IFS 50/240 - Fire Insulated Shutter
In a fire situation, a deployed fire shutter can turn red-hot when subjected to the full force of the flames and intense heat can radiate from the shutter curtain. This radiated heat is capable of igniting combustible materials that may be stored on the other side, hence allowing the fire to spread. The solution to this is the use of Fire Insulated Shutters.
Most fire codes require fire shutters in compartment walls to be insulated. In premises where highly combustible materials are stored, the fire shutters should also be insulated. The objective is to effectively prevent the spread of fire through heat radiation.
The performance criteria for such shutters set internationally are extremely stringent. To qualify as a Fire Insulated Shutter, the shutter had to undergo a fire test to determine its fire insulation capability. Failure is deemed to have occurred once the surface temperature of the unexposed side of the test specimen exceeds a mean temperature rise of 140°C. This is measured by the 5 main thermocouples, one placed at the center of the curtain and the remaining four at the centers of each quadrant of the curtain. Three additional thermocouples are placed at the right, center and left of the top of the curtain. Individually, none of these 8 thermocouples is allowed to record a temperature rise exceeding 180°C. The prescribed furnace temperature for the test is approximately 800°C after 30 minutes, rising to 1140°C at 240 minutes. It basically requires the shutter to be so well insulated that the heat emitted from the other side has little or no possibility of igniting anything.
The standards require a Fire Insulated Shutter to have a minimum of 30 minutes of fire insulation capability. Our IFS 50/240 achieved 51 minutes.
| Tested to | SS 489:2001 and BS 476 Pt 22 |
| Listed with | TUV-SUD-PSB Singapore |
| Maximum Size | W 12.0m x Ht 7.0m |
| Tested Rating | Up to 4 hrs Fire Integrity; Fire Insulation Value: 51 minutes |
| Radiation Flux | 0.8 kW/m2 at 120mins, and 2.24 kW/m2 at 240 mins. (This value was recorded by a Radiometer placed on the center line of the curtain 3.0 m away from the specimen during the fire test) |
Note: This design is the subject of our Singapore Patent Application No. 200905226-7
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Test Photos
Drum Assembly
The barrel assembly consists of an extremely rigid steel tube sheathed over a pair of drive shaft assemblies fitted to heavy duty bearing sets and supported at both ends by steel head plates. The drive shaft is a solid polished-steel round bar incorporating key ways to accept the drive sprocket. Corresponding to the size of the shutter, the head plates are either 6mm or 8mm thick with shafts of either 38mm or 50mm diameter.
The entire drum assembly is enclosed by a housing consisting of 2 layers of 1.0mm thk galvanized steel sheets with a blanket of Ceramic Fibre insulation infill.
Door Curtain
Material
The door curtain consists of 2 layers of double-walled cavity interlocking slats overall size 80mm x 20mm thick, thus forming an air gap. Located within this air gap is an additional insulation barrier of silica fabric which is rolled up into a deployable package. This barrier will be deployed by a separate fusible link in the event of a fire. The cavity of the slat is filled with insulation material consisting of a combination of Ceramic Fibre and Gypsum.
End Clips
Custom-shaped steel end-clips are secured to each end of every slat to prevent lateral movements
Bottom Rail
A notional bottom rail is formed by bottom-most slat linking the two walls of curtain when the shutter is in the fully closed position.
Door Guides
The door guides are a pair of box module of overall dimensions 250mm wide x 265mm deep. Each module contains a mechanically retractable guide channel that will automatically latch between the two walls of curtains when the door reaches its fully closed position. In the opening sequence, the guide channels will automatically retract to allow the curtains to travel upwards to roll up. The retractable guide channels are secured to a pair of 100 x 50 x 5mm thick 'C' channel post via purpose-made linkages. The box module is finished with an external 1.0mm thick galvanized steel sheet cladding, with the voids packed with Ceramic Fibre blanket for fire insulation.
Door Operation
Motor Drive
The drive unit consists of a suitably-sized linear drive motor operator mounted parallel to and behind the door roll. It has an integrated gearbox and a chain-operated sheave wheel for manual operation in case of power failure. The control box is lockable, housing a set of push buttons for Up', 'Down' and 'Stop' operations. The door operation shall automatically stop at the desired upper and lower limits via adjustable limit switches.
For safety reasons, the 'DOWN' button shall require the operator to push and hold when closing the shutter. This is to ensure the closing operation is being supervised. Upon sighting an obstruction, the operator will automatically release the push button by reflex. This will instantly stop the downward travel of the shutter and prevent accidents.
Power supply shall be either Single Phase 230V x 15amp or 3 Phase 415V x 20amp, depending on the size of the shutter.
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Typical Details
