GreCon PROTECTOR: Prevent industrial fires and explosions

Key takeaways

For over 50 years, we have been developing tailor-made industrial fire protection concepts for every individual challenge in industrial fire protection – reliable, practical and precisely tailored to your processes.

With GreCon PROTECTOR, we are now consistently continuing this approach: as an intelligent, next-generation industrial fire protection concept.

The GreCon PROTECTOR identifies ignition sources in milliseconds and automatically extinguishes them before they can escalate, effectively neutralizing the risk at its source. Its intelligent, modular architecture allows for targeted shutdowns of specific areas for maintenance, keeping the rest of the plant operational and maintaining high productivity. By distributing intelligence across its components, the system reduces cabling requirements by up to 80% compared to traditional centralized systems. Plug-and-play modules further simplify installation and service.

The core challenge: Ignition Risks in Industrial Production

Sparks, embers and hot particles pose a significant fire and explosion risk in industrial production processes involving combustible materials. Friction, overheated machine components or electrostatic discharges can generate ignition sources at various stages of production. If these remain undetected and reach vulnerable areas of the plant, they can cause fires or dust explosions. In large production facilities, more than 1,000 ignition events can occur every day – posing a constant threat to personnel, equipment and production continuity.

With the GreCon PROTECTOR, Fagus-GreCon provides an industrial fire prevention solution that detects ignition sources at an early stage and initiates targeted countermeasures. The system is designed to reduce the risk of fires and explosions while supporting safe and efficient production operations.

The risk is particularly high in pneumatic conveying systems, where sparks, embers and hot particles can be carried along with combustible materials and dust. If these ignition sources reach filters, silos or other downstream equipment, they can trigger fires or dust explosions.

These risks exist across a wide range of industries, including wood processing, food production, metalworking and recycling. Early detection and reliable extinguishing of ignition sources are therefore essential to protecting people, equipment and production processes.

GreCon PROTECTOR: A step-by-step breakdown

The GreCon PROTECTOR is engineered to interrupt the path from ignition source to fire with precision and speed. The process involves three key stages: detection, communication, and extinguishment.

Detection: Highly sensitive spark detectors are mounted on the exterior of the transport pipe. These sensors continuously scan the material flow inside. When an ignition source passes, the sensor instantly detects its infrared radiation.
Communication: The system immediately relays the detection event to its intelligent control console. This near-instantaneous communication lets the system react before the ignition source travels much further.
Extinguishment: Based on the material flow speed and pipe diameter, the control console activates an automated extinguishing device located a calculated distance downstream. The device sprays a fine mist of water into the pipe for a very short duration, instantly quenching the ignition source without saturating the transported material or significantly disrupting the process.

The entire sequence, from detection to extinguishment, is completed in milliseconds.

GreCon PROTECTOR system concept with spark detectors, control console and extinguishing device — *From detection to extinguishment: the GreCon PROTECTOR interrupts the path from ignition source to fire in milliseconds.*

Spark suppression using PROTECTOR components, illustrated by a sketch

The Industrial Fire Protection Concept by GreCon

To ensure this succeeds, our protection concept combines the best components for detection (the SCOUTS), processing (the MISSION CONTROL and RANGER) and response (the HUNTER) into a single system solution. Together, they form an intelligent protection system that not only safeguards against hazards but also thinks for itself. The result is a modular, intelligent and decentralised networked fire protection system that can be flexibly adapted to highly specialised industrial processes.

Components overview

GreCon RANGER beneath GreCon DLD 1/9 Detector — In conjunction with MISSION CONTROL, GreCon RANGER represents a new approach to the decentralised control of preventative fire protection measures. The RANGER takes on the role of incident commander directly on site

System architecture: From centralized to distributed intelligence

A large industrial system can consist of hundreds of individual monitoring and protection elements. In traditional architectures, this would require extensive and complex cabling, with every sensor and actuator wired directly back to a central control unit.

The GreCon PROTECTOR replaces this centralized wiring model with a distributed intelligence model. Instead of routing everything through one central unit, the system uses intermediate 'master' modules that manage zones of components.

This architectural shift provides two major benefits:

80% cable reduction: Consolidating connections at local master modules eliminates the need for long, individual cable runs. This not only reduces material costs and installation complexity but also minimizes potential points of failure.
Minimized production downtime: The modular design allows maintenance teams to isolate and service specific sections of the plant without shutting down the entire production line. This targeted approach is crucial for reducing downtime and maximizing operational uptime.

Intuitive interface: The Bauhaus approach

Effective protection of human lives and assets depends not only on automated systems but also on the clarity of information presented to operators. GreCon PROTECTOR’s user interface is developed from simple geometric shapes, following the Bauhaus principle of "form follows function."

The interface guides operators clearly through a concise segmentation of interaction areas. A vertical sidebar offers quick navigation, while the main content area displays critical information. Distinctive light elements on both the physical console and the digital UI ensure high visibility, allowing operators to assess system status and locate errors quickly, even from a distance.

In the event of an alarm, the system delivers immediate, actionable information. With just a few clicks, an operator can understand what happened, where it happened, and take appropriate action. Fagus-GreCon fully customizes the interface for each client, providing a complete, intuitive overview of their entire protection system.

GreCon PROTECTOR user interface on the control console — *Form follows function: the GreCon PROTECTOR interface gives operators a clear overview of the entire protection system.*

Modular by design, simple to install

Fagus-GreCon has designed the industrial fire protection system with service technicians in mind. Preassembled modules and plug-and-play components make installation straightforward and efficient. This modularity extends consistently across the entire product family, ensuring clarity and ease of interaction whether you are installing a sensor, a control panel, or an extinguishing device.

For more information, explore our full range of insights and case studies.

GreCon PROTECTOR CUBE — As an optional component of the GreCon PROTECTOR fire protection concept, the CUBE provides a turnkey containerised solution for central fire protection equipment – modular, quick to commission and requiring no additional plant room.

GreCon PROTECTOR: Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

The GreCon PROTECTOR uses highly sensitive infrared (IR) detectors that are mounted on the outside of a transport duct or pipe. These sensors are tuned to detect the specific IR signature of a spark, ember, or hot particle as it passes, triggering an immediate alarm and a countermeasure.

The extinguishing process is extremely fast and uses a minimal amount of water, so it typically does not disrupt the production process or damage the transported material. The event is logged in the control console for review, but the production line can continue to operate without interruption, ensuring high productivity.

The distributed architecture allows specific zones or sections of the protection system to be taken offline for maintenance or service without affecting the rest of the facility. This means you don't have to shut down an entire production line to service a single component, significantly reducing planned downtime.

The GreCon spark detection and extinguishing system is highly versatile and used in any industry where combustible materials are pneumatically or mechanically transported. Key areas of application include the wood-based panel industry, pellet production, recycling, food processing (flour, sugar, coffee), textiles, metalworking, and power plants.

Each GreCon system is tailored to the client's specific needs. Factors like pipe diameters, material transport speeds, types of combustible material, and facility layout are all considered during the design phase to ensure optimal placement of detectors and extinguishing devices for comprehensive protection. Contact us for an expert consultation.

We look forward to hearing from you.

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The intelligent fire protection concept of the next generation