Water mist expertise is still a relatively new idea in phrases of fireplace suppression, but it is proving to be an exciting development within the industry. As the trade evolves, so do the laws, legal guidelines and necessities so as to enhance safety and allow growth. These can range largely from country to country, and even region to area.
The way by which a water mist system operates is an identical mechanism to the traditional sprinkler system in that the nozzles are normally activated via a bulb which blows at a selected temperature allowing for the activation of the mist through a low-pressure water piping system.
Here we have a look at how some water mist nozzles are produced and installed – from arriving as a big ‘bar’ of metallic, to turning into the environment friendly water mist nozzles we see installed in plenty of new projects/developments throughout a lot of the globe today.
The steel arrives for cutting
Here at Dual Mist Ltd, Stainless Steel 304 is used for many parts as it is extremely durable and corrosion resistant compared to other related metals. The body is machined out of Brass CZ121, which arrives as giant bars of metal that are delivered to the warehouse in 3m lengths. This is then cut into two smaller components ready to insert into the machine. Not all water mist firms have the flexibility to machine the components they require in-house although it can show very beneficial for price and manufacturing functions as we’re about to see.
Machining
The metal is fed to a Nakamura WT150 CNC lathe. This high-performance Japanese machine software is equipped with carbide tooling and high-pressure through coolant techniques, with the twin-spindle and twin-turret making haste of the otherwise sophisticated parts. pressure gauge 4 นิ้ว ราคา Sliding Head Lathe is used for the smaller elements.
A Citizen L12 also makes the filters with a functionality of drilling 365 holes in 51 seconds, fully automated – this implies it could turnover an unimaginable four,000 filters in a weekend utterly unmanned.
The brass heads are additionally de-burred on the machine, eradicating all sharp edges earlier than being polished and despatched for Electroless Nickel Plating. This supplies a corrosion-proof coating to the brass, enabling it to turn out to be far more durable. All parts are then inspected for dimensional accuracy earlier than the meeting stage.
This Technifor Laser machine engraves each nozzle in preparation for the testing stages.
Assembly
There are many small elements of varied shapes and sizes that make up the nozzle – In the DM4R nozzle, (as seen on the leak-testing pic) there are a complete of thirteen parts or ‘components’. These elements are then meticulously put together and assembled by the manufacturing team requiring a good quantity of labour earlier than the final product is achieved. Various phases include tightening with specially tailored tools, pressing utilizing a hand-press and utilizing a particular ‘Locktite’ formulation at some stages which is a threadlock that stops fixings from coming unfastened in the course of the operational lifetime of the product. The final stage of assembly is fastidiously loading the bulb and applying the correct load to it utilizing a torque wrench.
The assembled nozzles are then placed on one other machine to find a way to be labelled and uniquely identified using a serial number. At Dual Mist Ltd that is accomplished on a Technifor Laser Engraver fitted with a 4th axis unit earlier than they are ready to be positioned by way of the various levels of testing.
Testing
Cull Testing
Also known as bubble testing in layman’s terms, this take a look at is to make sure no injury has occurred to the bulb during meeting and is a critical check for LPCB approval. The test includes using a high-powered microscope to measure the size of the bubble in every bulb earlier than inserting in heat water so as to shrink the scale of the bubble to nothing. Once this is checked, the nozzles are then left to rest and return to room temperature earlier than the bubble is measured once once more to be able to guarantee it has returned to the original size inside a small tolerance.
Leak Testing
Every nozzle can also be stringently examined for leaks by making use of 24-bar stress for 1 hour and making certain no water has escaped. It is rare for any leaks on the manufacturing line, but this is an extremely important stage of the testing as leaks could happen if dust is trapped inside the seal face.
Activation Testing
On a monthly basis, random nozzles are also examined for activation by putting the nozzle on a strain jig at numerous pressures and making use of warmth to the bulbs. The nozzles ought to all activate cleanly across the complete stress vary specified to that nozzle.
A member of the manufacturing team makes use of a microscope and software to find out the scale of each bubble in the bulb.
Approvals
At Dual Mist Ltd, these exams aren’t just to guarantee the standard of the production line however are additionally an necessary part of the LPCB Approval. These approvals allow prospects to recognise that the merchandise they’re buying are made to the highest possible high quality normal within the area.
The drawback to this is that the Approval Testing system could be each expensive and time-consuming – typically needing to be booked several months upfront and requiring years of onerous work to attain.
The nozzles produced by Dual Mist have been put by way of their paces at BRE Global by method of both fireplace testing and component/type approval.
Tamper proofing
In order to ensure that no one is tempted to intervene with the grub screw holding the bulb, a small plastic bung is pressed into the grub screw. The stress load setting on the bulb is then subsequently mounted.
The nozzles are then ready to be packaged and despatched off for set up.
Here is an instance of a control panel having been installed in The Claridges Hotel, London, UK. This is where the system is operated.
Installation
Rather than having to make use of the heavy and labour-intensive metal pipes often utilized in high-pressure techniques, low-pressure water methods can use CPVC piping. This is a special type of fire-resistant plastic enabling quick set up. Instead of threading each pipe, a heated glue can be used to shortly construct large pipe networks. These networks are approved to deal with up to 12 bar pressure. The nozzles are screwed into a particular pipe adaptor utilizing a half-inch gas becoming.
An electric management panel is fitted for the system control together with pumps and a water tank, normally with a mains feed.
The system is examined, signed off and handed over to the client.
The ultimate product as soon as installed. This exhibits how we count on to see the nozzles as soon as a challenge has been completed.
Conclusion
As we are able to see there are lots of levels to go from steel to nozzle head with each nozzle taking a major effort by varied professionals to complete to the permitted commonplace.
Not solely do water mist nozzles require multiple levels of machining and assembling, they need to additionally undergo a string of tests in order to be accredited for installation. Once installed, there are even further checks undergone, generally by third-party organisations to guarantee that the whole hearth suppression system to lastly be handed over to the shopper.
Water mist expertise assures safety, high quality and assurance via the stringent testing that’s required.
With the recent publication of water mist standards, notably in Britain over latest years, constructing builders can now be assured that the standard required for water mist systems is now at an equivalent normal to other suppression systems.
For more info, go to www.dualmist.com
Share this:
Share