Offset Printing
Mortons of Horncastle installs first HI-FOG Water Mist Fire Suppression System from Goss International in partnership with Marioff
Monday 10. August 2009 - System selected for effective fire suppression and minimum water discharge; Installation minimises risk of fire damage and could reduce insurance premiums; Pure water system safe for people and environment
UK printer and publisher Mortons of Horncastle has installed a new HI FOG Water Mist Fire Suppression System supplied by Goss International and developed and manufactured by Marioff, a Finland-based UTC Fire & Security company. The system was chosen to protect three folders used for contract printing work at the Mortons facility in Lincolnshire.
The new HI-FOG system was applied to a Goss press and another existing web press, with the installation taking just three days.
According to Mortons’ production manager Dean Wilkinson, one of the key features of the HI FOG system is the small volume of water required. He explains, “Sometimes the damage caused by water or foam in putting a fire out can be worse than the destruction caused by the fire itself. We selected HI FOG so that, if we are unlucky enough to have to use it, the high-pressure water mist system would not only suppress the fire quickly and effectively, but cause minimal additional damage in the process.”
The HI-FOG system uses high pressure to produce a fine and pure water mist with an average drop size of 50 – 120 µm, combining the extinguishing characteristics of water with the penetrative qualities of gases. As a result, fires are suppressed effectively and water discharge is minimal, with no danger to people or the environment.
“In the worst case scenario of a fire, damage to equipment is very limited and the time and cost spent on clean-up is negligible,” says Wilkinson.
Other key benefits of the system cited by Mortons are its compact nature and the low ongoing maintenance requirements. “Aside from checking the nitrogen gas bottle every so often, there’s practically no maintenance required,” Wilkinson adds.
Richard Grzelczyk, Goss International product and technical sales manager, adds, “There are a number of reasons why we have chosen to partner with Marioff on this system. As well as its overall effectiveness, safety and low water volume, it can also be installed with much less disruption to production. The pipe sizes of the HI FOG system are small, making installation quick and easy compared to conventional low-pressure water spray or sprinkler systems, particularly in retrofits. It’s also very modular – once the principal system is fitted, further sections can be added easily, enabling gradual expansion of the system if required, a crucial requirement among customers today.”
Andy Kingswood, engineering manager at Mortons, comments, “When the installation team came they were very understanding of our needs, flexible in their approach and worked closely with our team. The result was that they were able to plan their installation activities around our production slots minimising the effect on our production.”
HI-FOG technology is developed and provided by Marioff Corporation, part of the Fire & Security business unit of United Technologies Corporation (UTC), for the protection of, amongst other things, cruise liners. It is now protecting a growing range of land-based applications, buildings and other high-value commercial establishments and machinery. Goss International is sole supplier of HI-FOG technology for web offset presses and equipment in the United Kingdom and Europe.