In 2022, WAGNER equipped the high-bay warehouse of KETTLER Alu-Rad GmbH in St. Ingbert (Germany) with an individual fire protection solution consisting of active fire prevention combined with early fire detection. The OxyReduct® oxygen reduction system comprehensively protects the stored e-bikes and their lithium-ion batteries from the risk of fire. The fire protection solution was developed in cooperation with VdS.
The lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes vary in type and size. They have a defined state of charge of around 30 percent, which makes them particularly susceptible to fire - a real challenge with special fire protection requirements.
In 2021/2022 a new state-of-the-art production facility was built at the KETTLER headquarters. This included a new administration building and a fully automated high-bay warehouse for the e-bike inventory. The fully assembled e-bikes, equipped with lithium-ion batteries, will be packed in cardboard boxes and stored in prefabricated compartments. Special stacker cranes can store and retrieve up to eight e-bikes per rack location.
KETTLER Alu-Rad produces tens of thousands of bicycles and e-bikes per year at its German site in Saarland. A production volume of up to 130,000 per year is planned at the new location. Bicycles and now e-bikes have been produced by hand for more than 40 years. The bikes are delivered to retailers only after extensive quality control.
RISK ANALYSIS
One of the greatest hazards of lithium-ion battery storage is the overheating of the battery due to a self-reinforcing process that generates heat. This often leads to thermal runaway and then fires or explosions occur. Tight storage of e-bikes creates this environment. Other fire risks include the height of the storage area, which accelerates the spread of the fire in the event of an incident. In addition, technical defects in cables or components can lead to a fire. The highly flammable packaging material (cardboard) of e-bikes leads can also create high fire loads.
PROTECTION GOALS
SOLUTION
The protection concept consists of the OxyReduct® oxygen reduction system for active fire prevention and TITANUS® aspirating smoke detectors for early fire detection. In addition, organizational and accompanying measures are taken. The heat generated by the ignition of a lithium-ion battery is dissipated through defined openings in the packaging of the e-bike. The packaging was adapted accordingly in consultation with the customer and the VdS. This is also part of the fire protection solution developed by WAGNER.
The OxyReduct® oxygen reduction system reduces the oxygen level in the protected area of the high-bay warehouse to a level of protection determined by fire tests. The system maintains this level of protection continuously, preventing a fire from starting or spreading. The automated warehouse remains accessible to people in accordance with DGUV regulations.
We combine our fire protection system with TITANUS® aspirating smoke detectors to detect smoldering and cable fires, which are possible even in an oxygen-depleted atmosphere. These fire detection systems continuously sample the ambient air for smoke particles. By actively sampling the air, our air sampling smoke detectors can detect a fire at a very early stage. This allows appropriate countermeasures to be initiated before the fire develops.
Together with the VdS, WAGNER has developed a customized protection concept including the necessary fire tests. These were carried out in the DMT test laboratory for fire protection, a DIN EN ISO 9001 certified and DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited test center for fire tests.
Here the e-bikes are safely stored in KETTLER's high-bay warehouse
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
Protect your assets and avoid reputational damage.
Ensure business continuity.
Minimization of damage caused by smoke and extinguishing water.
CUSTOMER VOICE
"We needed an integrated fire protection solution for both the high-bay warehouse and the battery warehouse, where the unassembled lithium-ion batteries are stored. This required pioneering work, as suitable protection concepts from other bicycle or battery manufacturers did not and still do not exist. Thanks to its many years of experience in system construction, WAGNER developed a completely individual, safe solution for us.”
We are passionate about fire protection and work with our customers around the world to provide integrated fire protection solutions. As a pioneer, we develop innovative fire protection systems for various applications in our own research and development department.
