Mitsubishi Electric help design new robotic workcell

by Featured NewsPeople

Mitsubishi Electric has helped to deliver a step-change in productivity and quality control for a manufacturer of fire detection and alarm devices.  

In partnership with Maidenhead-based machine builder and systems integrator, Design & Automation Solutions (DAS), the company has contributed to the design of an automated workcell for the assembly of fire alarm box components.  

Features

Programmed by Loop Automation, the system comprises two DAS-built sub-assembly cells used to insert and tighten screws and apply brass inserts into two different prefabricated shells.

A 6-axis Mitsubishi Electric RV-4 robot links both applications, which is responsible for both loading and unloading and pick and place operations.

With a target throughput of 300 parts an hour per function, the new design not only significantly increases the efficiency of the component manufacturing compared to manual assembly, but also improves quality control. 

The solution is also controlled by a Mitsubishi Electric Q Series PLC and features a GOT 2000 HMI operator interface, three iQ-F PLCs as remote IO stations, as well as a CC-Link IE field network. 

Design & Automation Solutions, Director, Mick Stallwood’s statement

Mick Stallwood, Director at DAS, commented: “The initial implementation of the new solution has been a huge success, having allowed the customer to make marked improvements to throughput.

“On top of this, we have received very positive feedback from their operators, who have been impressed by the level of intuitiveness displayed by the system. 

“We’ve been working with Mitsubishi Electric for over 30 years now, and the quality of their products is always excellent. Given the customer is also a prominent Mitsubishi end user themselves, it was a natural fit to partner with them on this project.” 

Mitsubishi Electronics, OEM Business Development Manager, Richard Allen’s statement

Richard Allen, OEM Business Development Manager at Mitsubishi Electric, adds: “Our aim is to help OEMs build the best machines that they can, and DAS and Loop are brilliant examples of machine builders and programmers going above and beyond to unlock new efficiencies for their customers.

“The new system has raised the bar considerably, both from a productivity and quality control perspective, and we’re pleased to hear the impact that it is already having on the customer’s operations. 

“In short, this project truly represents our ecosystem at its very finest, and we’re delighted to have played our part in it.” 

Mitsubishi Electric and Design & Automation Solutions collaborate on automated workcell: Summary

Mitsubishi Electric has collaborated on an automated workcell for the assembly of fire alarm box components alongside Design & Automation Solutions.

Mitsubishi’s OEM Business Development Manager, Richard Allen, said that the new system has raised the bar.

Kentec announces its ‘one-stop shop’ K-System fire detection solution

by Products

Kentec Electronics, a manufacturer of innovative life safety solutions, has announced the K-System, wired addressable fire detection. 

Drawing on Kentec’s panel expertise which features an open protocol, K-System compliments Kentec’s proven wireless range, K-Mesh, making Kentec a ‘one-stop’ solution for wired and wireless addressable fire detection in both EN and UL standards.

The K-System was created in response to the global market and specifiers requiring a single-branded system, whilst continuing its ethos of open protocol and supporting its community of technology partners. Solely available through Kentec Installation Partners (KIPs) and those on the Kentec Authorised Distributors Plus (KAD+) Programme, the K-System is backed by Kentec’s reputation for high quality, excellent technical support and comprehensive product training.

Features of the K-System

K-System includes a range of high performance intelligent detection devices, Manual Call Points, sounders, VADs (Visual Alarm Devices), interface modules and an assortment of ancillaries. The range also includes a highly sophisticated CO multi-sensor with 24 EN approved modes of operation. This device uses the CO sensing element not just for early detection of smoldering fires but to monitor the threat to life from COHb (Carboxyhaemoglobin) toxicity. 

The K-System range will include UL variant, featuring 268 7th Edition addressable and conventional devices which will be available from February.

K-System devices are fully configurable through the control panels configuration software providing such features, as adjustable sensitivity settings, day/night operating parameters, sounder tones/volumes, and enhanced cause and effect programming allowing K-System to be designed and configured to meet the needs of the application.

K-System’s detection device

Each K-System detection device has a unique type of code which enables the fire alarm control panel to identify what type of device has activated, this means users can tell whether an alarm has been generated from a smoke or heat sensor, a combination sensor or a manual call point, and an appropriate response is therefore ensured. An Interrupt System guarantees rapid responses from any device, and the time lapse between operation of a call point and indication of fire on the system is typically less than 1.5 seconds.

K-System devices are electronically addressed using a special programming tool, restricting this operation to trained engineers only. Up to 254 loop addresses are supported on K-System devices with addresses 1-127 allocated to detection devices, Manual Call Points, interfaces etc. and addresses 128-254 allocated to base sounder/sounder beacon devices.

In addition, K-System interface modules support sub-addressing where each input and output provided on an interface module are automatically allocated a sub-address of the main loop address. This allows independent monitoring, control, cause and effect programming for inputs and outputs. Sounder beacon devices also use sub-addressing to enable individual control of the sounder element and beacon element of the device.

Kentec Electronics announce K-System fire detection solution: Summary

Kentec’s new K-System is the `one-stop shop’ wired addressable fire detection solution. It was created in response to the specifiers and global market requiring a single branded system.

Surrey Fire and Rescue improves agility and visibility of resources with Infographics

by Featured NewsProducts

Infographics has announced that Surrey Fire and Rescue Service has gone live with its latest programme of FireWatch-driven technology innovation.

The project provides anytime, anywhere access for its FRS users, including their ‘On Call’ Fire Fighters and Managers, increases real-time visibility of availability and resources, and integrates live data with the joint control room.

The programme included several key areas: Rollout of the FireWatch Mobile App; Migration from a previous legacy system (Rappel) to the FireWatch fire service management suite for managing on-call availability; And – as part of that migration – the deployment of the FireWatch Mobilisation Interface within Surrey’s shared emergency control room and Capita Vision mobilisation system

‘Accurate technology is key’

Head of Data, Digital and Special Projects at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Sally Wilson, said: “Ensuring that we have advanced, flexible and accurate technology is key for our service. We have worked closely with Infographics to ensure that FireWatch is exactly what we need to increase the visibility of available resources and people to keep residents safe.”

FireWatch Mobile will allow users to directly manage data and tasks for time/availability, leave, skills, training, assets and other areas via smart devices. It also enables supervisors and team members to understand the impact of resource changes and to manage and act on any issues or deadlines highlighted within their personalised Key Performance Indicators displayed ‘on screen’. This includes workflow-driven resource request and fulfilment processes to address gaps in cover.

A complete picture of availability

The App also offers a flexible self-service capability for all contract types and staff. Migrating to FireWatch for on-call availability has given Surrey Fire and Rescue Service a ‘complete picture’ of availability across wholetime and on-call staff – increasing visibility and efficiency across the employee planning and management process.

The deployment of the FireWatch Mobilisation Interface now ensures an accurate view of real-time availability, skills and asset status across the Service, which is directly integrated with emergency dispatch operations within the control room.

Russell Wood, Commercial Manager at Infographics, said: ”It has been fantastic to work with Surrey Fire and Rescue on their project, and deliver to the end users a major step forward in their User Experience (UX) versus their previous on-call availability platform, as well as wider, flexible self-service capabilities and live integrated resource information within control.”

LINKfire doubles number of invoices with Uptick

by Featured NewsPassive

Uptick Workforce is helping LINKfire transform and serve customers. The implementation of the software has given the team at LINKfire access to job management tools to get jobs done faster, win more business and eliminate paperwork.

LINKfire began as a small business, a one-person operation which grew in the fire protection maintenance industry, now servicing over 7000 properties across Victoria and employing over 70 staff. Alistair has been in the fire protection business for over 20 years and knows first-hand that there are limited technology solutions designed specifically for the fire safety industry. There are many fire protection companies still using pen and paper to manage fire protection assets of complex commercial and residential buildings; it’s a scary thought. LINKfire realised early on that this needed to change.

The Challenge

LINKfire digitised their operations early on was using generic job management software, Pronto. Although the software automated some manual process, it didn’t drive the efficiencies that the business needed to continue to grow. It was creating inefficiencies that were costing the business money. Field staff were not getting the information they need to get the job done, resulting in productivity roadblocks and technicians wasting time on non-revenue generating activities.

Connecting field and office staff with the right information

LINKfire aimed to improve the productivity of field technicians and enhance the customer experience. To deliver on this goal, it needed accurate, comprehensive data available in the technicians’ hands at all time. It also required a holistic view of business operations and transparency of technicians behaviour to reveal pockets of inefficiencies and drive change. Uptick gave LINKfire access to specialised software that is designed for the fire protection industry, helping staff and technicians deliver a better service at every touchpoint. Uptick enabled technicians to manage assets and jobs effortlessly on any device. It also enabled office staff to assign the right technician to the right job with real-time GPS tracking and mapping information. Uptick smart schedulers were used to assign technicians based on their availability, location and skill set.

Connecting customers with their data

The use of the Uptick Customer Portal gave LINKfire customers access to their building data, reducing the number of touchpoints needed for customers to get an update on jobs, invoices or assets. It also enabled LINKfire to have meaningful conversations with clients about long terms goals, asset lifecycle forecasts and value-led interactions as opposed to transactional communications about pending or upcoming jobs.

Johnson Controls unveils advanced smoke detection technology

by Featured News
Johnson Controls has introduced advanced smoke sensors built upon the established performance of its flagship TrueAlarm technology that is designed to meet 2021 UL standards.
The latest updates to UL 268, Standard for Safety of Smoke Detectors for Fire Alarm Systems, call for significant improvements to smoke detection technology.
Set to take effect in June 2021, the new UL 268 seventh edition standard requires smoke sensors, detectors and smoke alarms to pass more than 215 new or revised performance tests, including three new challenging tests: a cooking nuisance alarm test, a flaming polyurethane foam test and a smoldering polyurethane test, said the statement from Johnson Controls.
To satisfy these requirements, the smart and sustainable buildings specialist has introduced advanced smoke sensors built upon the established performance of its flagship TrueAlarm technology.
The UL 7th edition polyurethane tests better represent the type of smoke and flames produced in modern building fires due to the increased use of synthetic furnishing materials that can ignite and burn faster than other materials, said the statement.
The cooking test was added after research showed people frequently disable smoke alarms due to nuisance alarms caused by cooking and shower steam, it added.
The new TrueAlarm sensors provide earlier detection, better fire type recognition and fewer nuisance alarms. They use sophisticated algorithms to analyze particles and determine whether they are generated by an actual fire rather than smoke or steam from cooking.
Sensor alarm points can be programmed for timed, multi-stage operation per sensor. A lower percentage alert can cause a warning prompt to investigate the issue while a higher programmed percentage will initiate an alarm.
“The design of our new sensors is based on decades of fire detection experience and demonstrates our commitment to creating the most innovative and reliable products in the industry,” remarked Peter Ryan, senior commercialization manager, Global Fire Detection Products, Johnson Controls.
“These re-designed smoke sensors reduce the number of nuisance alarms while providing early notification, when needed, to help building occupants evacuate quickly and safely during a fire event,” he added.
Johnson Controls said the ability of the redesigned TrueAlarm sensors to intelligently differentiate between high-risk fires and burning food or steam is especially important for commercial spaces such as hotels, dormitories, hospitals and other facilities that are prone to nuisance alarms.

VELOX Sounder/Flasher Range – World’s lowest current consumption at only 3mA

by Products

The new VELOX range of 403xx Sounders and Sounder/Flasher reportedly deploy break-through technology superior to anything seem in this sector of the industry before.

The patented VERS (VELOX Energy Recovery System) technology allows the re-direct the kinetic energy of the sounder back to a super-capacitor which allows to save upto 80% of the wasted energy, the result is 3mA power consumption only to power up this device up to 106dBA of sound, and and a flasher that covers 9m x 9m room like no other device in the market.

The lower power consumption allows 133 sounder/flashers to be installed on 4000 range of panels and up to 100 sounder/flashers on 5000 and 6000 range of panels. All powered and connected on the same loop.

http://velox.ae/

DHS promotes smart city IoT solutions for first responders

by Projects

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expanding the variety of technical capabilities deployed in the interest of public safety, and smart cities are leveraging IoT data to provide insights and improve operations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is promoting technology development through its Science and Technology Directorate’s SCITI (pronounced “city”) solutions lab. SCITI stands for Smart City and Internet of Things Innovation.

SCITI innovations promote public safety in urban environments to expand capabilities of first responders, including law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services, and the associated commercial sector.

The initiative focuses on integrating new and existing technologies to serve public safety needs, with emphasis on validation and go-to-market support through industry partners. A streamlined process is aimed at getting new capabilities commercialized and available to users.

Supporting First Responders

The program seeks to provide new capabilities to support first responders and the associated commercial sector in three areas. They are:

Autonomous navigation for indoor Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to support search and rescue missions in difficult environments.

Intelligent building sensors to be mounted on fixed indoor building features, such as smoke detectors or exit signs. Sensors provide a mechanism to rapidly prioritize areas for search and rescue.

A body-worn interoperable platform (“SmartHub”) that integrates personal network communications with third-party sensors to improve situational awareness.

Collaborations For Development

DHS Science and Technology is leveraging a “commercial first” approach by working with technology innovation companies, government public safety officials, infrastructure owners and private sector investment partners to promote the design, development and operational testing and evaluation of suitability for commercial adoption. The program has been instrumental in developing and commercializing a number of products.

Improving communication is one area of development. For example, Zello, Austin, Texas, provides a push-to-talk smartphone app that is a low-cost, reliable and secure alternative to traditional radios. Wireless System Solutions, Morrisville, North Carolina, has developed end-to-end multi-standard/band wireless network solutions that provide connectivity from the macro cellular network to the end-point gateway and/or sensor.

Emergency Situational Awareness

To provide situational awareness in an emergency, Known Quantity Sensors Inc., Atlanta, offers an IoT edge sensor platform that uses AI-backed, image-based processing to quantify and locate human occupancy.

CommandWear Systems, Vancouver, British Columbia, provides a simple, secure, mobile situational awareness platform that runs on existing smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, laptops and desktop PC. The system enables users to prepare for events and incidents in advance, know where personnel and assets are, communicate with them securely, and then review and analyze a mission after the fact.

Other solutions promote teamwork and collaboration. Mutualink, Wallingford, Connecticut, connect voice, video and information sources so any agency can talk to and share information with partners on-demand, providing instant emergency collaboration, situational awareness and coordination. Coolfire Solutions, St. Louis, Missouri, provides collaboration software that synchronizes data, content and communications to enable people to work together more effectively.

Artificial Intelligence

Providing automation to operate in an emergency, Airgility, College Park, Maryland, provides multi-mission unmanned aerial vehicles that can conduct search and rescue operations or protect the nation’s borders, including onboard artificial intelligence.

Thirteen companies in all were selected in the first phase of the program, and additional companies were added in Phase II. The SCITI solutions lab was created in collaboration with Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology, TechNexus in Chicago, and Smart City Works venture labs in Washington, D.C.

www.dhs.gov/

REV Group announces partnership for Clean Cab Technology

by Americas - Projects

REV Group is proud to announce a partnership with United Safety & Survivability Corporation to provide industry-leading technology that will take the clean cab concept to the next level.

The new product, exclusive to the REV Fire Group brands, in the first responder market, is an active air filtration system that uses UV light and Photohydroionisation technology to neutralize airborne pollutants such as bacteria, mold, and viruses, including COVID-19.  Studies have shown a 99% reduction of airborne pathogens.  The unit is a stand-alone device that can be mounted in the cab of the apparatus and runs off the 12-volt wiring.  The unit can also be retrofit into completed apparatus.

“We are excited to release the next generation of clean cab products in partnership with the REV Fire Group.” said Joe Mirabile, President and CEO of United Safety & Survivability Corporation. “These UV PHI air systems paired with antimicrobial and antibacterial treatments will significantly increase the safety of our first responders by increasing air quality and overall surface cleanliness.  This represents the next generation in cutting edge clean cab improvements that our first responders deserve.”

“When the COVID pandemic first hit, we knew we were going to have to take some kind of action to keep our first responders as safe as possible.” said Mike Virnig, VP of Sales, REV Fire Group.  “We searched for a partner that had the technology to attack this new threat and we found that in USSC.  We are proud to raise the bar on the clean cab initiative and take this next step in protecting those that protect us.”

You can register at www.revtruckexpo.com.

UAE reveals firefighting ‘shark’ to tackle boat blazes

by Middle East - Products

A remote-controlled, fire-fighting speedboat is the latest high-tech addition to Dubai Civil Defence’s fleet of life-saving technology. Named ‘The Shark,’ the bright yellow 10-metre speedboat can be remotely controlled from a ground station, using an online map, to quickly reach a vessel on fire and keeps firefighters from potential harm.

Equipped with thermal imaging and night vision cameras, the boat also automatically records any information it picks up about the fire for use in investigations.

Cameras affixed to the boat provide the officer in the control room a direct and live broadcast of the situation.

The boat’s fire extinguishing system shoots out 1900 litres of water per minute. The amount of water, pressure and its direction are all adjustable from the control room.

With a maximum speed of 74kph, the Shark is expected to reduce response times to fires at sea.

It is not the first fire-fighting vessel to be unveiled by Civil Defence. In 2017, ‘The Dolphin’ – a jet ski equipped with a jetpack attachment – was revealed in a promotional video.

3M Scott releases new ‘face of firefighting’

by Breathing ApparatusProducts

3M Scott Fire & Safety has announced the “new face of firefighting” with the 3M Scott Vision C5 Facepiece with E-Z Flo C5 Regulator. Designed using a platform approach, the new facepiece incorporates the latest technology to enhance situational intelligence, while providing a customisable solution to meet the changing needs of today’s firefighter.

“Firefighters go into situations that many people cannot imagine. We want to give them every advantage we can, so we work directly with firefighters to understand the challenges they face,” said Andrew P. Johnson, global product marketer for NFPA SCBA.

“Together, we were able to translate those challenges into product requirements, resulting in the improved comfort, wider field of vision and enhanced breathability you now get with the Vision C5 facepiece and E-Z Flo C5 regulator.”

The Vision C5 facepiece operates with compatible 3M™ Scott™ Air-Pak™ SCBA, including the latest Air-Pak X3 Pro, compliant to the NFPA 1981, 2018 Edition standard. A wider field of view helps to improve situational intelligence and a single reflex face seal provides a more comfortable fit and greater ease when donning the facepiece.

Expanding on the cleanability benefits of the Air-Pak X3 Pro, the Vision C5 offers a re-designed head harness enabling easy removal, without the use of tools, and simplifying the process of machine laundering to assist firefighters with exposure reduction efforts.

Complementary to the new facepiece, the E-Z Flo C5 regulator builds upon the proven design of the E-Z Flo+ with enhancements to key performance areas. Enhanced breathability helps reduce user burden and improve operational efficiencies, while a reduced frequency Vibralert End-of-ServiceTime Indicator (EOSTI) improves two-way radio communications.

The heads-up display (HUD) has been recessed into the regulator, with additional icons to provide visual alerts when paired with the Air-Pak X3 Pro SCBA configured with the SEMS II Pro Wireless SCBA Telemetry System. A simple, yet noticeable change is the incorporation of an auto air-saver switch to simplify operation and help prevent inadvertent air loss when the regulator is removed.