Currently, as market competition intensifies and customer demands grow increasingly stringent, printing companies are placing greater emphasis on quality, efficiency, and cost control. However, without robust safety measures in place, all these efforts become meaningless. For printing enterprises, safety incidents not only result in financial losses but also cause panic among employees. This necessitates treating safety precautions as the top priority. Beyond accidents caused by human error, incidents stemming from inadequate safety systems in equipment are equally unacceptable. Recognizing this, Beijing Zhenheng Limin Printing Machinery Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhenheng Limin”) has taken proactive steps by installing cabinet-type fixed gas fire suppression systems on its single-revolving cylinder printing presses. This ensures operators can swiftly extinguish fires at the first sign of combustion, minimizing safety risks.
“In 2005, a customer's single-reel machine in Shantou caught fire. Due to delayed response, the equipment was completely destroyed. Since the cause of the fire remained undetermined, responsibility could not be assigned. Consequently, we assumed partial liability and agreed to replace the damaged machine at a discounted price of 150,000 yuan. However, as the burned equipment was beyond repair, we had no choice but to sell it as scrap metal, resulting in significant losses.” Recalling this incident, Feng Yan, General Manager of Zhenhengli, conveyed a sense of helplessness and regret in his words.
Although no similarly severe accidents occurred after that fire, the safety hazards of single-recess machines continued to weigh heavily on Feng Yan's mind. This persisted until 2013, when a dual-color single-recess machine at a Chongqing client's facility caught fire. Fortunately, the fire was extinguished relatively promptly, limiting damage to the electrical system. Through joint investigation, the root cause was identified: ink splashed onto the tooth bar, ignited by infrared heat at the delivery section, then caused a flash fire upon returning to the ink fountain. The fundamental solution was installing an intelligent fire suppression system that automatically releases carbon dioxide to extinguish fires, preventing catastrophic damage. This finally eased Feng Yan's concerns.
Subsequently, Zhenhengli promptly engaged a fire equipment company to develop an intelligent fire suppression system for the single-revolving cylinder press, which has now been successfully implemented. The cabinet-mounted fixed gas fire suppression system installed by Zhenhengli for the single-revolving cylinder machine operates as follows: Upon detecting a fire alarm, the cabinet sounds a warning, initiating a 30-second automatic fire suppression delay countdown. When the system discharges, corresponding audible and visual alarms activate, allowing operators to quickly and accurately locate the fire source based on the alarm signals. If the system fails to detect a fire during standby patrols, operators can manually activate the corresponding equipment. Operators may also press the start button during standby mode upon detecting a fire.
Figure 1 Infrared and Smoke Detector Sensors
Figure 2 High-Pressure Carbon Dioxide Spray Head
It is understood that domestically produced single-groove machines are not equipped with intelligent fire protection systems, and most reel-to-reel machines lack them as well, creating significant safety hazards. Therefore, Zhenhengli's initiative holds tremendous promotional value, proving highly beneficial for both single-groove and reel-to-reel machines. “Feng Yan emphasized earnestly, ”Of course, our greatest hope is to leverage this pilot project to drive the widespread adoption of intelligent fire suppression systems across domestic gravure printing presses, significantly enhancing the safety standards and competitiveness of domestically produced equipment."
Figure 3 Fire Protection Electrical Cabinet
As an equipment supplier, Zhenhengli truly puts itself in the customer's shoes. While doing everything possible to help customers enhance their technical capabilities, it also keeps their safety and well-being constantly in mind. “Do not neglect to do good deeds, however small they may seem.” It is precisely these small yet consistent actions that have earned Zhenhengli an excellent reputation.