Advanced, environmentally friendly Muster Fire Suppression technology has been installed by Hydraulink Mid-Canterbury on one of the latest Claas 8800 Lexion harvesters of a type widely used globally in broad acre farming.

The Muster technology is enabling Hydraulink Fire Suppression to deliver a gold standard of safety protection industrial risk management throughout New Zealand where it is installed on major machinery involved in agriculture, civil contracting, forestry, mining, quarrying, light and heavy rail, and road transport.

Hydraulink Mid Canterbury Manager Dan Bruce says the latest application involves one of the leading machines used in broadacre farming, a Claas 8800 series harvester used on barley, wheat, clover, and other agricultural products.

The Muster technology – backed by nationwide site-specific service – is particularly valuable on mobile and remote sites where fire prevention assistance could otherwise take some time to arrive.

“The installation of the Muster system on this advanced machine provides strong and sustainable protections for worker safety as an absolute priority, and strong risk management for the ongoing efficiency and productivity of valuable assets such as the Claas machinery. Valuable machines such as this represent a major investment in greater output and efficiency, which must be protected,” says Dan Bruce.

Market leaders in their field, the Class 8000 series feature engine outputs of up to 790 hp, grain tank capacities from 8000 to 18000 litres and Mercedes-Benz and MAN engines that provide reliable reserves of power, even under the most testing field conditions.

“A major advantage of Hydraulink Fire Suppression on such expensive machinery is that not only does the service offer advanced technology, training and experience, but also that the broader NZ Hydraulink Fluid Connectors Ltd parent business has some of the country’s best site-specific and industry-specific knowledge to draw on,” Dan says.

“This means the technology is backed by our fire suppression specialists, with the strength behind them of our country-wide supply and service network of Hydraulink companies, which are also dedicated to safety and compliance standards safeguarding against accidents and production breakdowns across diverse industries with unique needs,” he said.

“Hydraulink's national network of certified technicians, along with high-quality products, make an ideal choice to ensure valuable machines are set-up to succeed. With regular servicing and checks by our trained technicians – who offer 24/7 and mobile service as required, to ensure diverse industries makes the most of their investments.”

Hydraulink Fire Suppression is the sole New Zealand distributor for Muster Fire Suppression systems. Hydraulink Fire Suppression teams also perform scheduled inspections and service for most brands of fire suppression systems operating in the NZ market.

Hydraulink Fire Suppression specifies Fluorine-free F3 foam on all new pre-engineered fire suppression installations because it is more environmentally friendly, and safer for workers and machinery operators. In keeping with the Hydraulink ethos of ensuring optimum safety and quality Standards, the company has adopted the best-available compliance standard relevant to its customers.

Linear Heat Detection

Hydraulink Fire Suppression now also utilises Linear Heat Detection (LHD) to further minimise costs and downtime for customers. The major advantage of using LHD, is that there is no leakage of gas through the system.

“Most heat detection systems use a Nitrogen filled tube, which melts at a set temperature when exposed to fire. We use a MusterWire LHD system with protective cover over the linear wire that actuates at 180 deg C, which short circuits the wires when fire is detected, activating the system. The LHD system also ensures no leakage of gas through the system,” explains Dan Bruce.

All fire suppression systems come with a recommendation to service them annually, with visual inspections at 3- or 6-month intervals. “The exact servicing schedule can be site-specific, and we work to our customers’ preferred schedule, as long as the major service happens at least once a year. We keep total records and registers of all equipment, so that the customer has full traceability and can see the remaining life of the system,” says Dan Bruce.