When Dovecote Park, a food processing business in Yorkshire wanted to enhance its fire safety system, the company and its long-standing integration partner, WRS, engaged with the expertise of Business Insight 3 and Flir.
Flir thermal cameras are used in the early identification of hotspots that emerge when common equipment found in food processing plants deteriorates, wears or reaches end-of-life.
Established in 1997, Dovecote Park supplies British beef, veal and venison to retail, fine dining and food service customers nationwide. Committed to keeping its workforce safe and its productivity rates high, Dovecote Park urgently began to assess potential solutions. The move was prompted by the identification of a potential fire risk in the company’s production hall roof voids, which house devices such as motors, pumps, electrical cabinets and distribution boards that power machinery on the food-grade factory floor below.
Mechanical problems like worn pumps or damaged bearings, or electrical problems like failing circuit breakers, promote heat accumulation. If this heat goes unnoticed, it could prove the start of a potentially devastating fire. Dismissing sprinklers due to their cost and reactive rather proactive operating concept, Dovecote Park was drawn to thermal imaging, a trusted, non-contact way of preventing fires by detecting hotspots before they reach ignition temperature.
The company turned to system integrator WRS Solutions, which had previously concluded other successful projects with official gold level Flir partner, Business Insight 3 (Bi3). Bi3 proposed the installation of multiple Flir FH-Series R cameras in the roof voids. The Flir FH-R is a rugged multispectral fixed sensor that combines a thermal radiometric stream with a 4K visible camera to provide rapid, early fire detection and visual verification of the incident as it unfolds.
Upon exceeding a hotspot or predefined temperature threshold, security operatives receive an audio/visual alert through a connected Video Management System (VMS), prompting response tactics. Importantly, FH-R sensors support the adjustment of threshold temperatures to specific equipment that requires monitoring.
To seamlessly integrate thermal detection with the existing VMS, Bi3 developed custom software using their proprietary data engine. This innovation ensures that alerts are instantly relayed to the engineering department and Nick Dunn, Dovecote Park’s Health, Safety, and Environmental Manager. “Flir thermal cameras provide peace of mind because we can now be proactive in our equipment maintenance, instead of reactive,” he says.
“From the moment something gets hot, our maintenance team can attend to it.”
Today, Dovecote Hall’s roof voids house over 30 Flir FH-R thermal imaging cameras. According to Flir, just 12 months after installation, the cameras have already detected two incidents, one of which was potentially catastrophic. Without identification by a Flir camera, a hot motor bearing could have led to disaster and serious business disruption.
“It’s safe to say that our investment in thermal imaging cameras has already paid for itself,” states Nick Dunn.
Robert Groom, Sales Manager at Flir, adds: “This is a fine example of where proven Flir technology in the hands of skilled and experienced industry professionals not only protects people and property but also delivers a real return on investment.”
Chris Eccles, Sales Director at Business Insight 3 (Bi3) adds: “Successfully delivering this innovative solution necessitates a capable team, and with WRS and Flir as partners on this project, a seamless installation and integration were achieved. This, resulting in immediate and tangible benefits for Dovecote Park.”
