r

Printing Industry Bulletin #0200

CHEmETROn
Fire System6
CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION -

Newspaper Printing Presses

co
2
The protection of an offset type newspaper printing press by the
local application of carbon dioxide is shown on the accompanying
drawing.

Many such systems have been installed in a variety of printing

plants covering letter presses, offset presses, and just recently, portions
of flexographic lines. (See Printing Industry Bulletin #0205, . ..Pmtec-
tion of Folders and Newspaper Flexographic Presses). The combus-
tibles are the paper, lint, and accumulated oil and grease in the drive
areas, as well as, of course, the ink when oil based inks are used. The
protection coverage includes the press units, color decks or half decks,
and the folders.

A popular high production newspaper press is the modern offset

unit as represented by the Goss Metro Offset or Headliner Offset. Sim-
ilar presses are offered by TKS, MAN, and others. The drawing
shows an offset press as viewed from the drive side.

The express purpose of the protection as offered by Chemetron is

to quickly extinguish a fire, which may be rare, but can occur during
operation or clean up. The system is designed to extinguish the fire
before it can cause anything but a brief interruption to production.

The prevention of even a relatively short fire outage justifies the

system. Insurance interests concerned with the business interruption
loss potential of the modern printing plant encourage this type of pro-
tection.

-X The arrangement of the protection system shown is an evolutionary

design developed by Chemetron and proven by testing at a number of
installations. In earlier installations, piping was run down both sides
of the press and local application nozzles covered the units (roll stack,
4801 Southwick Drive etc.) from both sides. Small nozzles were piped behind the mist guards
Third Floor from down below; other nozzles covered the drive areas or flooded the
Matteson, IL 60443 drive motor air ducts as needed. This arrangement worked just fine.
Telephone: 7081748-l 503
Fax: 7081748-2847
D 1996 CHEMETRON FIRE SYSTEMS, all rights reserved. (g/96)
CHEmETROn
Fire System6 CO2 Application Bulktin

Printing Industry Bulletin #0200 Page 2

Then, presses appeared on the market with water Any ink mist elimination system present is includ-
wash systems and designs that make it almost impos- ed in the protection. Dust collectors at the folders
sible to run CO, fire system piping on the operators are totally flooded with CO,.
side of the press. Revised coverage by the local ap-
plication nozzles - moving them out and up a bit, Detection throughout is by rate compensated, heat-
plus a recalculation of the CO, resulted in a design type fire detectors.
with piping on only one side. A number of installa-
tions and extensive testing proved that the CO, cov- Safety Concerns: When the carbon dioxide system
erage was more than adequate and resulted in a more is designed, the provision for personnel safety must
cost effective system. be considered as strongly as the fire protection. A
safe system includes provision for:
The placement of the nozzles is such that they are . Alarms that absolutely, positively indicate that
not in the way of the pressmen, a distinct advantage.
the system is about to discharge.
Nozzles are directed at the roll stacks, plus a nozzle
is directed into the press arch to assure flooding of . Analysis of the CO, gas flow to identify where
that area. Coverage in the drive areas is as needed. the CO, will be after a discharge. (Provision for
odorizing the CO, may be appropriate.)
The fire hazard area of the folders, by their very . Adequate instructions and training, including
nature, is not well defined. Flat surfaces tend to accu- warning and instructional signs.
mulate paper lint, so nozzles are placed at two levels
NFPA Standard No. 12 provides good information
on both sides of the folder to cover the deck at the
in this regard.
rollers (above) and drive equipment slitters (below).
Again, see Printing Industry Bulletin #0205 for more
information on protecting folders.
Hosereels
CO, for each press unit is calculated for the roll Almost every low pressure CO, system installed
stack and the color decks/half decks using the rate- for press room fire protection includes hand hose
by-area method, with the projected area about 4.5 ft. lines served from hosereels located on the perimeter
by 7 ft. It is treated as a coated surface. The arch of the press room and in the reel room, as shown on
of the press is treated as rate-by-volume. the drawing. These units supplement the fixed pro-
tection by extending the capability of the system to
CO, for the folder is rate-by-area on the upper fight fires external to the press line itself. They have
portion and rate-by-volume on the lower portion. high CO, discharge capacity and a projection of 30 to
35 feet, giving them unique first aid protection ca-
A 30 second liquid discharge is used, and the sys- pability. The entire contents of the storage unit is
tem is sized and arranged to protect a complete press available, affording the opportunity to discharge for
row as a single hazard, even when it is broken down a long time if this should ever be needed for fire
into several hazard sub-units. A long press row can control. The projection of the discharge allows the
be broken down into groups, with controls arranged operator to be remote from the press in the reel room
to cover just the press units and folders in that group. and still direct the discharge at the drive areas.
But in case the fire spreads to another group or Extinguishing fires in the areas of the press drives is
someone in the press area operates the wrong manual the most common use of these hand lines. See Indus-
control, adjacent groups can be discharged simulta- trial Facilities Bulletin #0760 covering hosereel pro-
neously. tection for more details.
CnEmErRon
Fire Systems co 2 Application Bulldin

bin ting Industry Bulletin #OXW Page 3

Other Areas of Concern Chemetron can provide detailed design infor-

mation on newspaper printing plant protection, as
Other areas within the printing complex for well as a list of typical installations including a
which CO, protection is a logical choice include variet,v of press sizes and configurations.
the transformer and switchgear areas, ink rooms.
dust collectors, and co-generation facilities. lmportan t

The accompanying diagram shows the system

I- Its important that the fire protection
header of the storage unit set up for extension of piping and discharge nozzles be placed SO
protection to other areas. Future protection of that they will do the intended job without
added presses can be accommodated in initial
interfering with operation or maintenance
design. of the press, or be in the pressmens way.
Chemetron strongly suggests a precon-
It should be noted that protection can still be struction meeting to insure that our de-
provided for many of these areas that do not justi- sign and installation requirements are
fy fixed protection when the basic system has hose
compatible with other press needs.
line coverage. This is done by providing an access
to the room through which the hose line playpipe
nozzle can be inserted to flood the room manually.
The high flow rate permits flooding within min-
utes.
CHEmErRon 2 Application Bulletin
Fire Systems co

Printing Industry Bulletin #0200 Page 4

CHErnETROII
Printing Industry Bulletin #0205

Fire System;
CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION -

Newspaper Printing Presses

Supplement A -
Protection of Folders &
Newspaper Flexographic Presses

In our Printing Industry Bulletin #0200, Newspaper Printing

Presses, there is a brief discussion on the protection of the folders.
The purpose of this supplement is to further expand on the folder pro-
tection. We feel this is necessary for three reasons.

First, in the last few years there have been several potentially
serious fires originating in the folder area. There is a lesson to be
learned from these as discussed below.

Second, there have been a large number of flexographic newspaper

presses put in service recently. Since this process uses water based
ink, the fire risk on the printing units is reduced. However, this is not
the case with the folders; and thus, flexographic press protection needs
some discussion.

Third, there have been changes in the design of foIders - enclo-

sures for sound control, built-in dust collectors for dust control, etc.
These must be considered in any fire protection system planning and
design.

The fire hazard on the folder comprises the paper dust, scrap paper
pieces, and lint that quickly accumulate on flat horizontal surfaces of
the folder equipment and framing. When ignited, this material burns
very rapidly and can ignite the web and printed papers. The purpose
4801 Southwick Drive of the CO, discharge is to quickly extinguish this fire to prevent any
Third Floor damage to the equipment.
Matteson, IL 60443
Telephone: 708/748-l 503
Fax: 7081748-2847
Q 1996 CHEMETRON FIRE SYSTEMS, all rights reserved. (g/96)
CHEMlETROn
Fire Svstemg CO2 Application Bulktin

Printing Industry Bulletin #0205 Page 2

Local application CO, nozzles are placed such that protection reduces the cost while still meeting the
the discharge will cover these surfaces and extinguish purpose of Special Hazards fire protection - the
the fire in seconds. protection of production continuity.

During a fire in a West Coast plant on a large The sketch on page 3 shows a typical folder with
folder, the CO, system operated as designed and pre- an enclosure around the lower part. We have had the
vented any damage in the Press Room. Unfortunate- opportunity to visit many plants and noticed that while
ly, the system was not tied in to shut down the con- the equipment is designed for operation with almost a
veyor, which carried some burning paper through the complete lower enclosure, some presses are operating
wall to the Mail Room, igniting other paper. Eventu- with only portions of the enclosure in place. Also,
ally extinguished by the sprinkler system, the combi- almost all new installations are equipped with dust
nation of fire and water damage caused very serious collection systems where pick-up ducts suck up a large
operational problems for this newspaper. This was portion of the created dust and discharge it into bag-
preventable. type dust collectors. The dust collection system is
protected simultaneously with the folder in case burn-
The lesson is: for a CO, system to do its intended ing material is drawn into it. Some dust collection
job, it must cover the entire hazard and include systems serve just one folder, while others serve more
provisions to prevent the fire from being carried than one. In that case, the CO, system is designed to
outside the hazard. flood the collector if the system operates on any of the
folders served.
For example, we carefully design systems for adja-
cent hazards that are individually protected, but inter- For the CO, discharge to do its job, its imperative
expose one another. Good CO, system design ensures that the discharge envelop the entire hazard. Nozzles
protection of both hazards, even if the fire starts in are carefully placed so that the discharge pattern
one zone and is carried from that zone to the next. covers the complete hazard with enclosure structure
This is done by shutting down equipment and overlap- and panels in place or not. With the panels in place,
ping CO, coverage. Similarly, shutting down the con- there may be interference with direct application of
veyor at the folder and CO, screening are a necessary the CO2 discharge. But this is acceptable if the enclo-
part of the fire protection design, even though the sure helps retain the CO, around the equipment, re-
adjacent area may be protected by something other sulting in localized CO, flooding. However, the local
than the CO, system. application nozzles must be used for the case where
enclosure panels are not in place.
It has been noted in flexographic press operations
that, without the oil from the ink that apparently traps The approach that Chemetron recommends is a
some dust, dust accumulation is more of a problem, design to worst case conditions. This may mean a
causing protection concern. few added nozzles - some that directly cover the
protected surfaces when enclosure panels are not in
CO, discharges have a proven track record in the place, and some that flood the folder when they are in
quick, clean extinguishment of paper dust, lint, or place.
scrap paper fires.
We have also noted another new press design fea-
Although Chemetron recommends that protection ture that can affect proper protection. Some new
concern for flexo presses should also include the press presses have an added slitter area above the press that
drives, a number of CO, systems have been installed is removed from the folder itself. This is also an area
that just protect the folder. This reduced scope of of accumulated dust/lint, and thus, needs protection.
CHEmETROn
Fire Svstems co2 Application Bull&in

Printing Industry Bulletin #0205 Page 3

With new printing technology constantly de- Unfortunately, no press design will ever be
veloping, it should be expected that protection totally fire safe. With paper and other combusti-
needs will also continually require modification bles, fire and subsequent press shutdown will al-
and update. Chemetrons 40 plus years of press ways be a problem. Chemetron is dedicated to
protection experience is available to analyze such helping keep such a shutdown to an absolute min-
needs. imum.

Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection

for Newspaper Press Folders

To CO2 system supply

Fire protection piping

to Dust Collector
7

Screening nozzle for

paper conveyor (not
shown)

L Enclosure for low er

part of folder

Dust Collector
 Printing lndustr y Bulletin #02 10

Fire Systemi
CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION -

co2 Newspaper

Protection of Stacked (Tower)

Printing Presses
Supplement B-

Press Configurations

Referring to our earlier Printing Industry Bulletin #0200, Newspaper

Printing Presses, you will note that the protection described relates to
offset presses such as the Goss Metroliner, Headliner, or similar presses
by TKS, MAN, Mitsubishi, and others. Since that bulletin was written, a
new generation of much larger offset presses has been born. typified by
3 the Goss Color-liner. This bulletin describes the innovative CO2 fire

m protection developed for this type press.

This press consists of double width units, with the press units stacked
one on top of another up to four high. This allows the printing of process
color on every newspaper page, greatly enhancing flexibility.

n The
unit and
channels
press units are driven by a horizontal drive shaft under the base
power is transferred to all units by a vertical shaft. Vertical
are designed into the press at the operators end of the stacked
units for piping and wiring runs.
a
The units are substantially larger in physical size than those covered
by the earlier bulletin. The folder used is a 3:2, with 3-high formers. The
drawing prepared for this bulletin shows one of the more comprehensive
configurations.

When Chemetron was first approached to design protection for this

press, we realized that the conventional protection as covered by our
cARDo!! earlier bulletin would not do the job.

First of all, the potential for the fire spreading from one press unit to
the next is much greater when the press units are stacked on top of one
4801 Southwick Drive another because of fires natural progression vertically. The potential for
Third Floor greater loss in a shorter time with a fire involving multiple units emphasiz-
Matteson, IL 60443 es the need for quick, complete coverage.
Telephone: 7081748-I 503
I
Fax: 7081748-2847
B 1996 CHEMETRON FIRE SYSTEMS, all rights reserved. (9196)
CHEmETROn
Fire Svstemg CO2 Application Bulktin
Printing Industry Bulletin #02 10 Page 2

Secondly, the mere size of the units prohibits pro- the unit. Discharge testing of a number of completed
tection with CO, discharge nozzles mounted on one installations has further verified this design.
side of the press. Proper nozzle positioning to use the
maximum nozzle coverage of the tested nozzle ratings The press manufacturer drills the frame for piping
is not possible. access to internal mounting of the nozzle at such a
location that it provides good coverage, but yet is not
Thirdly, with the upper units of the tower, there is in the way of press operation or maintenance. The
no adjacent press equipment on which to mount noz- linear nozzle is made of stainless steel.
zles if you want to discharge in at the printing couples.
In the traditional protection configuration, CO, dis- The CO, feed to the press nozzles from the main
charge nozzles are mounted on one unit and aimed to CO, pipe header in the reel room is located in the
discharge across at the adjacent units. This gets the vertical pipe chase that is part of the press, as men-
nozzles far enough back to allow use of the full dis- tioned earlier.
charge pattern.
Between the second and third units of the 4- high
Lastly, the aesthetics of this very attractive printing unit, there 1s a large arch where the back sides of the
equipment would not be supported by a lot of CO2 rolls are exposed. This area is covered by 4 small spot
nozzles hanging on the outside of the press. nozzles mounted such that 2 discharge across at the
rolls from each side using local application of CO, for
Therefore, Chemetron fell back to a technology we the protection needed. Similarly, the lower arch of the
developed years ago for the protection of very large tower units is covered by 2 nozzles - one on each
combustible liquid surfaces that involved the use of side.
linear nozzles.
The inking equipment at the very top of the tower
The linear nozzle consists of multiple nozzle orifices is also covered by local application from spot nozzles.
along a pipe, all aimed to discharge back into a chan-
nel (see the illustration at the bottom of page 3). The The single units are protected in a variation of the
result is a flat, solid CO, pattern emerging from the traditional method utilizing 4 spot nozzles covering the
open side of the channel, the entire length of the noz- unit completely from the corners. Due to size and
zle. equipment configuration, nozzles are not very visible
and they can be painted the color of the press, if de-
It was determined that this nozzle - built to the sired, to make them even less noticeable.
width of the rolls, mounted inside the press, and aimed
to discharge down across the rolls behind the mist An interesting aspect of this fire protection scheme
guards and across the inking system - would give is that when calculating CO, quantities, less CO, is
excellent coverage. required than would have been necessary if the tradi-
tional method of protection could have been used.
To get the CO, back around behind the rolls to$ood
the backside of the roll stack inside the press, small Looking at the folder used and Supplement A of our
spa? nozzles were made a part of each end of the linear earlier newspaper protection bulletin, Bulletin #0205,
nozzle assembly as shown on the nozzle detail. (This . . . Protection of Folders & Newspaper Flexographic
detail is omitted from the full press drawing.) Presses, you will note this press has a third level of
formers. This results in another set of surfaces on
Extensive testing for Rockwell, Factory Mutual, and which dust and lint can accumulate, necessitating CO2
a large Rockwell customer verified that adequate CO, coverage. Two added spot nozzles provide this cover-
fire extinguishing concentrations were achieved inside age.
CHEmETROn
Fire System{ CO2 Application Bull&in
Printing Industry Bulletin #02 7 0 Page 3

The lower part of the folder (below the lower level Chemetron is continuously monitoring all new
of the former) is boxed in by four spot nozzles. How- press developments and new press designs as they
ever, it has been found that the addition of 2 small enter the market so we can modify protection methods
nozzles in the very bottom of the folder helps get CO: to meet the needs of any new press design.
quickly to this area where the hazard is greatest.
These are included.
Notes

1 In this supplement we have not specifically dis-

Fire De tee tion cl cussed fixed protection of press drives or dust
The fire detection on these units has been either spot collectors, or fringe area protection with CO2 hose
detection using rate compensated heat detectors, or it lines. These are basically the same as with other press
has been linear detection utilizing a system with therm- designs.
istor cable. This detector cable system, while more
expensive, has the significant advantages of having the 2 For simplicity sake, we have shown each press
detector (the cable) closer to potential fire locations cl line protected as a single entity (hazard). In
and having the ability to identify and pinpoint the point reality, a line would probably be broken down into
of fire detection, and thus, the source of the fire. several hazards to reduce CO, discharge quantities.

This detection system is particularly valuable as 3 At the 1991 ANPA/Tec Conference, Rockweili-
presses get larger and more extensive. I Goss introduced a MetroColor Press that will be
used in a somewhat less comprehensive printing con-
Conclusion figuration than the Colorliner, but will still use stacked
(tower) type units. The protection requirements are
As long as paper is used for printing, a fire hazard similar to those of the Colorliner. Its primary market
will exist. This hazard may be increased or decreased is expected to be adding process color to existing
depending on the inks and printing methods used. MetroLiner or Headliner offset press lines.

Linear Nozzle Detail

72

3/4 NPl
CHEmETROn
Printing Industry Bulletin #02 15

Fire System;
CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION -

Flexographic Printing -
co
2 Paper, Film & Foil Conversion

e
WD
0 Flexography is a form of rotary web letter press printing. Because
of its color brilliance, flexography is used in the decorating and packag-
I ing industry to print on foil, cellophane, polyethylene, and other plastics.

ep It is well suited for printing large areas of solid color; inks can be over-
laid to obtain high gloss and special effects. It is not suited to printing

U
work requiring accurate register or intricate design.

wm There are several types of flexographic printers. The most common,

for printing flexible foils and films, is the central impression cylinder

n press whereby two to six color printing stations are arranged in planetary
fashion around a frame. (See accompanying drawing - four color unit
shown.)

n They are often coupled with extruders, laminators, wax mounters,

and other facilities required to produce special packaging, coverings, etc.

a The printers covered by this bulletin are not the same equipment as
the flexographic presses now being used in newspaper publishing.

Like newspaper letterpress printing, flexography uses raised type,

though rubber or plastic compounds are used for the plates instead of
metal. The ink is transferred from an ink pan to the plate cylinder by
ink rollers. The plate cylinder then transfers the inked impression to the
web of material being printed.

The web is fed from a feed roll at one end of the printer, then
travels around the central impression cylinder at the other end of the
printer where it comes in contact with the plate cylinder at each color
4801 Southwick Drive station. Following the last color impression, the web passes through a
Third Floor dryer before being rewound for further finishing. The printer is often
Matteson, IL 60443 arranged with the feed and rewind rolls adjacent to one another.
Telephone: 708/748-l 503
Fax: 7081748-2847
@ 1996 CHEMETRON FIRE SYSTEMS, all rights reserved. (91961
CHErnETROII
Fire Systemi co2 Application Bulletin
Printing Industry Bulletin #02 15 Page 2

Presses take-up spool, it passes through the plenum of the

dryer into which hot air is discharged from a heater.
Flex0 printers can operate at speeds of up to 1,000 An exhaust duct draws off the vapors. This arrange-
feet per minute. The speed of the material as it passes ment is shown in the sketch on page 3.
from color station to color station around the impres-
sion cylinder, while not as fast as rotogravure print- Another type of dryer, as shown on page 4, is
ing, still creates an ink mist that accumulates in and designed such that its plenum runs the length of the
around the presses. Thus, the hazard may not be overhead press superstructure, from the printing sec-
limited to the ink pans and rollers. tion to the web feed-rewind section. As the web
leaves the last color station to travel overhead to the
Lower operating speeds and the use of nonmetallic rewind spool, it passes through the length of the dry-
printing impression cylinders do reduce the chance of er.
ignition, as compared to rotogravure printing. But
some of the inks used for flexographic printing are the The dryer exhaust may or may not be connected to
low flash point type. These presses are sometimes a solvent recovery system. The plenums and exhaust
called alcohol-flex0 presses because of the polar sol- ducts of the dryers may accumulate a coating of com-
vents used. bustibles condensed out of the vapors, which necessi-
tates that they be included as part of the hazard. Fire
Slitting is often performed on press lines to put the dampers are recommended in exhaust ducts.
printed material in a form where it can undergo finish-
ing operations. The resultant accumulation of dust Exhaust ducts are flooded with CO, up to the fire
can also extend the fire hazard. damper and CO2 is discharged on the back side of the
damper to function as a fire stop.
Ink Handling System

Ink reservoirs, from which the ink is pumped to the

ink pans, are usually located to the side of the printer. The drying ducts - hot air in, fumes out -
They can be pail-sized, filled for each run, or they are most often off the backside of the dryer
can be semi-permanent with hinged lids through which but are shown off the top in the accompanying
additional ink may be supplied from portable ink bug-
gies. In some cases, the reservoirs are supplied
through piping connections from an ink supply room.
Whichever the case, the ink tank floor area becomes Press Line Pro tee tion Requirements
coated with ink and solvent drippings that are highly Printer & Ink Handling System: Carbon dioxide
flammable. protection of the flexographic printers and ink han-
dling system usually is accomplished by local applica-
Dryers tion using the rate-by-area method of calculation to
When less volatile inks are used, larger hot air dry- determine the rate of discharge and nozzle arrange-
ers are used to speed drying before the web is re- ment
wound. For more volatile inks, the dryer may be
smaller. The drawing shows a carbon dioxide protection
arrangement for a typical flexographic press installa-
One type of dryer used for volatile inks is a rather tion. Nozzles are located near and above each end of
compact unit located above the web feed-rewind sec- the printer rolls to cover the ink pans and roller area.
tion of the press. Just before the web returns to the One nozzle is located over each set of ink reservoirs.
CHEmErRon 2 Application Bulletin
Fire Systems co

Printing Industry Bulletin #0215 Page 3

Each nozzle on a printing stage covers half temperature of the dryer exceeds 200F. CO, is
that printing stage, with the opposite nozzle cover- discharged through nozzles located in the dryer
ing the other half. The web rarely exceeds 72, so hood or chamber and the exhaust duct. If a damp-
the discharge rate per nozzle, based on covering er is used, CO2 must be discharged ahead of and
half the width of the ink pan, is usually not large. behind the damper, even if the duct beyond the
damper is not considered part of the hazard.
Nozzles directed down at ink supplies can
often cover two at the same time (as shown). CO, When the carbon dioxide system discharges,
is calculated on a rate-by-area basis. The total complete shutdown of the exhaust system is essen-
local application discharge required is full liquid tial to prevent the introduction of fresh air and
CO, flow for 30 seconds from all nozzles. possible spread of fire.

Dryers: The flexographic press dryers and Factory Mutual, In the Loss Experience Sec-
connecting exhaust ducts are protected by total tion of its Loss Prevention Bulletin 7-96, states:
flooding with CO,. The discharge is at least 1
pound per 8 cubic feet of volume. Since the local Loss experience indicates that fked carbon
application discharge is for essentially 30 seconds, dioxide protection systems on printing
the CO, required to flood the dryer and ducts presses have resulted in significant de-
must also be applied in 30 seconds. Allowance creases in both property damage and busi-
should be made for carbon dioxide loss through ness interruption.
openings, and additional CO, must be added if the

The rate-by-area method of calculation was

used to determine the aplication rate of CO,
and placement of the nozzles for this typical
fkxographic press.
D,str,buf
CHEmErRon CO2 Application Bulldin
Fire Systems

Printing Industry Bulletin #02 75

CnEmETROn
Printing Industry Bulletin #0220

Fire System;
CARBON DIOXIDE FIRE SUPPRESSION -

Rotogravure Printing
co
2
c Rotogravure printing is used extensively in printing magazines,

0
flyers, Sunday supplements, wall coverings, packaging, etc., where
high quality color is necessary.
nn
The protection of a gravure printing press by the local application
I of carbon dioxide is shown on the accompanying drawing.

ml Almost every gravure printing facility designed for high capacity

production has its presses protected by carbon dioxide. The relatively
high flammability of the ink used - flash point of 20 to 120F - and
U
nn
high speed operation, with its potential for static electricity build-up,
increases the fire hazard. The CO, will extinguish quickly and cleanly,
allowing resumption of production in the shortest possible time. The
paper is fed into each printing stage where it picks up ink from an
etched metal roll. It then passes through a dryer so the ink is dry
before entering the next printing stage, where another color is printed.
The ink is applied to the cylinder from an ink font on each press unit,

a with the excess ink removed by a doctor blade. A supply of ink of the
particular color being printed at that stage is contained in a cart located
adjacent to the unit or in a reservoir built into the base of the unit. A
small pump circulates the ink to maintain quality. A fresh ink supply
is often piped from the central ink storage room.

The paper can be fed in a web from one end through the press
stages, or fed from the center in two directions to the printing units (as
shown on the drawing).

CAaDoX The flammable solvent produced by the ink when drying is cap-
tured and exhausted to a system that removes it from the air and
recovers it for future use. The dryer is usually steam heated.

4801 Southwick Drive The arrangement of the protection system shown includes the local
Third Floor application of CO, to the ink font and rollers, with the CO, calculated
Matteson, IL 60443 as either rate-by-vohme or rate-by-area, depending on where the CO2
Telephone: 7081748-l 503 discharge nozzles can be mounted.
Fax: 7081748-2847
D 1996 CHEMETRON FIRE SYSTEMS, all rights reserved. (g/96)
CnEmETROn
Fire Systemi co 2 Application Bull&in

Printing Industry Bulletin #0220 Page 2

The dryer is flooded to a 65% concentration, ad- of a size that makes coverage from the CO, system
justed for the higher temperatures encountered. The not cost effective. Fortunately, they do not consti-
exhaust system is also flooded to a 65% concentra- tute the same hazard as that found in newspaper
tion. Upon system operation, fans are shut down plants. The quality of paper used does not generate
and the fire dampers closed. the lint of newsprint.

The ink carts on the ends of the unit are covered The protection systems are automatic in opera-
by local application calculated rate by area. Care tion, using rate compensated thermal detectors for
should be exercised to ensure that the CO2 local fire detection. Pushbutton stations enable operating
application covers areas of spillage and leakage that personnel to initiate a CO, discharge. Some of the
occur on the floor under and around the units. newer presses have the thermal detection system
supplemented by a flame detection system.
The local application rate is continued at full equi-
librium flow for 30 seconds. The system is designed Low Pressure CO1 systems afford the opportunity
so that the total flooding portions of the protection to supplement the protection with a spurt control.
receive the amount of CO2 required in this half For certain presses, like those used in packaging,
minute period. small fires develop; in the past these were fought by
pressmen using extinguishers. The spurt is available
The system provided should protect the entire to get an immediate discharge to extinguish small
press line as one hazard (one zone), unless there is fires without the need for the full engineered dis-
a break in the center as shown. In that case, the charge.
units at one end can be one hazard and the units at
the other end a second hazard, with provision for Safety Concerns: When the carbon dioxide sys-
simultaneous protection if same should be necessary. tem is designed, the provision for personnel safety
must be considered as strongly as the fire protection.
Larger plants with more than one press line are A safe system includes provision for:
usually arranged with each press line running paral-
n Alarms that absolutely, positively indicate that
lel to the others. The amount of separation between
the system is about to discharge.
presses is important in determining the need for
simultaneous protection. A real advantage of the . Analysis of the CO, gas flow to identify where
Chemetron LPCO, system is its ability to be design- the CO, will be after a discharge. (Provision
ed to easily handle same. Authorities having juris- for odorizing the CO, may be appropriate.)
diction often dictate the need for arranging for si- n Adequate instructions and training, including
multaneous protection, and thus should be consulted warning and instructional signs.
in the planning stages.
NFPA Standard No. 12 provides good informa-
When a solvent recovery system is present, it can tion in this regard.
be protected as part of the press exhaust or as a sep-
arate hazard, depending on the arrangement. Hosereels

The protection of folders on a small press can be Almost every low pressure CO, system installed
done in a manner similar to that of newspaper press- for press room fire protection includes hand hose
es (see Printing Industry Bulletin #0200, Newspaper lines served from hosereels located on the perimeter
Printing Presses). The larger presses have folders of the press room, as shown on the drawing.
CHEmETROn
Fire Svstems co2 Application Bull&in

Printing Industry Bulletin #0220 Page 3

These units supplement the fixed protection Other areas within the printing complex for
by extending the capability of the system to light which CO, protection is a logical choice include
fires external to the press line itself. They have the switchgear areas, ink rooms, and diesel gen-
high CO, discharge capacity and a projection of 30 erator facilities.
to 35 feet, giving them unique first aid protection
capability. The entire contents of the storage unit It should be noted that protection can still be
is available, affording the opportunity to discharge provided for many of these areas that do not justi-
for a long time if this should ever be needed for fy fixed protection when the basic system has hose
fire control. The projection of the discharge al- line coverage. This is done by providing an access
lows the operator to be remote from the hazard to the room through which the hose line playpipe
while still directing the discharge where needed, nozzle can be inserted to flood the room manually.
such as at the drive areas. Hosereels are particu- The high flow rate permits flooding within min-
larly effective in covering spills outside the basic utes.
press protection hazard area. For more detailed
information on hand hose lines, see Industrial Chemetron can provide detailed design infor-
Facilities Bulletin #0760, High Capacity Porta- mation on rotogravure printing plant protection,
ble Protection with CO, Hand Hose Lines. as well as a list of typical installations including a
variety of press sizes and configurations.

Other Areas of Concern

The basic system provided for protection of

the production presses can, of course, also be used
to protect the Proof Press, as well as the Hand
Correction/Cylinder Wash equipment. Many plants
that print with gravure also have laminators, ex-
truders, wax mounters, etc., that are best protect-
ed by CO,. If reasonably close to the press room
system, they can be protected as extensions of
same. More details on the protection of these
units can be obtained from Chemetron.
 Carbon Dioxide Fire Protection for Rotogravure Printing Press

Ink tank/-

Hosereel-
(mounted
column)