Nottingham firm ignites huge interest with unique electrical fire suppression device

The supplier of a ground-breaking fire suppression device the size of a Kit-Kat could be poised to help extinguish the second-most common cause of fires in the UK.

Nottingham-based Aerocom (UK) Ltd has struck a five-year deal with pioneering Swedish company MAUS to supply a unique fire suppression device called the Advanced Pro Stixx to the UK market.

The device, available in three sizes – the smallest of which is the size of a two-fingered Kit-Kat – can automatically extinguish electric fires in seconds, including lithium-ion battery fires, which are a growing concern with the increase in electric vehicles.

Fires ignited from an electrical distribution source were the second most common cause of fires in the UK in the year ending March 2023, according to Government figures. The number one source was cooking appliances.

Aerocom (UK) Ltd believes that prior installation of the Advanced Pro Stixx device could have potentially prevented the recent spate of devastating lithium battery fires that engulfed three electric London buses last month.

The inexpensive and super-lightweight device could potentially become a permanent fixture in homes, holiday homes, caravans, offices and infinite other applications across the UK.

Aerocom (UK) Ltd says the Pro Stixx could save lives and millions of pounds in damages, as well as having the potential to slash insurance costs.

Tom Hughes, managing director of Aerocom (UK) Ltd, said: “This product is incredible. It is a genuine game-changer in terms of fire protection and suppression. There is nothing else like it available anywhere.”

The Pro Stixx, which can be installed in any enclosed electrical space in seconds – including fuse boxes, electrical cabinets and the battery compartment of electric vehicles – floods the space with a harmless potassium-based smoke when the temperature exceeds 170 degrees Celsius.

Typically, within five seconds, the heat source is fully extinguished. Its ability to suppress fires before they have a chance to spread is especially crucial in terms of lithium-ion battery fires, which are notoriously difficult to put out and are prone to reignition.

Fire chiefs across the UK are particularly concerned about the rise in the number of house fires caused by these batteries in e-bikes and e-scooters that are stored indoors.

With 150 recorded e-bike fires and 28 e-scooter fires in London alone last year, representing a 60 per cent increase on the previous year, London Fire Brigade has issued numerous safety warnings.

The launch announcement by Aerocom (UK) Ltd follows three instances in January where buses operated by Go Ahead London caught fire and became quickly engulfed in flames, putting lives at risk and heaping pressure on London Mayor Sadiq Khan to address the problem.

Mr Hughes said that, since his firm won the UK contract with MAUS to supply the devices, he had been inundated with enquiries from organisations and individuals clamouring to place orders.

Many more MAUS fire suppression products for other applications are available. It is inevitable that, through Aerocom (UK) Ltd, this product range will be developed and expanded.

Aerocom (UK) Ltd is an established leading supplier of pneumatic tube systems to manufacturing, logistics and healthcare facilities, and an approved supplier of the NHS, which has already expressed an interest in Pro Stixx.

Another key source of interest has come from the holiday lets and the camping and caravanning sector, where the device is seen as a major innovation in fire protection.

“The technology is tried, tested, and proven,” said Mr Hughes. “It is also utterly simple to install and inexpensive – not least when you balance it with the cost of fire related loss or damage, and potentially losing a life.”

The MAUS Advanced Pro Stixx has been granted a CE mark for fire safety, having been assessed to meet the European high safety, health, and environmental protection requirements.

For further information, visit www.aerocom.co.uk