Dahua’s new technology reduces Chinese mountain wildfire by 80%

by Featured NewsFirefighting EquipmentProductsThermal Imaging

At the beginning of 2020, Dahua Technology provided an intelligent forest fire prevention monitoring system for Rizhao. This solution gives an automatic early warning of fire, real-time fire control and closed-loop response through digital intelligence technology, significantly improving forest fire prevention and dispatch.

Mountainous regions, like Rizhao in Shandong Province of China, are vulnerable to forest fires. Recognised by the United Nations in 2009 as one of the most habitable cities in the world, this city consists of 4,358 mountains, with a forest area of 1,400 square kilometers that account for 70% of the region.

Up until now, forest rangers have manually scouted and monitored the area, walking nearly 10 kilometers of treacherous trails for several hours a day.

The Illegal wood burning in the area, if not controlled properly, can lead to a disastrous wildfire. According to a World Health Organization report, in 50% of wildfires recorded, the cause that triggered them is unknown.

At present, high-altitude dual-lens thermal imaging cameras cover the main mountains in the city, carrying out 360 ° remote monitoring 24/7. This solution also offers real-time sensing and intelligent management of people and vehicles coming in and out of the forest areas.

Furthermore, to reduce false alarms, the system adopts algorithms for deep smoke and mountain scanning, thus improving the accuracy of real fire alarms and saving manpower and material resources.

After half a year of operation, the system has detected more than 30 real mountain fires. The average number of fires found every day during fire season has significantly decreased by 80% compared with the initial stage of the project. This reflects the effectiveness of the solution in fire monitoring and the increasing awareness of villagers regarding fire safety.

Overall, this solution helps guarantee the safety of 1,400 square kilometers of forest resources in Rizhao.

In-house manufacturing excellence drives quality at Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection

by ProductsThermal Imaging

Industry-certified processes, stringent quality control, dedicated workforce skills and the latest production technologies underpin manufacturing excellence at Teledyne Gas & Flame Detection. Comprising the Teledyne Oldham Simtronics, Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments and Teledyne Detcon brands, the company’s meticulously designed and controlled production operations help impart its core product attribute: safety.

Robust and quality-centric manufacturing processes ensure that products perform their designated function, be it site protection, area monitoring or personal protection, in a failsafe manner. At three highly-specified manufacturing sites in France, the UK and the US, Teledyne produces a market-wide range of gas and flame detection solutions to meet the requirements of customers across all industry sectors.

Product quality and reliability equate to customer trust. But delivering these attributes relies on robust manufacturing processes. At Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection, production operations leverage the experience of a history in manufacturing that dates back more than a century. Of course, locations and facilities have changed over the years, but production capacity today is a global concern that embraces Teledyne Oldham Simtronics (Arras, France), Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments (Renfrew, UK) and Teledyne Detcon (Cypress, US), with each facility supported by expert staff and a commitment to customer satisfaction.

he Arras headquarters and manufacturing plant of Teledyne Oldham Simtronics is located in the Hauts-de France region. Market leader in France for gas detection, the brand is also strong across Europe, CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, Africa and Asia.

Covering an area of 5,552 m2, the Teledyne Oldham Simtronics’ plant includes 3,379 m2 of workshop and warehouse space. Manufacturing class-leading products since 1948, the factory’s track record of production excellence centres on its accreditations, which include ISO9001 for quality, ISO14001 for environmental management and ISO45001 for health and safety. The plant benefits from an advanced in-house manufacturing engineering team that creates the software, tools and machines required by production.

With over 100 highly capable employees on site, some 75,000 gas and flame detectors and controllers are ‘Made in Arras’ every year. Each one provides customers with highly capable and dependable performance to ensure complete protection.

UK manufacturer

Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments is the number one supplier of gas leak detectors to the UK natural gas distributor sector, and a key player in the industrial portable gas detection market with over 300,000 high-quality instruments delivered. Ideal for use in challenging industries such as gas utilities, chemical, shipping, brewing, construction, defence, nuclear, petrochemical, papermaking, refining and telecoms.

Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments is also prominent across Europe and North America. Producing trustworthy, proficient products is key to building further on the brand’s established reputation for providing customers with assured protection. The company’s production facility is located in Renfrew, near Glasgow, where its portable gas detection and measurement devices have been manufactured in the UK since 1947. Spanning 2,230 m2, the site boasts
ISO9001, ISO14001 and ISO45001 accreditations.

Additionally, Teledyne Gas Measurement Instruments is an active member of many global gas associations, including the Institution of Gas Engineers & Managers (UK), the American Gas Association (USA) and the Canadian Gas Association. The company was also a founding member of the Council for Gas Detection and Environmental Monitoring (CoGDEM) in Europe.

There are around 80 knowledgeable employees at Renfrew including 35 fully cross-trained assembly
operators. In particular, the site is notable for its high-end production technologies.

US manufacturer

Teledyne Detcon has its 2,929 m2 headquarters in Cypress, near Houston, from where it manufactures over 15,000 industry-leading fixed gas detectors, control systems and analysers every year. The advanced site is ISO9001-certified and carries accreditations to IECEx and Intertek. Extremely proud of its ‘manufactured in the US’ heritage, which extends back to 1983, the brand is well known in North America, the Middle East, CIS countries and Asia. With 32 expert employees, Teledyne Detcon also has extensive experience in cell manufacturing and wireless technology.

Proven design (and manufacturing)

Each Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection manufacturing site houses its own customer service, technical support, engineering and R&D functions, all staffed by personnel with considerable industry experience and long service within the business. These employees nurture established professional relationships with customers, adding value with their know-how and market awareness.

Furthermore, throughout the Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection business, inherent flexibility means the team can react accordingly to customer requirements as they evolve. Offering one of the most extensive gas and flame detection portfolio on the market,

Teledyne has in-country approvals and certifications for most products. A proven range of accomplished and convincing measurement, detection and wireless technologies, alongside the unrivalled skills and innovation of employees, ensures Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection can meet the safety and protection requirements of all applications.

The company’s rugged yet reliable and precise gas and flame detection products offer fast response times, durability and intrinsically safe instrumentation. With excellence in manufacturing at the heart of its customer offer, Teledyne Gas and Flame Detection will continue providing products that support and protect workforces, assets, operations and the environment.


Cat Phones and Teledyne FLIR release thermal imaging SDK for Cat S62 Pro

by ProductsThermal Imaging

Bullitt Group, the global licensee for Cat phones, today announces the availability of a software development kit (SDK) for its flagship Cat S62 Pro rugged smartphone. This enables third-party app developers to make use of the professional-grade thermal imaging camera within their own Android applications.

The Cat S62 Pro is the most advanced thermal imaging smartphone available, powered by the highest resolution FLIR Lepton® sensor1 and the MyFLIR™ Pro app from Teledyne FLIR. Its feature-rich toolset enables developers to bring unrivalled thermal imaging functionality to their own mobile apps. Thermal imaging gives anyone the power to visualize heat energy, which provides the ability to see through obscurants and even in total darkness and measure surface temperature.   

“Our thermal imaging phones are used in thousands of scenarios, from checking for machinery faults, overheating components, leaking pipework, poorly-fitted insulation, and overloaded circuitry, to monitoring equipment, identifying heat sources, and spotting animals or people in the dark,” said Tim Shepherd, Senior Director – Applications at Bullitt Group. “We have received many requests from customers to allow them to bring thermal imaging to their own line-of-business apps, and so we are excited to be making this SDK available and to see what new and innovative use cases our customers and third-party developers come up with.”

FLIR Mobile SDK allows developers to invoke many of the market-leading features that the make the device such a powerful and versatile tool. There are tools to bring clarity and context to thermal images, using MSX® technology from Teledyne FLIR, that overlays outline detail from the visual camera over the thermal image, as well as alpha-blending that makes it possible to overlay thermal detail as a translucent layer over a visual image.

Measurement tools such as movable spot meters and scalable regions of interest can be added to the live thermal feed or on captured images to extract temperature data. And a range of colour palettes allow developers to offer users a choice of settings to visualise different temperatures with various colour schemes.

Bullard introduces TXS Thermal Imager

by ProductsThermal Imaging

Bullard, the 123-year-old company known for its invention of the hard hat, introduced today its new TXSTM Thermal Imager. The most affordable thermal imager in its class, Bullard’s TXS Thermal Imager makes it possible for fire departments to have life-saving, decision making imagers in the hands of more of their firefighters.

The TXS Thermal Imager is lightweight and palm-sized, weighing just 1.6 pounds. The device has been designed for ease of use, with simple one-button operation, and features a 3.5-inch display with 320×240 resolution to provide firefighters with a superior optimised, clear and sharp thermal image. Intended for multi-use operations including fire attack and detail, the TXS Thermal Imager is powered by a long run-time Li-ion Battery.

“Each day that they go to work, firefighters risk their lives to help others. Tools like the TXS Thermal Imager play a critical role in improving on-the-job safety for these brave men and women, by equipping them with the information they need to make what could truly be life-or-death decisions,” said Wells Bullard, President and CEO of Bullard. “At Bullard, we’ve worked hard to create a decision-making thermal imager that can provide the high-quality thermal imaging necessary for keeping firefighters safe, while remaining budget friendly. Our hope is that, by making the TXS Thermal Imager available at an affordable price, more firehouses will be able to equip more firefighters with the life-saving power of thermal imaging.”

The superior value and ease-of-use of the TXS make it a perfect tool to incorporate into a broader thermal imaging strategy. By equipping more firefighters with access to thermal imaging technology through the TXS, and simultaneously continuing to use Bullard’s XT-series thermal imagers for more demanding situations and roles, firehouses can dramatically increase the on-the-job safety of their firefighters.

“We designed TXS to be a thermal imager that is used on every call, getting more eyes on the fire, and more imagers in the hands of firefighters,” says Martijn Bosch, Bullard Thermal Imaging Product Manager. “By offering a clear and detailed image even in the toughest conditions, firefighters can make decisions based on the details and easy-to-understand temperature colorisation TXS provides. It’s an indispensable tool for firefighters.”

As with all Bullard Thermal Imagers, the TXS Thermal Imager has been designed for durability and reliability no matter the environment.

Additional information about Bullard’s TXS Thermal Imager is available here.

Teledyne FLIR unveils Radiometric Vue TZ20-R Thermal Zoom Drone Payload

by ProductsThermal Imaging

High-Resolution Radiometric Gimbaled Thermal Drone Payload for the DJI V2 Matrice 200 Series and Matrice 300 Offers Pixel-by-Pixel Temperature Measurement with up to 20 Times Digital Zoom 

Teledyne FLIR made available today the FLIR Vue® TZ20-R, a high resolution, thermal zoom gimbal, purpose-built for the DJI® V2 Matrice 200 Series and Matrice 300 airframes and includes radiometry to measure the temperature of every pixel in the scene. Featuring two 640×512 resolution FLIR Boson® thermal camera modules, with one providing a narrow-field-of-view (18 degrees) and the other a wide-field-of-view (95 degrees), the Vue TZ20-R provides even greater situational awareness, accuracy, and context by offering more pixels on target with the corresponding temperature data. 

Search and Inspect More Area in Less Time

IP44 rated to provide operability in poor weather conditions and weighing just 640 grams (1.4 lbs.), the dual thermal camera system offers unmatched thermal zoom performance at five times, 10 times, and 20 times digital zoom for a variety of public safety and industrial missions. The dual Boson camera modules also provide four times more radiometric pixels on target at every zoom level versus all competitors, empowering pilots to scan and survey large areas quickly, all while preserving flight time and maintaining a safe standoff distance. 

Utility, roofing, solar farm, and other industrial inspectors can achieve unmatched clarity from a safe distance. Emergency response pilots in search and rescue, law enforcement, firefighting, and public safety, can also more easily search for and observe in silence while using the thermal zoom to reduce false positives and make critical decisions faster. 

Operators can use in-app features, such as isotherms to automatically detect temperatures of interest, ideal for industrial inspection and public safety where quickly spotting anomalies is mission critical. 

Plug-and-Play Setup and Operation

The TZ20-R offers simplified operation and payload connection via the Skyport V2.0 gimbal on the DJI Matrice 300 or V2 Matrice 200 series. Thermal video and still-image data can be recorded on dual microSD cards along with the ability to stream thermal video mid-flight. Post mission, operators can export the data to FLIR Thermal Studio and third-party data processing software for in-depth analysis and review. 

The FLIR Vue TZ20-R is available for pre-order with delivery in October through authorized distributors. Learn more at https://www.flir.com/vue-tz20-R.

Avon Protection thermal imaging cameras included in national framework agreement

by ProductsProjectsThermal Imaging

Avon Protection has announced that its argus range of thermal imaging cameras has been included in the National Framework Agreement for the Supply and Delivery of Emergency Response Equipment, managed by the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority. This allows Fire and Rescue services across the UK to purchase the argus range of thermal imaging cameras through the Framework by following the call off procedures stipulated by the lead authority. The full range of argus thermal imagers listed in the agreement include the Mi-TIC E, Mi-TIC E L, Mi-TIC 320 and Mi-TIC S models, the largest, most diverse and lightweight range of NFPA 1801:2021 complaint thermal imaging cameras.  

The argus engineers developed the first ever handheld thermal imager for firefighting over 40 years ago. Having been developed for firefighting in the UK, the camera was adopted by UK Naval firefighting personnel. Its purpose was to allow users to navigate through smoke-filled compartments on naval vessels. The argus range of thermal imaging cameras maintains its strong connection to the UK Fire and Rescue teams, with design and manufacture continuing to take place in the UK to this day.  

Commenting on the announcement, Mark Ridsdale, European Sales Director, said, “We are very excited to continue building on to our 40-year legacy of manufacturing and supplying cutting edge thermal imaging cameras to the UK Fire and Rescue Services that allow firefighters to operate safely in the most demanding and dangerous of environments.” 

The combination of NFPA certification along with the IGNIS Engine maintains Avon Protection’s position as a world leading supplier of NFPA 1801 certified thermal imagers.

Seek Thermal expands offering of Mosaic OEM TIC

by ProductsThermal Imaging

Seek Thermal, a leading manufacturer of affordable, high-performance thermal imaging sensors and products across the globe, today announced the expansion of its Mosaic Core™ family, which now includes 53 total product offerings. This wide range of highly versatile OEM Thermal Cameras are configurable by resolution, field of view and frame rate – for virtually any application – to give developers the ability to integrate high-resolution thermal imaging into even more products that can be manufactured and sold under their own brand.

Designed for performance and versatility to enable new applications and products, the Mosaic Core is available in 320×240 and 200×150 resolution and is now more customizable to meet any program or project need. Applications include, but are not limited to, Test & Measurement, Security Surveillance, Public Safety, Outdoor Recreation, IoT, Personal Vision System, and beyond.

The benefits of integrating Seek Cores include:

  • Best Price for Performance: Unmatched price-per-pixel with excellent image clarity and sensitivity
  • Low Power & Lightweight: Engineered to optimize performance with low power consumption, packaged in a small, lightweight design
  • Easy to Use Development Tools: Get access to SDKs, APIs, visual tools, support documentation, and other important tools to ensure projects are successful
  • Dual-Gain Smart Pixels: Maximize resolution contrast when viewing scenes with extreme temperature differences
  • 12 Micron Pixels: More resolution packed into a physically tiny array enables small form factor applications and lower cost
  • Flexible Integration: Starter Kits have everything developers need to evaluate and integrate thermal imaging into a variety of platforms

“With our full family of Mosaic Cores now available, implementing and delivering high resolution thermal technology has never been this simple and affordable,” said Sumitra Giri, Senior Product Manager, Seek Thermal. “As part of our mission to offer thermal imaging solutions for a better and safer world, we strive to make it easier for any developer or company to explore the possibilities of thermal imaging. To achieve this, our increasing line of cores deliver the high-end thermal capabilities, accuracy, and performance needed for virtually any existing – or revolutionary – application or product.”

Starter Kits are available for simple, plug-and-play thermal imaging to kick off evaluation and testing. Additionally, the Simple Viewer, along with access to the Developer Portal for Seek Thermal SDKs, APIs, and other important tools, enables any project team to begin successful development quickly and easily.

Mosaic Core Specifications:

  • 320×240 or 200×150 Sensor Resolution
  • 15˚ to 105˚ Field of View
  • 10 x 20 x 21mm to 23 x 20 x 21mm (L x W x H)
  • -40C to 330C Detection
  • Up to 32Hz and <9Hz Frame Rate

Seek Thermal products and thermal cores are designed and manufactured in Santa Barbara, California with Global Components. For more information, watch this video or visit: https://www.thermal.com/oem.html  

Venari Group partners with Avon Protection for thermal imaging camera distribution

by ProductsThermal Imaging

Avon Protection, has announced Venari Group as its new distributor of thermal imaging cameras (TICs) for the UK fire market.

The agreement will see Venari commence distributorship of Avon’s ‘argus’ range of TICs with immediate effect. The British-manufactured argus technology has been the market leader within the UK fire and rescue industry for three decades, having continually invested in R&D and product innovation. Its evolved ‘Mi-TIC’ unit is the world’s smallest NFPA 1801-certified thermal imager for firefighting applications.

After launching into the fire market in early 2020 we have made significant strides forward, having acquired the UK’s biggest and most established ambulance manufacturer, O&H Vehicle Technology. We have also been announced as the UK manufacturer of Ziegler Group’s technologically advanced range of firefighting vehicles – providing world-class fire truck technology whilst wholly manufacturing in Britain.

Now, with the latest evolution in the Mi-TIC’s legacy, Venari will be tasked with spearheading customer care, sales and marketing for the UK fire and ambulance services, from its state-of-the-art, 60,000 sq. ft. emergency vehicle manufacturing facility.

Avon Protection European Sales Director, Mark Ridsdale commented: “I’ve worked with Oliver and many of the Venari team in the past and very much look forward to working with them again. Their passion for the Mi-TIC thermal imager completely mirrors that of our own which is an extremely exciting prospect for the UK fire and rescue services.

“With our latest development of Mi-TIC, incorporating the IGNIS engine, it means our thermal imaging camera can provide absolute clarity to firefighters in the most demanding situations. For our TIC be supplied and backed up by Venari’s incredibly efficient team will provide an excellent platform for our market share to solidify its position as the UK market leader.”

Venari Group CEO, Oliver North, added: “Avon Protection’s world-class range of TICs has long been at the forefront of UK firefighting strategy. Alignment of Avon and Venari completely champions the importance and significance of strengthening UK manufactured products.

“Avon Protection is genuinely one of the most exciting companies I’ve had the privilege of working with in my career to-date, and continuation of our previously very dynamic partnership is one which I’m excited to re-ignite.

“I’ve previously had seven years of experience with the Mi-TIC, and I’m thrilled to represent it to its fullest potential in both the UK fire and rescue market as well as the ambulance market with hazardous area response teams (HART) teams. Many of the wider team at Venari are also hugely experienced with the incredible Mi-TIC and wholeheartedly share my passion for the range.”

venari-group.com

ADJ Fire & Security and Hikvision launch thermal imaging cameras at Recycling Lives

by ProductsThermal Imaging

ADJ Fire & Security has provided a solution to improve fire safety via Hikvision’s thermal bullet cameras for Recycling Lives.

Recycling Lives is a recycling and waste management operation, using a commercial element to support and sustain charity programmes for offender rehabilitation, residential support and food redistribution. It’s reportedly an effective approach to social aid, and one that has earned four prestigious Queens Awards and numerous admirers, including Andy Moore, Managing Director of ADJ Fire & Security Limited. ADJ works with Recycling Lives to provide technology-based solutions to minimise risk at its sites.

“The whole company’s called Recycling Lives, because that’s what it does,” Moore explains. “It gives people a second chance, people who have come out of prison or who are homeless, and they help them back into society. It’s providing help to people who really need it, by giving them jobs and if necessary rehoming them if they need somewhere to stay until they get their own place. They’re a special company, definitely. ADJ is extremely proud to be associated with a company like Recycling Lives.”

Recycling Lives has sites across the UK was founded, and is run, by second generation recyclers, time-served experts with a wealth of industry knowledge, insight and contacts. Their charity and social enterprise teams provide residential accommodation for the homeless, help to reduce reoffending and redistribute food, directly supported by recycling, recruitment, compliance and waste management businesses. As a result, they create more than just environmental and financial value from their activities: they provide significant social value too.

At the Recycling Lives site in Preston, on Longridge Road, ADJ was asked to help devise a solution which could help the Recycling Lives staff prevent and detect fires on-site during and out of office hours, explains Moore.

“These fires can happen within waste piles on site, and can end up burning inside without any notification,” he says. “They can seriously flare up when the pile is disturbed. There are batteries stored on site from depolluted cars and these can also be a serious fire hazard if ignited.”

The camera uses image processing technology, including Adaptive Automatic Gain Control, Digital Detail Enhancement, 3D Dynamic Noise Reduction, and a Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference of less than < 40mk. Its powerful behaviour analysis algorithm enables automatic smart detection including Line Crossing, Intrusion, and Region Entrance & Exit, and it also provides a reliable temperature exception alarm function and advanced fire detection algorithm. Temperature measurement range is -20℃ to 550℃ with ±2℃ accuracy.

The thermal imaging module provides 384 by 288 resolution, a high sensitivity sensor, and supports contrast adjustment and shutter adjustment in various modes. There are 15 palettes of adjustable colour available, and because this is a thermal imaging camera rather than a conventional CCTV device, there’s no need for additional lighting. 19 thermometric cameras were installed initially at the Preston site, with more set to be added in future.

“Cameras are located in the high-risk areas where fires could break out such as the plant rooms and stockpiles, shredder, and depollution areas,” Moore says. “When the cameras detect an increase in temperature that signifies a potential fire risk, they automatically raise an alarm and alert the client to the issue. That allows them to take action much more quickly than relying on traditional video or other forms of fire detection – they can react immediately even to the risk of fire breaking out.”

Recycling Lives Compliance Manager Dave Gallagher says: “The prevention of fire, and early detection of any fire that may break out, is of critical importance to protecting our people, infrastructure and the local environment. Whilst our risk controls have proved effective year after year, the opportunity to invest in new technology that enhances our ability to react fast in the event of an emerging fire hazard was one that was not to be missed.”

adjfireandsecurity.co.uk/adj/