Who’s Who – Firemiks

September 9, 2024

Firemiks AB, the innovative Swedish manufacturer of foam proportioners for the international marketplace, actively solving the challenges of tomorrow

Company Details:

Mätarvägen 9A
SE-196 37 Kungsängen
Sweden
+46 855 119 610
Firemiks.com

Firemiks AB, originally founded in 1979 as a Swedish family business, stands as a prominent player in the fire and safety industry. Now operated by the third generation in collaboration with strong industrial partners, Firemiks has dedicated itself to the development, manufacturing, and worldwide distribution of water-driven volumetric pump proportioning systems. The company prides itself on its ability to produce custom solutions tailored to the specific needs of each client project, while also delivering standardized models that comply with strict international requirements.

The innovative FIREMIKS foam proportioners operate on the principle of positive displacement, where both the water motor, driven by the extinguishing water flow, and the concentrate pump powered by the water motor, work in tandem to inject the concentrate into the water flow. This method ensures a precise dosing determined by the volumetric relation between the water motor and the concentrate pump. The dosing remains practically unaffected by pressure, flow, and viscosity variations, within the specified limits as detailed in each unit’s performance data. The system operates efficiently with the extinguishing water as its sole power source and only requires an atmospheric concentrate tank with gravity feed to the dosing pump.

Product developments in the FIREMIKS systems have led to a compact yet highly efficient multi-vane volumetric water motor. First designed in the late seventies and continuously refined since, this concept balances performance and reliability. The water motor on a typical 3% dosing unit handles, in a very compact size, 30 times the volume of the concentrate pump. The flexibility in design and sizing allows Firemiks AB to match the water motor accurately with numerous high-end concentrate pumps.

The transition from AFFF to Synthetic Fluorine-Free Foam (SFFF) presents significant challenges for the industry, particularly in handling higher viscosities. Regulatory bodies are mandating the shift to PFAS-free concentrates, which necessitates a reassessment of proportioning systems for compatibility. Non-Newtonian SFFF foams, often with viscosities up to 5-6000cP or even higher, require a thorough understanding of their flow characteristics. Traditional proportioners struggle with accurate flow calculations under these new conditions. In contrast, FIREMIKS’ variable viscosity proportioner is designed to accommodate a wide viscosity range, including high viscosities, providing a reliable solution. There is no need for constant recalibration due to possible variations in viscosity over time, for example, due to changes in storage temperatures or the possible aging of the concentrate. This variable viscosity capability also provides the flexibility for future changes in concentrate supplier as long as the new concentrate is within the approved viscosity range of the FIREMIKS proportioner.

Looking ahead, Firemiks AB is prepared to adapt to further advancements in firefighting foam technology. The shift towards fluorine-free SFFF is expected to continue over the next 5-10 years. Additionally, there is growing interest in lower dosing rates, such as 1%, and even as low as 0.1-0.2%. Another major challenge is the development of systems capable of effectively extinguishing Li-Ion battery fires. Firemiks AB is committed to evolving its products to meet these new requirements and ensure the highest standards of safety and performance in firefighting dosing pumps.

To read the full article, see our last issue here.