ACEDES explains how FalconEx™ is redefining industrial fire protection through early intervention.
As fire risks continue to evolve, particularly in the waste, recycling and industrial sectors, traditional approaches to fire protection are being challenged. FSJA spoke with ACEDES about the thinking behind its FalconEx™ autonomous early fire detection and extinguishing system and why the industry is shifting from reacting to fires to preventing them altogether.
ACEDES was founded to bring a smarter, more proactive approach to industrial fire protection. While the company is a new name in North America, it is backed by decades of engineering expertise through its parent company, FireDos and our technology partner Orglmeister, who are the market leaders in early fire detection using infrared technology.
So, while ACEDES LLC is a new name, the technology behind it is well proven, with over 2,000 units deployed globally. Combining the FireDos and Orglmeister heritage with ACEDES’ autonomous FalconEx™ technology gives customers an innovative solution built on a strong foundation of experience, reliability and long-term support.
That’s probably the biggest difference between conventional fire protection and what we’ve developed with FalconEx™. Traditionally, systems wait for smoke, flames or a significant rise in temperature before taking action. By that stage, combustion has already begun and the objective becomes containing and extinguishing the fire.
FalconEx™ takes a preventative approach. Instead of looking for evidence of an established fire, it continuously scans protected areas using advanced infrared technology combined with intelligent video analytics to identify abnormal hot spots long before ignition occurs. If a lithiumion battery begins thermal runaway in a waste pile, or a conveyor bearing starts overheating, it automatically pinpoints the heat source in three-dimensional space and applies targeted cooling.
That’s better for everyone. It reduces damage to equipment, limits operational downtime, protects employees and significantly lowers the financial impact of a fire event. We’re not simply extinguishing fires faster; we’re aiming to stop many of them from ever becoming fires in the first place.
All the detection software, decisionmaking algorithms and extinguishing controls are installed locally within the customer’s facility. Hence, there is no dependency on an external monitoring center or a third-party operator having to prioritize your alarm then assess it before action can be taken. Also, no monthly charges for the monitoring service – that’s something that all our customers love.
When you’re trying to prevent ignition, every second matters. Removing unnecessary decision-making stages and potential dropouts allows the system to respond immediately and consistently, regardless of the time of day or staffing levels.
FalconEx™ was designed from the outset to operate autonomously within the client’s facility, as we all know how fickle internet connections can be to outside locations. With this approach, the client’s cyber security risk is greatly reduced, as no permanent third-party access is needed through their firewall.
Industrial facilities present some of the most challenging environments for thermal detection.
Simply detecting heat isn’t enough and simply adding a separate video source doesn’t help either. FalconEx™ combines infrared imaging with visual verification and sophisticated algorithms that evaluate multiple data sources simultaneously.
Rather than reacting to every warm object, the system determines whether the heat represents a genuine developing hazard. It’s important to point out that the system does not use any form of AI in its analysis.
All the decisions are made based on tried and tested algorithms that will always give the same result and the unique settings for each facility are based on a two-week calibration process that we conduct once the equipment is installed. This virtually prevents false alarms while maintaining extremely fast response times when a real threat is detected.
For customers, reliability is just as important as speed. A system that activates unnecessarily too often loses Fire Protection credibility. Intelligent discrimination is therefore a critical part of autonomous protection.
Human operators play an incredibly important role in industrial safety, but people naturally require time to assess information and make decisions. Technology doesn’t.
FalconEx™ is continuously monitoring protected areas 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As soon as a verified heat anomaly is detected, the system automatically calculates its location, positions the appropriate water cannon and begins targeted cooling.
There are no delays associated with reviewing alarms, contacting personnel or waiting for someone to confirm what the cameras are seeing. In environments where temperatures can escalate rapidly, those saved seconds can make the difference between preventing an incident and responding to a fully developed fire.
Absolutely. Although FalconEx™ is fully capable of autonomous operation, operators and firefighters always have the option of complete manual control of whenever it’s required.
Personnel can take over the water cannons, adjust spray patterns, direct suppression manually or stop operations if circumstances demand. We don’t see autonomy as replacing people; we see it as supporting them and preventing them from having to take a frontline firefighting role. That should always be left to the professionals, and FalconEx™ can help achieve that.
The system provides continuous vigilance around the clock, ensuring no developing heat event goes unnoticed, while experienced operators remain available to make strategic decisions whenever necessary.
The best outcomes come from combining intelligent automation with human expertise.
Ultimately, it comes down to philosophy. Traditional systems are designed to react once a fire has started. FalconEx™ is designed to prevent that fire from occurring whenever possible.
Stopping a fire before it starts will always be preferable to extinguishing one after it has already taken hold.
All this is combined with a much more transparent cost structure which includes lifetime support and free software updates. That means no monthly charges as there is no third-party monitoring and no charge when you operate the system. You simply pay once and then save from then on.
