The specialist machine vision provider has been chosen to deliver automated fire prevention systems to high-risk sites using Termisk’s high-resolution thermal cameras after a series of successful projects.
The Swedish technology, which uses advanced thermal imaging to detect elevated temperatures before fires start, has already been installed at over 30 sites throughout Scandinavia.
After successful fire-prevention projects for London’s largest waste and recycling centre, LondonEnergy, and Thermascan earlier this year, Bytronic will now be rolling out this expertise across the UK.
Dr John Dunlop, founder of Bytronic Automation, said: “It gives me great pleasure to announce this partnership with Termisk – it’s the result of a huge amount of hard work, both in the lab and out at potentially hazardous sites where fires are a constant threat. It’s testament to the efforts and ingenuity of our team.
“Waste management sites are particularly vulnerable to fires because of the material they store, posing serious threats to health, the environment and property. By combining Termisk’s software with our knowledge of machine vision, we can train the cameras to understand heat signatures at waste sites, recognise elevated temperatures that shouldn’t be there and automatically trigger fire prevention measures before a fire even starts.
“It reduces the need for potentially dangerous manual inspections, and it delivers targeted fire prevention, rather than a blanket approach that can often cause significant damage to unaffected areas. This technology has been rolled out across Sweden, and I’m excited that Bytronic is the first to bring it to waste sites in the UK.”
The recent project for London Energy – delivered by Thermascan in conjunction with Bytronic – combined thermal imaging cameras supplied by FLIR with location monitoring software from Termisk to spot and extinguish so-called ‘hot spot’ fires in seconds using automatic, oscillating water cannons.
The cameras are highly sensitive to heat, and programmed to recognise known heat sources from moving vehicle exhausts or engines and identify genuine fire hazards – elevated temperatures – at an early stage, triggering an alert to notify an operator.
Should the temperature rise enough to become a fire risk – typically 60 degrees centigrade or above – the system activates a pair of water cannons which spray the affected area, adjusting water pressure and reach based on the location of the hot spot, before automatically deactivating once the temperature has cooled sufficiently.
Patrik Stensbo, technical sales manager for Termisk Systemteknik, said: “The partnership with Bytronic gives us an excellent opportunity to understand and meet the needs of our customers in the UK. By combining forces with the experts at Bytronic, we can deliver joint solutions that draw on both companies’ knowledge, for the benefit of every customer.”
Bytronic Automation has supplied thermal imaging and automation technology to some of the world’s biggest companies, including AB InBev, Coca-Cola and P&G.
For more information, visit bytronic.com
