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Aerocom (UK) introduces Advanced Stixx PRO electrical fire suppression device
22 April 2024
THE SUPPLIER of a “groundbreaking” fire suppression device could be poised to help extinguish the second-most common cause of fires in the UK. Nottingham-based Aerocom (UK) has struck a five-year deal with pioneering Swedish company MAUS to supply the “unique” Advanced Stixx PRO solution to the UK market.
Available in three sizes, the device can automatically extinguish electric fires in seconds, including those realised by lithium-ion batteries, the latter being a growing concern given the increasing use of electric vehicles and e-bikes/scooters.
According to Government statistics, fires ignited from an electrical distribution source were the second most common cause of fires in the UK in the year ending March 2023, beaten to top spot by cooking appliances.
Aerocom (UK) believes that prior installation of the Advanced Stixx PRO device could have prevented the devastating lithium battery fires that engulfed three electric London buses last month.
The inexpensive and lightweight device could become a permanent fixture in offices and holiday homes, for example, in addition to other applications across the UK. The devices “could save lives and millions of pounds in damages”, as well as having the potential to slash insurance costs.
Game-changer
Tom Hughes, managing director of Aerocom (UK) Ltd, informed Fire Safety Matters: “This product is incredible. It’s a genuine game-changer in terms of fire protection and suppression. There’s nothing else like it available on the market.”
The Advanced Stixx PRO, which can be installed in any enclosed electrical space (including fuse boxes, electrical cabinets and the battery compartment of electric vehicles) in a matter of seconds, floods the space with a harmless potassium-based smoke when the temperature exceeds 170 degrees Celsius.
Typically, within the space of five seconds, the heat source is fully extinguished. The system’s ability to suppress fires before they have a chance to spread is particularly important when it comes to lithium-ion battery fires, which are notoriously difficult to tame and prone to reignition.
Fire chiefs across the UK are particularly concerned about the rise in the number of house fires caused by these batteries, which are present in e-bikes and e-scooters often stored indoors.
With 150 recorded e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires in London alone last year, representing a 60% increase on the previous year, the London Fire Brigade has issued numerous safety warnings.
Bus fires in London
The launch announcement by Aerocom (UK) follows on from three instances in January where buses operated by Go Ahead London caught fire and quickly becme engulfed in flames, putting lives at risk and heaping pressure on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to address the issue.
Tom Hughes affirmed that, since his firm won the UK contract with MAUS to supply the devices, he has been “inundated” with enquiries from organisations and individuals clamouring to place orders.
Many more MAUS fire suppression products for other applications are available. It’s inevitable that, through Aerocom (UK), this product range will be developed and expanded.
Aerocom (UK) is an established supplier of pneumatic tube systems for manufacturing, logistics and healthcare facilities, as well as being an approved supplier of the NHS, which has already expressed an interest in Advanced Stixx PRO.
Tried-and-tested
“The technology is tried-and-tested and, ultimately, proven,” concluded Hughes. “It’s simple to install and inexpensive, not least when you balance it with the cost of fire-related loss or damage and the potential loss of lives.
The MAUS Advanced Stixx PRO has been granted a CE mark for fire safety, having been assessed to meet the European safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.
*Aerocom (UK) at The Fire Safety Event 2024 (Stand B10 Hall 5)
**Further information is available online at www.aerocom.co.uk
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