Fulfillment centres are the logistical backbone of modern commerce, particularly for e-commerce, acting as vast warehouses where goods are stored, picked, packed and dispatched directly to customers or retail outlets. These immense facilities are characterised by towering storage racks, often stretching tens of metres high, filled with diverse inventory ranging from electronics and clothing, to foodstuffs and hazardous materials. They typically feature extensive conveyor systems, automated guided vehicles (AGVs), intricate sorting machinery, and a constant flow of goods and personnel.
The core purpose of a fulfillment centre is rapid throughput and efficient storage, making them dynamic and complex environments. Given their critical role in supply chains and the sheer volume of valuable inventory they house, early and reliable fire detection is paramount. Preventing significant financial losses from damaged stock and ensuring continuous operation are key drivers, alongside the fundamental need to safeguard the large workforce present in these bustling hubs.
Risks
The vast scale and operational nature of fulfilment centres inherently present a heightened risk of fire. Understanding these specific vulnerabilities is crucial for effective prevention and mitigation.
- High Fire Load from Combustible Materials
- Fulfillment centres house an enormous quantity and variety of goods, including cardboard packaging, plastics, textiles, electronics, and sometimes even flammable aerosols or chemicals. This dense concentration of combustible materials creates an exceptionally high fire load, meaning a fire, once started, can spread rapidly and intensely.
- Electrical Malfunctions and Overheating
- The extensive automation, conveyor systems, lighting arrays, charging stations for forklifts and AGVs, and numerous IT infrastructures all rely heavily on electricity. Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, damaged cables or overheating motors and battery banks are common ignition sources.
- Forklifts and Material Handling Equipment
- Forklifts, particularly those powered by LPG or electric batteries, pose multiple fire risks. Leaking fuel, damaged batteries, electrical shorts or sparks from machinery can ignite nearby combustibles.
- Human Error and Housekeeping Issues
- Mishandling of goods, improper disposal of waste (e.g., packaging materials), hot work performed without adequate precautions, accidental damage to electrical systems, or even careless smoking can all initiate fires. Poor housekeeping, allowing debris to accumulate, provides fuel for a fire to spread.
- Arson and External Threats
- Due to their often remote locations and valuable contents, fulfillment centres can be targets for deliberate ignition. Additionally, external factors such as wildfires impacting the perimeter, or even vehicle fires in loading docks, can pose a threat that breaches the building’s integrity.
Challenges
Designing reliable fire detection for large and complex fulfilment centres presents a unique set of challenges beyond typical commercial spaces. These include:
- Vast Open Spaces and High Ceilings
- The sheer volume of air in these facilities, combined with high ceilings, means that smoke from a nascent fire can dilute rapidly and stratify before reaching traditional point detectors at ceiling level. This significantly delays detection, allowing a fire to grow unchecked.
- Airflow and Ventilation
- Large HVAC systems, natural ventilation from loading dock doors and the movement of goods and vehicles create complex air currents. These can actively disperse or divert smoke away from detectors, making it incredibly difficult for standard systems to provide early and accurate warnings.
- Smoke Obstruction by Racking and Stock
- The dense, high-rise storage racks packed with various commodities create physical barriers that obstruct the natural upward movement of smoke. Smoke can be trapped within the aisles or at lower levels, preventing it from reaching ceiling-mounted detectors until the fire is well-developed.
- Minimising False Alarms in Active Environments
- Fulfillment centres are busy places with potential sources of nuisance alarms, such as dust from packaging, vehicle exhaust fumes, steam from break rooms or even changes in ambient temperature. A reliable system must differentiate real fire events from these environmental factors to avoid costly and disruptive false alarms.
- Accessibility for Installation and Maintenance
- Installing and maintaining detection systems in high-bay areas, or within dense racking, can be challenging and expensive, often requiring specialised access equipment. This can lead to difficulties in optimal placement and ensuring regular, thorough maintenance, both of which are critical for system reliability.
VESDA-E Aspirating Smoke Detection
The VESDA-E system represents the latest generation of Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD) technology by Xtralis, designed for very early warning fire detection in challenging environments like fulfillment centres. Unlike traditional point detectors, VESDA-E actively draws air samples through a network of sampling pipes into a central detector for continuous analysis.
This proactive approach allows for the detection of minute smoke particles at the earliest, incipient stage of a fire, often before visible smoke is present or before it can be detected by other means. The system is engineered for high performance, reliability, and offers enhanced capabilities over previous ASD generations.
VESDA-E VEP Aspirating Smoke Detector
The VESDA-E VEP (Very Early Warning Particle) Aspirating Smoke Detector is a flagship product of the VESDA-E range, specifically designed for robust and ultra-sensitive smoke detection. It employs Flair™ detection technology, utilising advanced optics and an enhanced detection chamber to detect even minute smoke particles at the earliest possible stage.
The VEP offers a wide sensitivity range, configurable alarm levels and advanced features like multi-stage filtration and onboard intelligence to distinguish smoke from dust and minimise false alarms. Available in one or four-pipe models, it provides extensive coverage for challenging environments like fulfilment centres.
Approvals
The VESDA-E VEP holds global approvals for reliable very early smoke detection. It is EN54-20 approved by VdS (for various sensitivity classes) and UL Listed, signifying compliance with stringent European and North American fire safety standards. These certifications ensure its high performance and suitability for critical applications like fulfilment centres.
Design Considerations
Control Panel Placement
For best results, VESDA-E VEP panels should be in a clean, accessible and protected area like a control room. This safeguards the unit from the harsh environment and ensures easy maintenance without disrupting fulfilment centre operations.
ASD Pipe Placement
For optimal results in fulfilment centres, VESDA-E VEP sampling pipes should be installed at multiple levels in high ceilings to combat smoke stratification. They are also critical within dense racking and directly above high-risk machinery like conveyors. Strategic placement considers airflow, ensuring early smoke capture where a fire is most likely to originate.
Handpicked Solutions for Fulfillment Centres
Aspirating Smoke Detectors
VESDA VEP Detectors use advanced Flair™ technology to provide a very early warning of fire with reduced false alarms. The VEP range offers absolute calibration, optical protection and a smart on-board dust filter.
Power Supplies and Batteries
The Xtralis VPS-220-STX5 is an EN54-4 certified power supply unit designed to seamlessly integrate with VESDA-E detectors. It provides a 0.5A 24V DC continuous supply and charges batteries up to 14Ah, ensuring reliable power and standby for the VESDA system.
The Xtralis VPS-250-STX5 is an EN54-4 certified power supply unit for VESDA-E detectors. It delivers a robust 3A 24V DC continuous supply and can charge batteries up to 24Ah, ensuring reliable power and extended standby capabilities, ideal for larger VESDA-E systems.
Aspirating Pipe & Fittings
Our 25mm red ABS pipe is designed specifically for the aspirating smoke detection industry.
Sockets are used to connect 2 lengths of pipe and are fixed using ABS solvent cement.
Flexible connectors are installed where a bend or elbow are not appropriate. The connector is strengthened internally with a steel wire for extra strength and can be mounted in any direction without reducing the flow of air.
The 90° sweeping bends are used to divert pipework around obstructions and reduce air loss.
This pipe clip has been designed to secure air-sampling pipe using a quick clamp action without the need for additional fixings. Additional fixing nuts and side rod connectors complement the pipe clip for greater installation flexibility.
Sampling points and accessories
The Flush Mount Sampling Point provides a functionally and aesthetically improved alternative to the conical sampling point used in Xtralis Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD) pipe networks.
The flush sampling point provides a discrete finish and is used in conjunction with a 10mm capillary pipe. The sampling point can be fixed to a ceiling tile using the supplied nut or fixed to a ceiling using suitable screws.
The VESDA Harsh Environment Sampling Hole Clip provides reliable, colour-coded sampling holes, fast to install. Its flexi-lip design helps prevent build-up in challenging environments.
Air sampling labels are self-adhesive, red indicators used to clearly mark sampling points. They come in rolls of 100 for easy identification.
Why Choose Eurofyre?
- Honeywell Fire Platinum Partner
- Eurofyre is a Honeywell Fire Platinum Partner. This means we can offer regional or industry-specific solution expertise that includes implementation and advanced customer support for models for Honeywell products, including VESDA, VESDA-E, FAAST and ICAM aspirating smoke detection, along with the most competitive pricing.
- Complete System Supplier
- Eurofyre is a complete system supplier and has been a major Xtralis technical wholesaler since 2007. This means we can offer expert advice and supply all aspects of fire detection including aspirating smoke detection systems, conventional and addressable fire alarm control panels and linear heat detection.
- Pipework Design
- Eurofyre can also provide assistance with aspirating pipe network design to ensure optimum network performance and installation quality.
- Demonstration and Training
- We have a sophisticated training facility where we offer demonstrations and expert training on a range of systems, including a comprehensive selection of Xtralis aspirating smoke detection systems.
- After-Sales Support
- Eurofyre prides itself on providing after-sales care and support that is second to none. We offer both on-site and telephone assistance to help you ensure that your system is fully operational and working at its best.
For more information about Aspirating Smoke Detection, or to discuss any of the other products that Eurofyre have to offer, please feel free to get in touch either by phone on +44 (0) 1329 835 024, by email to [email protected] or via the online enquiry form situated on our contact page.
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