles leads to immediate extinguishing and prevents the build up of a fire. Since the system was installed, Cérélia has had numerous detections but no fires.”
