Patol sensors provide early warning detection
Patol has releases the Patol’s 5000 series including the high temperature transit flame sensor which triggers an alarm on a conveyor if the temperature reaches more than 240°C (sensitivities can be set higher than this threshold depending on the nature of the application).
The sensors are located above the conveyor and monitor the food product as it leaves a fryer, oven, dryer or any other equipment employed in the cooking process.
Conveyors are a central feature in so many food processing applications yet, despite their widespread use, the potential dangers they represent in terms of fire is sometimes overlooked.
The flammable nature of high temperature food products being transported along a processing line means they have the potential to ignite.
Production of products such as popcorn, crisps, pies or cornflakes, where the cooking process necessitates high temperatures, are all good examples of an enhanced fire risk. With an undetected flaming product passing along the conveyor, this can soon cause issues further down the processing line, potentially leading to a major incident. Even a relatively minor fire can cause significant damage to processing equipment resulting in costly downtime.
Conveyor speeds of 0.5 to 6 metres per second can be accommodated, with the sensor triggering if a material reaches an ember or flame condition. Enhanced false alarm immunity is ensured through the sensor being ‘solar blind’ meaning the ‘background’ and ‘transient’ infra-red spectra are discriminated.
The glass-free, stainless-steel sensors are designed specifically to meet the requirements of food processing environments. In addition to its transit fire detection products, Patol offers aspirating smoke detection (ASD) solutions and linear heat detection cable which are widely employed in food processing applications, including frozen and chilled environments which can be difficult to protect with conventional fire detectors.
