(Norwell, Massachusetts – December 9, 2008) Xtralis, a leading provider of intelligent fire detection and security solutions, today announced that its VESDA Aspirating Smoke Detection (ASD) system was chosen by ThyssenKrupp Steel, one of the world’s largest steel producers, to enhance fire safety at its new production plant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The VESDA solution will be deployed in conjunction with Xtralis partner Siemens Brazil.
ThyssenKrupp CSA Siderurgica do Atlantico, the Rio plant, is currently under construction and, when complete, will be one of the largest steel plants in Brazil, producing 5 million tons of steel per year for North American and European markets. The Xtralis VESDA ASD system will be a core component of the plant’s fire and safety systems, designed to exceed the national fire code and meet the highest detection standards.
"Safety and security of our workforce is the highest priority for ThyssenKrupp, which is why we chose the most advanced fire detection solution available for our newest steel production facility," said Heyno Smith, ThyssenKrupp CSA Chief Operations Officer. "VESDA’s unique ability to reliably detect the earliest presence of smoke in large open manufacturing facilities and warehouses, and to operate reliably in challenging high heat environments, makes it the obvious choice for our demanding requirements."
VESDA ASD is the most effective early warning fire detection solution for industrial manufacturing environments with a zero tolerance for fire, including plant production floors, operations areas, control rooms and power generation facilities. VESDA operates reliably in both the cleanest and dirtiest environments, making it an ideal solution to effectively protect an entire plant facility.
The VESDA detector draws air samples through a series of collection tubes that are routed throughout the manufacturing facilities. These samples are proactively drawn through a centralized multi-stage collection filter that isolates smoke particles from other airborne contaminants. This process provides highly reliable smoke detection at the earliest presence of fire, while discriminating against false alarms that result from dust or debris and cause plant downtime and lost productivity. VESDA’s centralized detection facilitates fast and simple maintenance and low cost of ownership.
"We are proud of the role that our VESDA solution plays in protecting the global manufacturing supply chain," said Samir Samhouri, President and CEO of Xtralis. "We’re pleased to add ThyssenKrupp to the growing list of global powerhouses that have chosen VESDA to protect their most critical production facilities." Samhouri continued, "Our powerful solutions provide absolute smoke detection in zero tolerance environments for the highest safety standards and mitigating risk to facilities, assets and personnel."
