Interview with Rocco Occhiato, Thermography Business Development Manager of Mozzanica.
Like all technologies, fire-fighting systems have evolved over time.
Sprinkler systems are the oldest of them all, dating back almost two centuries, but the true evolution of fire-fighting systems began in the 1950s. In the electrical sector, particularly in detection, great strides have been made thanks to different types of detectors and power stations.
In recent years, however, a new technology has begun to gain prominence that had never before been used in the firefighting sector: thermography.
What is the added value of this system? Why is it generating interest? Can it be considered an effective solution for the future?
To answer these questions, we decided to interview Mr. Rocco Occhiato, Thermography Business Development Manager of Mozzanica.
Good morning Mr. Occhiato, before we jump into what Mozzanica offers for this technology, can you describe how it works?
Good morning!
Thermography is the science of acquiring and analyzing information from thermal sensing devices.
These thermal sensing devices are instruments that measure the thermal energy an object emits without coming into direct contact with it; this energy's wavelength is too long to be detected by the human eye, but it can be perceived exclusively as heat: thermography makes this phenomenon visible.
Why does it represent added value for the customer?
To better answer this question, a preface must be made.
Fires develop from a heat source that is followed by the phases of ignition, growth, flashover (fully developed fire) and decay.
Most traditional fire detection systems are activated when the ignition temperature is reached; therefore, the intervention time to activate fire risk compensation measures is very short.
Thermography, on the other hand, detects abnormal temperature increases before the ignition values are even reached. The time advantage guaranteed by thermographic systems makes it possible to activate small-scale compensatory measures characterized as predictive or organizational maintenance operations and not as firefighting actions; in fact, these are measures aimed at preventing the onset of the chemical oxidation reaction at the base of combustion.
By adopting a thermographic system, the customer therefore obtains advantages in protecting its employees' health and safety, in the continuity of operations, in protecting company assets and in safeguarding the company's image and the environment.
In particular, what activities is it recommended for, and what regulations is it subject to?
There are many contexts where thermography can be used.
In addition to the usual scenarios where traditional detection systems would be used, the predictive feature can easily be implemented alongside these, and in open environments it is one of the few detection tools that can be used.
Regarding the regulatory aspect, I must point out that there are currently no technical standards for the construction of the product.
The use of thermographic systems is outlined in the Fire Prevention Code as an alternative solution provided that the use is justified with data, tests and efficacy reports of the proposed technology (paragraph G.2.7 – experimental tests).
Mozzanica can assist its customers in the use of thermographic systems in compliance with the regulations required by the Fire Prevention Code.
In a field in rapid expansion, where more players are offering their own solutions, what does Mozzanica propose?
Mozzanica, which has always pioneered new technologies, is committed to developing its own thermographic detection system with the aim of making it unique and suitable for use in the field of Fire Prevention, unlike products derived from the world of video surveillance.
Can it be integrated with other existing systems? Like suppressing systems, for example? If so, what difficulties must be dealt with and how do you intend to do so?
Mozzanica's thermographic system can be integrated with active protection fire-fighting systems; precisely because of its ability to detect increases in temperature, it allows the extinguisher to be targeted for prompt suppression from the first signs of fire, allowing reduced use of extinguisher and a shorter time to restore normal operating conditions.
Mozzanica will soon participate in the Ecomondo 2023 Expo in Rimini, where it will also present its other solutions for firefighting and protecting the environment. How are you preparing and what are your expectations?
Mozzanica will be present in full force for the entire event, as a window overlooking the specific world of innovative approaches to fire prevention.
This approach is not based exclusively on the commercial availability of the systems presented, but on Mozzanica's full knowledge of them, connected to their technical experience.
As our customers know, Mozzanica is a partner in recognizing fire-fighting problems and in identifying the most suitable compensatory measures, without pushing the sale of targeted fire-fighting products, but in integrating them according to customers' specific needs.