Patrick Schwobe, Principal Engineer at TLX Technologies, explains how integrated supervision supports system reliability and regulatory
UL certifies TLX Technologies solenoid valve for clean agent and inert gas systems
TLX Technologies achieves UL recognition for solenoid valve
TLX Technologies has announced that its Supervised Direct-Acting Solenoid Valve has completed testing and is now a UL 429 and UL 429A Recognized Component.
The company confirmed the certification on Tuesday 7 October 2025.
According to TLX Technologies, the solenoid valve is designed for clean agent, inert gas, carbon dioxide (CO₂) and hybrid fire suppression systems that use valve-integrated actuation.
The valve body can also be configured for use as a selector valve.
Compliance with NFPA 2001 and EN 15004-1 supervision standards
TLX Technologies said the valve features the same patented integrated supervision as its range of linear electric actuators for fire suppression.
It meets supervision requirements under Section 4.3.4.1 of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2001 standard and the EN 15004-1 European standard.
The company added that this design removes the need for an additional supervisory component or electrical connection.
This integration allows the valve to meet required supervision criteria while simplifying installation and maintenance.
Technical configuration and design options
The valve consists of a removable coil assembly and a threaded valve body.
TLX Technologies explained that the coil housing is made from electroless nickel-plated carbon steel.
Depending on system requirements, the valve body can be produced in brass or stainless steel.
In its standard form, the valve body includes a release valve and is available with 1/8-inch or 1/4-inch NPT thread options.
When specified for selector valve use, the valve body is modified to function as a coupler and can be customised for the specific selector valve design.
Ease of installation and maintenance features
The coil assembly is designed to rotate freely, providing flexibility during installation.
It includes a captured fastener to prevent loss when the coil is removed for testing or maintenance.
TLX Technologies said this fastener also ensures full seating of the coil on the valve body.
The feature provides technicians with confirmation that the coil has been correctly installed.
Relevance for fire and safety professionals
The UL 429 and UL 429A recognition for TLX Technologies’ Supervised Direct-Acting Solenoid Valve provides assurance for system manufacturers and designers developing clean agent, inert gas, CO₂ and hybrid suppression systems.
For fire engineers and mechanical contractors, the integrated supervision design could reduce wiring complexity and lower the number of components required for system compliance with NFPA 2001 and EN 15004-1.
Procurement officers and specification consultants involved in selecting UL-recognised components for global installations may find the new certification relevant when sourcing valves that combine supervision capability and simplified installation.
TLX configurator tool launches to assist fire suppression system design
TLX introduces configurator tool for custom actuator design
TLX Technologies has announced the launch of a new online Configurator Tool designed to help users define specifications for custom fire suppression actuators.
According to TLX Technologies, the tool allows users to create detailed actuator configurations, share them with colleagues, and support the design process from initial concept to system implementation.
The Configurator Tool is available through TLX Technologies’ website, and users can access it by selecting a specific actuator product and clicking the “Get Started” button under the “Solution Configurator Tool” section.
Tool enables specification of operating pressure, force, and threading options
TLX Technologies explained that the Configurator Tool allows users to input key specifications, including system operating pressure, required actuation force, and swivel and housing thread type.
The company added that users can also select add-on components and include project notes to assist the technical team in understanding system requirements.
TLX Technologies stated that there is no need to create an account to use the tool, and users receive a link to their configuration via email for future access, editing, or sharing.
Process supports both standard modifications and fully custom designs
TLX Technologies noted that while many applications can be met by modifying standard actuator solutions, some systems require fully custom designs.
The company said the Configurator Tool helps its technical team assess user requirements more effectively to determine the most suitable approach, whether adapting an existing solution or developing a new one.
TLX Technologies explained that submitting a configuration can initiate direct discussions between users and the technical team about system-specific needs.
Tool launch aims to streamline collaboration and design workflow
According to TLX Technologies, the introduction of the Configurator Tool is intended to streamline collaboration between users and technical staff during the actuator specification and design process.
The company noted that by enabling detailed information capture at the start, the tool helps speed up project timelines and clarifies system expectations earlier in the workflow.
TLX Technologies stated that the tool provides users with a more direct route to developing solutions aligned with their specific fire suppression system requirements.
TLX configurator tool launches to assist fire suppression system design: Summary
TLX Technologies has launched a new Configurator Tool for custom fire suppression actuator design.
The company said the tool is available on its website.
TLX Technologies explained that users can select an actuator, open the configurator, and input specifications.
Specifications that can be entered include operating pressure, actuation force, and thread type.
The company noted that users can also choose add-on components and include project notes.
According to TLX Technologies, no account is needed, and configurations are emailed to users.
TLX Technologies said the tool supports both standard modifications and custom actuator designs.
The company stated that the tool is intended to improve collaboration and design workflow between users and the technical team.
The Last Word with TLX Fire & Security
Patrick Schwobe, Principal Engineer, Advanced Product Development at TLX Fire & Security talks about the new Liquid Level Sensor
Could you introduce us to TLX’s Liquid Level Sensor?
The development of TLX’s Liquid Level Sensor was initiated in response to our customers’ requests for a more reliable and precise method of measuring the weight of clean agent in their tanks.
The sensor functions by monitoring the foam’s position inside the tank, as well as the temperature.
Utilising this data, it can accurately determine and report the weight of the agent.
For instance, if there’s a 5% reduction in the agent, the sensor detects it and triggers an alarm.
This early warning system facilitates prompt intervention to address any issues, enhancing overall safety and efficiency.
The agent in question is a liquid when under pressure, and thus, the sensor floats within it.
Temperature variations in the surrounding environment, such as an increase in warmth, can cause thermal expansion of this liquid, resulting in a rise in its level.
Conversely, a drop in temperature can lead to a decrease in the level.
These fluctuations often lead to potential issues, such as false alarms indicating a loss of agent.
However, because our sensor monitors temperature changes, it can accurately discern between genuine agent loss and mere temperature-induced level variations, thereby reducing the likelihood of false alarms.
How does the Liquid Level Sensor fit into your existing portfolio?
Our portfolio already includes various accessories for fire suppression systems.
Among these, we have an accessory that provides valuable additional data points for our customers, offering insights into the health of their system.
This new product enhances our existing offerings by providing a more reliable alternative to the current industry-standard method, known as the dip tape.
The dip tape, essentially a tape measure, is manually operated and can yield subjective readings, varying with different operators.
In contrast, our product offers a more objective and consistent approach to measuring, thereby ensuring more accurate and reliable data for our customers.
With the level sensor, we’re equipped to detect even minor leaks, including micro leaks, providing earlier warnings.
This early detection capability potentially prevents the need for taking the tank offline, allowing it to remain operational.
Depending on the nature and location of the leak, it can often be rectified on-site, thereby reducing additional maintenance costs.
This feature enhances the overall efficiency and cost-effectiveness of our system for the users.
What issue does this product address?
The fire suppression market is increasingly seeking more comprehensive data.
Traditional methods, such as manual checks which might occur as infrequently as every six months, are being overshadowed by the need for continuous monitoring.
This product meets that demand by offering the capability for constant surveillance.
Alternatively, it can be configured to check the system once daily, especially if set up with a battery.
This approach enables early detection of issues, allowing for the data to be integrated into a dashboard for the customer.
This provides a more holistic view of the system’s health, moving away from reactive methods to a more proactive and data-informed management of fire suppression systems.
This article was originally published in the February 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.
Global Safety Synchronisation with TLX Fire & Security
Fostering innovation and convergence in global safety standards with TLX Fire & Security at Intersec 2024
The importance of technological advancement and global standardisation in fire safety and protection cannot be overstated.
In an increasingly connected world, there is a critical need to align fire and safety standards across borders.
Advancements in electronic and remote monitoring devices, along with supervision technologies, play a pivotal role in this endeavour.
These innovations not only enhance safety but also ensure a seamless integration of global safety practices.
The harmonisation of safety standards globally is a vital but complex mission.
It involves early development efforts aimed at addressing market concerns and safety needs.
A key challenge in this sector is bridging the gap between the varying priorities of different-sized customers and regulatory bodies.
Achieving consensus among stakeholders is essential for the effective deployment of life-saving technologies.
This balance is crucial in ensuring that safety solutions are efficient and universally applicable.
The future roadmap for fire safety and protection is marked by innovation with the development of technologies for data collection and connectivity revolutionising the field.
IFSJ sits down with TLX Fire & Security to provide a glimpse into what the company is set to bring to the table at Intersec 2024, highlighting their role as a key player in shaping the future of fire safety.
As global safety standards evolve, how is TLX addressing current and future challenges in fire safety and compliance?
TLX supports standards in many ways, but currently the most valuable is the supervision requirement.
The company’s engineers were working on a solution long before the supervision standards went into effect.
That allowed them to not only meet the requirements with something innovative, but they were also able to integrate the solution into the actuator and reduce the cost and complexity of the final product.
As global safety standards continue to evolve, TLX will focus on working with key standards bodies to understand what the needs in the industry are and how we can lend our expertise by not only utilising our current solutions but also developing new products and technologies to meet global safety standards in the future.
Attending Intersec 2024 and other industry exhibitions give us opportunities to speak with attendees and industry leaders to gain insight into what their future needs might be.
How is TLX contributing to global safety standard harmonisation and addressing regional differences?
TLX participates in global standards meetings on regulatory change.
Hearing the earliest conversations about safety needs, the market’s concerns, and other information gives the company’s engineers a head start on development efforts.
TLX has ongoing research in everything from slow leak protection to monitoring and AI enablement.
This diversified effort will allow the company to support global and regional customers with the products and technologies needed before regulations go into effect.
While many of the safety features that we provide reach a broad spectrum of the unified standards, we do run into some restrictions based on mechanical functionalities.
Therefore, our approach is to provide our customers with the ability to make necessary customisations to our products to suit their system requirements for proper compliance.
What are TLX’s key strategic focuses as you prepare for Intersec 2024?
Currently, we see more countries and governing bodies around the world are focused on improving protections for people and infrastructure.
This is driving the globalisation of standards.
This ongoing shift offers opportunities for companies supporting these efforts.
OEMs and installation/maintenance companies can export their systems and/or expand their operational footprint to help more customers.
TLX provides solutions to help OEMs and other companies meet current regulatory requirements while also supporting them deploy the next generation of systems and services.
We are focused on providing solutions to meet the needs of a more globalised community through our supervision technologies as well as our electronic and remote monitoring devices, such as our weighing and level sensing technologies.
What can attendees expect to see from TLX this year?
For Intersec 2024, TLX will continue to exhibit our supervised actuation products, as the technologies offered in these products are part of a globalised standards approach to safety and security within the fire protection market.
Additionally, with digitalisation and remote monitoring becoming a much larger focus across the industry, TLX will be exhibiting our continuous weight monitoring systems for seamless fire suppression cylinders and our electronic liquid level sensor for welded fire suppression cylinders.
These technologies, along with our ATEX hazardous location actuator, will be the main point of focus at this year’s show in Dubai.
What impact and reception does TLX anticipate at Intersec 2024 with its presentations and showcases?
Each year, Intersec Dubai continues to be a very important event for TLX, as many of our customers attend and have stands themselves.
Being at the show provides us an opportunity to connect with current and future customers and have those important conversations about how TLX can more closely align with their upcoming goals and objectives.
Those conversations also allow the company’s experts to share insights concerning regulatory shifts, industry trends, new technologies, and ways of collaborating to increase a customer’s sales efforts.
Our technologies are well received by the industry, and that impact reaches beyond our customers because our technologies are reviewed by end users and other technical personnel within the industry.
This exposure provides further insight into our technologies for the broader market so that they are aware of the innovations that are available to meet the latest global standards.
What are some challenges TLX faces in developing new technologies for fire safety?
One of the biggest challenges we see in the industry is the disconnect between the priorities of larger end-customers and those of smaller end-customers, in conjunction with the planned regulations, available technologies, and timetables for OEMs to innovate.
Life-saving and cost-saving technologies have been available for years, but without consensus across all stakeholders, they cannot be deployed easily.
This is a time for regulatory bodies to lead, and we believe we will see that in the coming years.
TLX will be there with solutions to support the standards as they develop.
Looking beyond Intersec 2024, what is the future roadmap for TLX in terms of innovation and market leadership?
Like many others in the industry, TLX Fire & Security is pursuing solutions in lithium-ion battery fire protection and suppression.
There is a major focus in the industry on innovation to keep people and property safe from these very difficult-to-fight fire events.
Our intent is to align ourselves with our customers by developing solutions for lithium-ion battery fire suppression and thermal runaway sensing.
Additionally, TLX is developing additional technologies around leveraging data collection, sensing, and connectivity to give end-customers and installation/maintenance companies visibility into system availability, repairs, and regulatory compliance.
So much money and time are wasted with manual processes, which often include the challenges associated with human error.
In the future, systems will notify the right people about different issues, such as low agent level, an improperly installed actuator, physical shocks to the cylinders, required maintenance being completed, and more.
The people responsible for monitoring these systems will no longer have to hope that their system is available to protect people and infrastructure; they will know.
Intersec Dubai will take place between the 16th and 18th of January at the Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai. TLX Fire & Security’s Stand Number is Stand 4.G10
This article was originally published in the January 2024 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.
Convergence challenges with TLX Fire & Security
Jason Busalacchi, Business Development Manager at TLX Fire and Security, discusses the implications of globalising standards
In a rapidly globalising world, standards are no longer restricted to specific regions but are becoming more internationally harmonised.
One of the sectors witnessing this convergence is the safety and technical domain, where standards set by entities like NFPA, UL, and FM in the US are now aligning more closely with those in Europe and the UK.
As manufacturers and companies adapt, what does this mean for product safety, efficiency, and the future of global trade?
IFSJ Editor Iain Hoey sat down with TLX’ Business Development Manager for the Fire and Security Division, Jason Busalacchi. to delve deeper into this transformation, while also gaining insight into their innovative Continuous Weight Monitoring Solutions and their plans for the coming year.
Can you set the scene for the globalisation of standards?
Over time, there has been a notable increase in the adoption of specific standards, particularly those used in the US, to regions like the Middle East, Europe, and various parts of the APAC region.
Advancements and technologies in safety that have emerged within the US market have gained favour in the fire suppression market globally.
This trend has influenced some European standards to align more closely with US standards.
Additionally, we’re observing a significant uptick in the adoption of UL-certified products in mainland China.
As time progresses, we see an expanding global footprint for our products with their usage becoming more prevalent in diverse regions around the world.
Has this impacted the way TLX Fire & Security operates?
The globalisation of standards has significantly influenced how we operate internationally.
With our facility in China, we’ve achieved a global reach for our product lines.
This capability has enabled us to supply our products to customers in Asia more efficiently.
As a result, many companies are coming to TLX to obtain products that meet safety and compliance standards across numerous regions.
Many of these companies hold certain approvals, but simple changes to specific components allow simplicity in attaining a broader spectrum of global approval and acceptability.
For TLX, the vision is to provide products that allow for fast implementation on a global scale to meet our customer’s vision for expanding their product portfolios.
What are the benefits of harmonised standards?
Having harmonised standards across regions like Europe, the UK, and the US significantly simplifies the product development process.
When standards are harmonised globally, it allows us to create a single technology that meets these universal standards, rather than having to develop multiple iterations of the same product to comply with different regional specifications.
This uniformity in standards leads to a faster manufacturing process, reduces development costs, and accelerates the time-to-market for new products.
For the companies that we supply, harmonised standards open up a broader market.
They can now develop and deploy technologies that are universally compliant, which is a substantial advantage.
By adopting these global standards, they can easily enter multiple markets without the need for extensive modifications or separate compliance processes for each region, boosting their market reach and enhancing the competitiveness of their products on a global scale.
Additionally, harmonised standards bring about a level of consistency in quality and safety across different regions.
This consistency is crucial in industries like ours, where reliability and compliance are vital.
It ensures that no matter where our products are used, they maintain a high standard of quality and meet the requisite safety regulations.
The globalisation of standards not only aids in reducing the complexity and cost of product development but also enhances market accessibility and ensures consistent quality and safety for our products worldwide.
It’s a win-win scenario for us and the diverse companies we work with, as it fosters a more efficient and globally integrated approach to product development and distribution.
Are there challenges in aligning to globalised standards?
The main challenge is in the nuances of different standards.
At TLX, we have developed technologies that are being adopted globally for their safety and security benefits.
However, we also encounter specific nuances in some standards that, in subtle ways, limit the applicability of our technologies in certain markets.
For instance, our supervision technology for fire suppression systems triggers an audible and visual alarm at the fire control panel whenever an actuation device is removed from the system.
This feature alerts maintenance personnel to reinstall the device promptly, ensuring the system remains active.
While this technology is widely accepted, there are standards requiring that an actuation device must exert an actuation force of 200% of the operating force required to open the system.
Under certain standards, our actuator is required to provide enough force to discharge the system for five hundred cycles without failure.
Under other standards, regardless of cycle testing, the 200% rule applies.
The disadvantage to our customer is that they will now need to purchase an oversized actuator that provides more force than their system requires, which inherently dictates a higher cost.
To address this, we have developed and implemented a scalable family of actuators to satisfy the broader market.
This approach ensures compliance with all relevant standards, even when they demand specifications that go beyond our typical product range.
It’s a delicate balancing act between adhering to diverse global standards and maintaining the efficiency and practicality of our technologies.
Do you believe this trend towards globalisation will continue?
Yes.
In the future, I see a convergence of the best practices from various standards communities.
These groups will likely engage in discussions to adopt what they consider the best technology for safety and security on a global scale.
For example, the adoption of certain safety technologies like actuation supervision, which was first introduced by NFPA, is now being implemented by EN and ISO.
This is a testament to this trend.
Can you tell us about your Continuous Weight Monitoring Solutions?
Our Continuous Weight Monitoring Solutions, which include both platform and suspended versions, are designed to detect leaks in the cylinders before they require decommissioning.
The core objective of these solutions is to offer a technology capable of detecting weight changes as small as 100 grams.
This level of sensitivity allows maintenance personnel to be alerted to any significant loss of content in the cylinder at an early stage, helping to avoid the costly and time-consuming process of decommissioning.
The development of these solutions was driven by the need for a more efficient and cost-effective method for the industry to detect faults in fire suppression systems.
Traditionally, decommissioning cylinders to address leaks is an expensive and lengthy process.
Our technology aims to identify issues at a much earlier and more manageable stage.
An integral part of our design was to enable these monitoring solutions to communicate with fire suppression control panels.
This capability allows the systems to relay fault notifications to remote locations.
As a result, active maintenance personnel can be informed in real time about potential issues, ensuring that any necessary repairs or maintenance can be scheduled promptly and efficiently.
This feature enhances the effectiveness and contributes to the overall safety and reliability of fire suppression systems.
How do the two systems differ in their applications or functionalities?
The Platform Weight-Monitoring System is primarily used for cylinders that weigh 500 kilograms or less.
Whereas the suspended version, which involves hanging a cylinder from a load cell, supports a significantly smaller load.
Each version of the system continuously monitors the cylinder’s weight within a resolution of 100 grams.
The platform system is more commonly seen in single cylinder configurations due to the larger cylinder sizes but can be used on multi-cylinder configurations as well.
The Suspended Weight-Monitoring System is often used in gaseous applications, particularly in large-scale projects involving 150-200 cylinders.
Each load cell is capable of supporting a cylinder weighing 230 kilograms or less.
This design is particularly advantageous for seamless cylinders, which do not include a liquid level indicator port for measuring content.
These ports are only present in welded cylinders.
With seamless cylinders, it’s crucial to monitor the system in a way that doesn’t interfere with the cylinder’s internal mechanisms, and the Suspended Weight-Monitoring System offers a solution for this specific requirement.
What industries will benefit from this technology?
The technology is immensely valuable in any context where the precise monitoring of cylinder content is critical.
This includes applications like CO2 monitoring in restaurants, which could greatly benefit from such precise monitoring.
Essentially, it is a versatile product that can be adapted to various industries where maintaining the integrity and proper functioning of cylinder systems is of paramount importance.
What new developments and goals can we expect from TLX Fire & Security as we approach 2024?
In terms of product development, TLX Fire & Security is excited to complete our supervised water valve, specifically a pilot-operated valve for pre-action and deluge systems.
This will extend our supervision technology to the sprinkler industry.
Additionally, we’re finalising our electric liquid level indicator, a complement to our weight monitoring solutions for welded cylinders.
Looking towards 2024, our vision is shaped by the globalisation of standards and the expansion of our actuator family.
We anticipate further growth, particularly in our larger actuation styles, as the obsolescence of NOVEC prompts a shift to alternative technologies.
This shift is likely to increase the demand for products suited to higher-pressure systems.
We’re also focusing on the growth of our explosion-proof and ATEX actuators for hazardous locations.
Geographically, our expansion efforts will be concentrated on Europe, the APAC regions, and Mainland China, as these areas increasingly adopt higher quality standards for fire protection.
Overall, 2024 promises to be a year of significant development and expansion for TLX Fire & Security.
This article was originally published in the December2023 issue of International Fire & Safety Journal. To read your FREE digital copy, click here.
Exclusive: Facing the future
International Fire and Safety Journal speaks exclusively with Jason Busalacchi Business Development Manager, Fire & Safety at TLX Technologies
There has been a massive shift this year, in some part due to the pandemic, in how companies are working in the fire industry. Of course, we all know that many have been working from home, and a new era of flexible working has been ushered in. However, these are some of the more obvious changes that those outside of the sector will notice. For those in the industry, they have seen more change, change that has been on the horizon for quite some time.
To gain better insight into the changes shaping the industry, as well as some of the biggest challenges that companies are being faced with, International Fire and Safety Journal caught up with Jason Busalacchi Business Development Manager, Fire & Safety at TLX Technologies.
Customer focused solutions
There is perhaps no one better within TLX Technologies to give insight into the current challenges that the fire industry, and more specifically, the suppression industry faces than Jason Busalacchi. Having spent five years working within fire suppression, he has seen the changes develop over time. One change that has developed is that COVID has seemingly created more opportunities for monitoring, remote monitoring and the sharing of data between systems and agencies.
However, this is something Busalacchi has seen developing over a longer period of time: “I think the industry was going this way anyway, no matter what. IoT has become a huge thing in the last ten years or so, and there is going to be more of this, but COVID has certainly accelerated it much faster than anticipated. A lot of that was due to people not having or not wanting to be in contact with others, and then also just being able to do everything remotely.
“Additionally, the Internet of Things and remote monitoring allows for statuses of systems to be understood in hard to get to locations such as oil rigs that are in the ocean, data centres, areas where you need security clearance to get into. You don’t need to necessarily have the personnel that has those credentials all the time, because of the fact that you are monitoring these systems remotely, and then again, only when it’s necessary you can deploy the proper resources to see where it’s wrong.
Demonstrating this level of knowledge is vital for companies like TLX, as they can easily adapt their products and services to reflect these changes. On his role within the company, Busalacchi reveals how customer relations helps keep their solutions effective and up to date with those changes.
He comments: “My role involves some product management as well as sales. It’s a combination of roles in which the liaison between our customers in engineering and managerial groups helps to identify the needs of our customers and then to provide a solution to the problems they have with their applications.
“Specifically, my role as business development manager is in our fire and safety division. I oversee the product line within the fire protection sector of TLX Technologies. Through my time here I have helped to develop this market to provide effective actuation solutions for our customers fire and suppression systems, and through that I’ve also helped identify how our customers can make components to those systems better.”
Looking to the future at the right time
As the innovation and technology that is bringing the industry forward continues, more companies are looking to shift their focus towards developing new products. Of course, much of this will be born out of the needs of the customer such as operating systems remotely, and Busalacchi believes that although TLX are looking to achieve this in the future, it is also something they have always done, and are doing so at the right time: “We are going to shift our focus on the industry needs as we always have.
“Right now, we are looking into some significant breakthroughs in technology that we feel are going to be very useful for the industry as a whole moving forward, with the remote monitoring, and inter connectivity and data collection of multiple facets of the system to be fed remotely to a platform that our customers can see.
“There are a few things such as the status of the actuators themselves, the liquid level sensors, their statuses, along with a few other key metrics that can all be fed back to the same place, and then provided remotely, regardless of where you are to check the status of those systems, and we are working with some very key customers to help catapult us and catapult those platforms.
“It’s something we are very excited about because I think that we are poised to get into what we are doing at the right time. We are not going to be too early, and not too late, we will be at the fore front, leading the charge to bring this technology to the market.”
Solving key challenges
For 20 years TLX Technologies have been manufacturing fire suppression system actuation technologies for some of the biggest names in the industry. As time has gone by, the company have continued to keep up with the latest changes in the industry and are still looking to innovate. Despite the obvious challenges the fire sector has faced, TLX have managed to manufacture two new products that will be launched at Intersec in January.
Busalacchi is confident that these products will help solve key issues and offer revolutionary solutions to common challenges: “One of our new products is going to be fairly revolutionary in the fact that it will allow our customers to have easy access to what the industry calls explosion proof actuators. Right now, it’s very hard to find actuation technologies that comply with certain specifications to make an explosion proof fire suppression system.
“What that means is that if you have a special hazards environment where there is flammable contact in the air, if there was an electrical signal from a control panel that was provided to our device to actuate it, and you get some of that content within the actuator itself, you could ignite that content within there because of the electrical signal.
“The second product that we will be introducing is our electronic level sensor, which effectively is a way for our customers to have a digital readout without manually having to check the amount of content that is inside of the fire suppression tank. What they are currently doing is taking a manual reading by pulling up a ruler that is in a tank, that’s magnetic, when it feels a bit of a tug on that magnetic area, that is there readout.
“What our product is effectively going to do is allow a maintenance personnel to walk up to the device, push a button, and it can be a digital display. If they don’t want a digital display, there can be a signal sent back to a digital platform remotely that can provide the maintenance personnel with the information necessary to show the status of that system and whether that tank needs to be serviced, without having to actually go to the site and manually take that reading.”
As we continue to adapt working practices, it seems that the way forward for the industry is to continue its adoption of remote working through the use of technology. In the last two years there has been a big change in is a lack of personnel to be able to maintain some systems, and it’s going to change further and faster into being able to gauge the status of the system without having to always have somebody on site to check it.
Remote feedback, and only requiring personnel to be deployed in the event of a hazard or a mishap on the system, is going to save companies that carry out maintenance work a lot of time, and a lot of money, and also require them to live with reduced staff because of the times that we live in. In the past, the fire industry has been known for taking its time with adapting to new technology. The events of the last couple of years may be the push it needs to take advantage of the benefits of IoT, AI and Machine Learning.