FOGMAKER South Africa (Pty) Ltd provides reliable fire suppression systems which are smart, efficient and cost-effective.
Essentially every diesel engine-operated vehicle and machine is susceptible to fires due to presence of heat, rapid airflow and flammable fluids. Fires present a real and serious threat to mining operations so ensuring that steps are taken to minimise the fire risk through design and operational procedures, and where the fire risk is still unacceptable that an effective, certified and reliable fire suppression system is in place is paramount. A small fire in a mine can spread quickly, leading to catastrophic results including loss of life as well as exorbitant costs linked to damages and downtime.
However, the Swedish manufactured FOGMAKER water-mist fire suppression system provides a proven method of preventing such fires from occurring and can be incorporated into OEM equipment to ensure safe operation. The low-weight, low-maintenance FOGMAKER system utilises the power of the purest extinguishant i.e. water, in the form of high-pressure mist (50-micron droplets) to effectively suppress the fire in seconds. The system combines water with 3% Aqueous Film Forming Foam (AFFF) to rapidly attack all three components of the fire triangle namely heat, oxygen and fuel. “We refer to this as the FOGMAKER TRIPLE ACTION3 effect,” says John Russell, FOGMAKER South Africa’s managing director.
Engine protected by FOGMAKER water mist fire suppression system. Image credit: FOGMAKER South Africa (Pty) Ltd.
The FOGMAKER system is suited to any application where diesel driven machines are being operated and is smartly engineered to be compact and installed in any orientation. This makes it particularly suitable for machines where space to mount a storage cylinder is limited as is the case with most mobile mining equipment. FOGMAKER systems are manufactured according to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 standards and have been certified by globally recognised authorities to meet global fire suppression standards.
The company recently expanded its reach for solutions into very large mobile equipment and fixed plant with the introduction to its product portfolio of the Q-TEC Fire Services foam fire suppression system which will be unveiled this year. Q-TEC is manufactured in Australia and has a proud history spanning 30 years in the provision of foam fire suppression systems. Q-TEC uses the F3 Fluorine Free Foam Agent that is compliant with all United States EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) laws and offers the most advanced and developed foam-spray fire suppression systems to the mining industry. The system is ideal for larger mobile mining equipment, as well as fixed plant such as diesel bowsers and conveyor belts. The FOGMAKER and Q-TEC fire suppression systems are also suitable for the military, marine, ports & harbour, airport, bus & coach and forestry sectors. “Our offering includes rent-own financing options to facilitate the protection of large fleets where the upfront costs are normally restrictive,” adds John.
John points out that the effectiveness of their fire suppression systems, which is validated through extensive global certification, must be the key factor when selecting any reputable system. However, the effectiveness of any fire suppression system when called into action is ultimately defined by the design, installation and maintenance of the system. “These elements are dependent on the ability and training of the installation technicians, and we pride ourselves on our highly skilled and professional team.”
Further added value delivered by the FOGMAKER and Q-TEC solutions includes low total cost of ownership, driven by extended life cycle, low maintenance and machine availability. “Moreover, the ability of our systems to seamlessly integrate with OEM and 3rd party systems enhances safety by ensuring that the machine cannot operate without an active fire suppression system,” affirms John.