Signaling horn with LED lights wireless
Ian Johnston

A Look at Signaling Industry Trends

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Wireless and LED Technology Offers Flexibility and Reliability

By Jake Vernon, Pfannenberg USA, Inc.

Emergency notification systems are critical to plant safety, but can be unwieldy and costly. A number of variables impact the implementation of an effective signaling system including the size of the facility, the types of alerts needed, budget constraints, and the type of work the facility conducts. To meet these variables, the signaling industry trends have moved toward the use of more flexible and reliable signaling solutions developed around cost-effective wireless and LED technologies.

Signaling Industry Trends: Emerging Technologies

Wireless technologiesSignaling horn with LED lights wireless

Wireless signaling capabilities have greatly expanded and consequently, the emergency alert industry has seen an increased interest in integrating wireless technologies into emergency alert systems. Moving signaling systems to wireless channels, such as Wi-Fi or radio, poses two significant benefits to customers. First, the cost savings for a wireless system can be tremendous. In a large food processing facility, for example, the cost of wiring can far exceed the price of the signaling devices. Electrician fees can make up 50-75% of installation costs for a wire-run signaling system.

Along with Wi-Fi network systems being quicker and easier to install compared to wired systems, they can also be easily expanded or adapted to accommodate new notification devices. This flexibility makes them ideal for situations where scalability is a concern. They also enable the potential for all emergency notifications (gas leak, fire alarm, active shooter alerts) to be centralized in one system, where they can be dispersed to necessary stakeholders. Wi-Fi systems can be easily integrated with other communication and notification systems, such as smartphone apps or central control centers. This enhances the effectiveness of emergency notifications by reaching a wider, or more targeted, audience.

Centralizing emergency alerts allows companies to aggregate their emergency alert data. This data provides tangible safety metrics for tracking against company KPIs. Its tangibility also makes this data actionable. Ultimately, bolstering employee safety and keeping additional employee costs down.

LED technologies growing in popularity

Equipping emergency alert systems with LED lights is growing in popularity as well. LEDs are extremely versatile and offer unparalleled reliability. LED offers a long use life, with over 50,000 hours of on-time. Plus, they offer variability in presentation. LED lights can stay on continuously, blink, flash, and dim—all great options for differentiating between emergency notification signals. LEDs are also available in various colors, allowing for flexibility in designing emergency notification systems. Different colors can convey specific messages or indicate different types of emergencies. For example, red lights might signal a fire emergency, while blue lights could indicate a medical emergency.

LED lights are highly energy-efficient, consuming significantly less power than traditional incandescent or fluorescent lights. This longevity is crucial for emergency notification systems, which may need to operate for extended periods of time during power outages or emergencies. LED lights can also be powered by batteries or backup generators.

Compared to incandescent lights, LED lights produce very little heat. This reduces the risk of fire hazards and allows LEDs to be used in various applications and even enclosed spaces. LED lights can easily be integrated with modern control systems, enabling automated or remote activation as part of a comprehensive emergency notification system.

Overall, the energy efficiency, reliability, and flexibility of LED lights make them an excellent choice for emergency notification systems. However, while LED is growing in popularity, Xenon still offers the highest-impact flash. In high intensity scenarios, a blinking LED might not be the best suited for catching employee attention. That’s a situation where a Xenon-powered strobe might be more effective.

Consistent Considerations

Outdoor rating, candela, and decibel outputs are crucial factors that contribute to the effectiveness of an emergency notification system, especially in outdoor or public spaces where visibility and audibility are paramount. These factors are becoming consistent specification considerations for facility managers putting together their emergency notification system. Here’s how each of these factors plays a role:

Outdoor Rating:

Outdoor-rated notification devices are designed to withstand exposure to the elements, including rain, snow, UV radiation, extreme temperatures, and dust. This durability is critical for ensuring that the system remains operational during all weather conditions. Because outdoor environments can accelerate the corrosion of materials, corrosion resistant materials are often preferable. Outdoor-rated components are often made from materials that resist corrosion, ensuring the system’s long-term reliability. Additionally, outdoor-rated devices are typically built to withstand physical impact, reducing the risk of damage due to accidents, vandalism, or other factors.

Candela (cd)& Decibel (dB) Output:

Candela output measures the brightness or intensity of the light emitted by visual notification devices, such as strobe lights or beacons, while decibel output measures the intensity of sound deployed by audible notification systems. In an outdoor emergency notification system, higher candela and decibel output is essential to ensure that the visual signals are visible over long distances and in bright daylight conditions.

The ability to adjust the candela output can be important, as it allows for tailored signaling depending on the specific emergency or the audience. For example, raising the candela output or utilizing a Xenon-powered strobe can be more effective for a person with impaired hearing. Conversely, some emergency notification systems use varying decibel outputs and tones to signal different types of emergencies. This can help people distinguish between various alerts, such as fire alarms, severe weather warnings, or security incidents.

Conclusion

As technology advances, signaling industry trends in wireless solutions and LED lighting have emerged as frontrunners, offering flexibility, reliability, and cost-efficiency. Wireless systems, powered by Wi-Fi or radio, can be swiftly deployed, adapting to ever-changing needs and centralizing emergency alerts. LED lights, known for their longevity and energy efficiency, provide versatile visual signaling options, which can be critical in distinguishing between various types of emergencies. While LED is on the rise, the highest-impact flash of Xenon remains unmatched in intense scenarios.

Consistency and reliability remain key as facility managers continue to weigh these emerging trends and their specific environments. Outdoor-rated equipment, designed to withstand the harshest conditions, ensures operational reliability. Candela and decibel outputs, as measures of brightness and sound intensity, hold the key to delivering effective alerts over vast distances, even in the brightest of daylight. Customization options, like adjusting candela output and employing Xenon-powered strobes, cater to diverse audiences, including those with impaired hearing.

In this dynamic landscape, where technology and user needs intersect, a successful emergency notification system remains rooted in these core considerations. It combines the latest trends in signaling industry innovation with steadfast reliability to protect lives and assets, ensuring that the right message is heard and seen when it matters most.

 

 

Ian Johnston

Pfannenberg Announces M12 Compatible Audible and Visual Signaling Solutions

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Our full product range of M12 compatible audible and visual signaling products are now available. The latest addition of M12 connectable INTENSE BR50 Stacklights makes us the only North American provider to offer a full suite of M12 ready signaling solutions.

Fast Installation

M12 technology removes the need for an electrician or electrical installer to wire the device as the connections and DIP switches are already made. A traditional install may take an expert 5-10 minutes per device, while an M12 connection can be made in 30 seconds with no electrical expertise. This makes installation significantly faster and less costly for the customer. And, since the device does not have to be opened during installation, wiring and connection errors are avoided, resulting in increased machine and plant safety. Finally, the connection can easily be undone which means power does not need to be turned off to the system to perform maintenance, saving time and money

Plug and Play

With the addition of an M12 cordset, our signaling devices become plug and play ready for low voltage, 12 volts DC or 24 volts DC, applications. All our M12 compatible signaling devices are pre-assembled and wired for quick installation.  Simply mount the device to your machine and plug in your M12 wire connection. Our M12 connectors offer Pin compatibility and flexibility allowing the devices to be set up to suit the precise signaling needs of the customer.

M12 Compatible Signaling Devices

Our full range of M12 compatible audible and visual alarms include the PATROL series sounders, PYRA flashing and LED lights, combined devices with flashing light and sounder, and INTENSE BR50 stacklights. For PATROL and PYRA sounders and flashing lights, the M12 connections are all 4-Pin while the BR50 stacklights are 8-Pin connections. The PATROL sounders and combined audible devices offer 4 tones in the M12 compatible versions with 80 tones to choose from. The combination devices also offer multiple tones, colors, and frequency modes for each device. The BR50 M12 devices control each individual module stack.

 

For more information about Pfannenberg’s full suite of M12 compatible audible and visual signaling solutions, visit: https://www.pfannenbergusa.com/signaling-technologies/specialty-signaling-devices/m12/.

Ian Johnston

Find Pfannenberg’s Gas Detection Audible and Visual Alarms at IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo 2023

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Pfannenberg to Showcase Fixed Gas Detection Audible and Visual Alarms at IIAR Natural Refrigeration Expo 2023

 

Meet Us at Booth #756 to learn more about our solutions

IIAR March 12-15 Long Beach, CA

Pfannenberg will highlight our combined visual-audible signaling products at the upcoming IIAR Natural Refrigeration Conference & Heavy Equipment Expo March 12-15, 2023 at the Long Beach Convention Center. As the industry expert in ammonia gas detection alarming, we produce visual alarms, audible alarms, and combined devices. Our signaling devices are industry leaders in quality, safety, and robustness for proper ammonia coolant system design under IIAR-2A standards.

Ammonia gas leaks can be both dangerous and deadly. Ammonia leaks continue to rise due to:

  • the increased use of natural refrigerants over fluorinated gas counterparts, and
  • population growth, which increases the need for cold storage. In the face of this increased risk to worker safety, the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) has updated its standards for the safest regulation of this dangerous gas.

As of 2021, IFC refrigeration systems that use ammonia refrigerant, along with the buildings where they are used, must comply with IIAR–2 for system design and installation, IIAR-6 for maintenance and inspection, and IIAR-7 for operating procedures. Though these standards help ensure safety and efficacy, guidelines for selecting the correct audible and visual alarms can be buried deep within this regulatory code and, accordingly, these standards can be difficult to adhere to.

Pfannenberg offers an effective approach to product selection, one that assists the customer in choosing the correct signaling device based on the conditions of the area where ammonia is present. This approach, known as Signaling 3D-Coverage, ensures that the workers can hear and see an alarm when it is activated, no matter where they are when ammonia is present.

Pfannenberg specifically seeks to foreground the durable PATROL PA X Series Audible and Visual Alarms, the ideal solution for alarm applications for adverse environmental conditions like high ambient noise levels or bright surroundings. The PATROL PA X Series Audible and Visual alarms range from 105 dB to 122 dB in sound output. The PA X Series is easy to install making it extremely safe. It also boasts extremely high efficiency and good penetration of acoustical obstacles, which significantly reduces the required number of sounders for a location. The alarms feature 80 tones and a 5-15J Xenon Strobe.

 

The updated IIAR-2A regulations harmonize with Pfannenberg’s cutting-edge methods for selecting proper signaling devices, such as the PA X PATROL Series Alarms. In light of the incredibly high risks of ammonia leaks, this combined effort can save lives.

 

 

Visit Pfannenberg at booth #756!

 

Download Pfannenberg’s Ammonia Gas Detection Whitepaper to learn more!

 

Susanne Kuhn

New Signal Tower Technology and Designs Means One Size Can Fit All Applications

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By Jacob Vernon, Production Manager, Pfannenberg

With the advent of new signal tower technology and designs, state-of-the-art signal towers (aka stack lights) are now bright enough to fit all applications and environments. That makes it easier to order signal towers and reduces the number of spare parts needed.

The new generation of signal towers eliminates configuring, ordering, and stocking difficulties users previously faced because of the proliferation of different sizes and options to meet the wide range of applications.

Typical Signal Tower Lights and Alarms

Signal towers, like the INTENSE BR50 Stacklights, can contain up to five lights of different colors (red, amber, yellow, green, blue, and white), with each color signifying a particular status, warning, or alarm.

Lights in each category may blink continuously or intermittently to indicate a more urgent condition and to attract more attention. The signal tower may also include audible warning/alarming signals.

Application Affects Tower Number and Type of Lights

Stack towers are used in a wide variety of applications, which may affect the number and color of lights used. Examples include machine warning indication and machine fault management; productivity monitoring, for example rate-based machine output management with displays counting parts per hour or parts per shift and equipment effectiveness and productivity; and as warnings and alarms signifying hazardous chemical levels.

Advantages of New Generation of Stack Lights

A new generation of stack lights replaces incandescent bulbs with LED elements that can be 10,000 percent brighter, making them much more visible and better at capturing attention in all indoor and outdoor ambient light conditions.

LEDs also last much longer than incandescent bulbs. While incandescent bulbs typically are rated at a lamp life of only 2500 hours under ideal conditions, LED elements last for at least 50,000 hours. Moreover, LEDs are not as vulnerable to vibration and shock as incandescent bulbs, generate less heat, and consume much less electrical power.

The Size Advantage

Perhaps the most significant advantage of this new generation of stack lights is the LED’s smaller size. Some stack tower lights with incandescent bulbs feature diameters of up to 4 inches (100 mm), while state-of-the-art LED stack towers have lenses with half the diameter – even though the systems are much brighter.

One-Size-Fits-All Makes for Easier Ordering and Inventory

Selecting the right size and figuring out all required parts results in a complicated ordering process because incandescent bulb and lens sizes vary greatly depending on the application or environment’s luminosity requirements. This makes maintaining spare parts costly and burdensome.

The new state-of-the-art LED signal towers are bright enough so that one-size-fits-all, or nearly all, applications. That makes it much simpler to figure out what is needed for each application, and maintaining inventory is much cheaper and easier.

Signaling towers are a simple and effective solution for a wide variety of applications. New technology now makes them easier to order, install, and maintain.

Susanne Kuhn

Safety Begins with Understanding the Situation: Remembering to Maintain Safety While Ramping Up Productivity During National Safety Month

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By Jake Vernon, (Product Specialist – Audible & Visual Signaling)

The National Safety Council has designated June as National Safety Month, and the third week is focused on Injury Prevention. In 2020 alone, more than four million workplace injuries required medical attention in the U.S. At Pfannenberg, all of our products reflect our belief that Safety Begins with Understanding the Situation.

Safety issues have become more acute since the beginning of the covid pandemic, with business operations ramping up to increase productivity and throughput under tighter timeframes and with labor shortages. With equipment running all the time, companies cannot afford to take the risk that workers will get hurt or machines will be damaged, causing process downtime.

Therefore, we are seeing increased interest in effective and proven signaling technology that provides visual and audible alarms for industrial safety.

The intensely bright LED elements in the BR50 are up to 10,000% brighter than tower lights / stacklights with the old LED bulbs and much more long-lasting.

The BR50 tower lights / stacklights with audible signals can be heard from much farther away. They also add another level of safety by emitting clearly distinct tones for each specific type of crane. Allowing workers to distinguish between the operation of wheeled gantry cranes and the massive stationary cranes.

Whether you install the bright and versatile BR50 tower lights / stacklights on cabinets, machinery frames or junction boxes you’ll find a range of mounting options that will add to the safety, productivity, and style for your facility.

Susanne Kuhn

National Safety Month: Safety Starts with Understanding the Situation

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Marine Vienney

Innovative Signaling Technology Delivers Benefits for Building Access Control and Beyond

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Building access control solutions have emerged as some of the key measures for making public spaces safer during the COVID-19 pandemic. With combinations of cameras and signaling devices, these building access control solutions can detect and alert users to high temperatures, overcrowding, and more.

These solutions might regulate the number of people inside a public building, confirm proper face covering usage, or check temperatures to exclude people with fevers from public spaces. Solutions such as these could easily be prohibitively costly, though, or too complicated for easy implementation.

Pfannenberg, a global leader in signaling technology, has been helping customers to put its PYRA L-S LED visual signaling device to work in such building access control systems to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus for most of the last year. The PYRA L-S can be paired with any camera with closed contact output capacity. For example, a temperature sensing camera may have a software that allows it to be programmed to create an output signal voltage if the scanned temperature is higher than, say, 101ºF. (Read here the article about our partnership with G2K for combined use of Signaling Devices and Thermal Imaging cameras)

PYRA LED: Most flexible and ultra bright LED technology

Pyra L-S-RGB

PYRA L-S LED visual signaling devices are low current consumption, plug-and-play, easy to use device that can adapt for use in a wide range of critical conditions. Pfannenberg’s history of working with industrial process control solutions has prepared us to pivot quickly to meet this emerging need; after all, the technology is much the same, just being put to a new use.

Other aspects of the device’s installation and use prove to bring important benefits in the emerging space of building access control for COVID-19 and beyond. The PYRA L-S can be installed easily, either mounted on surfaces or built in to buildings or devices.

That fast and easy installation means that companies and organizations don’t need to wait to put new building access control technology to use. With fewer components thanks to its direct control by camera systems, and plug-and-play design, it’s more cost-effective than complicated signaling technology, and yet still has enough flexibility to convey a number of signals of varying criticality.

Marine Vienney

NEW PYRA® LED Alarms: Flexible Enough for Use in Any Signaling Application

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Pfannenberg’s New PYRA® product line of LED Visible Signaling Devices is the most flexible and brightest LED signaling technology on the market! Built with durable construction for industries such as heavy industry, material handling, gas detection & security applications, the PYRA LED series is appropriate for use wherever visible signaling is needed.

INVISIBLE FIT

Capable of being fully integrated into the design of any given machine or plant, the PYRA LED alarms can be configured with different modes (steady-on, blinking, and flashing), the frequency of which can be controlled by the user as well. These visual signaling devices also feature an external color and mode control, which allows users to select the signaling mode and the color via remote control, and to display different configurations for different alerts with just one light. The product line also features a multi-voltage power supply to ensure numerous possible connections and applications.

MAKE THE PYRA® LED FIT YOUR NEEDS!

Four different options are available within the product line:

Single or Multi color (RGB) LED lights: PY L-S and PY L-S RGB

Pyra L-S group

The single lights allow changes to signaling and frequency modes, while the RGB lights have the added flexibility of changing the signal color as well. This Signaling Device offers a 180° x 360° visible field and operates in any climate. Can be surface or flush-panel mounted.

Learn more

 

LED Traffic Lights: PY L-S TL

 

These LED traffic lights are available pre-assembled or as individual modules to be assembled by the end user according to his needs – with or without a  sounder! Select between a 2 or 3-stages traffic light only or combine it additionally with a PA1 sounder.

Learn more

 

 

Single LED RGB light + PATROL Sounder Combination: PA L 1

 

The pre-assembled, compact, and multi functional single light/PATROL sounder combination delivers the greatest flexibility and ease of use in a convenient, pre-assembled design.

Learn More

 

Watch the PYRA LED-Series Presentation Video Now!

 

For more information about the highly adaptable PYRA line of Visible Signaling Devices, visit https://www.pfannenbergusa.com/the-pyra-led-s-series/

Marine Vienney

Audible and Visual Signaling Technology Mitigates Risks in Outdoor Crane Applications

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Safety equipment, and particularly signals, are an integral part of outdoor overhead crane operations. In outdoor applications, where wind and weathering pose significant risks over time, these signals are particularly important and must be both flexible and reliable in the long term. Audible and visual signaling technology, such as the combined PYRA L-S and PA1 signals from Pfannenberg, can alert operators and others in the vicinity of cranes to dangerous or concerning conditions.

Outdoor Cranes Safety Risks

Required in applications such as building, installing large-scale HVAC equipment, shipping, transportation, and more, outdoor cranes pose significant safety risks to workers onsite and passersby.

As a result, OSHA regulations regarding crane safety are strict, and some municipalities, like New York City, have implemented further safety restrictions to prevent outdoor overhead crane accidents. There are three main categories of risk associated with outdoor overhead cranes: wind, movement, and load.

Using Industrial Signals to Mitigate Risks

Signaling technology can be used to mitigate risk from all three of these categories. For example, signals rigged to a wind anemometer could alarm when wind speeds exceed safe operating conditions. Those wired to a thermostat in the electronic controls could signal overheating and avoid hoist brake failure. Alarms can also notify operators of exceeding maximum load capacity, electronics failures, or other dangerous conditions. On the other hand, a steady-on green light could signal that a crane is safe and ready for operation.

Pfannenberg, a global leader in signaling technology, has developed a combined audible-visual signaler that meets all these needs and more. By combining an LED visual signal with the capacity to stay on steadily, blink, or flash in multiple different colors with a loud audible signal, the Pfannenberg PYRA L-S and PA1 signaling combination gives crane manufacturers the ability to make all of these different safety features accessible to crane operators and nearby workers.

For more information about Pfannenberg’s one-size-fits-all outdoor crane safety solution, check out our Crane PDF or contact our Signaling Specialists today!