In the food industry, availability, hygiene, and delivery reliability are key.
Protect your production equipment with integrated fire protection right inside the control cabinet.
Food Industry: Production Safety Starts in the Control Cabinet
Challenges and Hazards in the Food Industry
In the food industry, precision, hygiene, and uninterrupted operation are crucial. At the same time, there are significant risks: Electrical faults in control cabinets—often caused by dust, moisture, or overheating—are among the most common causes of fire.
Operating 24/7 leaves no room for downtime or costly repairs, while delivery commitments require maximum supply reliability. In addition,
strict audits such as IFS or BRCGS require complete documentation. A fire can quickly become a critical problem in this context.
A fire in a control cabinet is not a localized incident. It sets off a chain reaction.
Electrical faults often develop gradually: Overheated wires, dust buildup, or failing fuses often go unnoticed for a long time. However, if a fire breaks out, the consequences are usually severe.
Production downtime and the resulting loss of revenue (up to several hundred thousand euros per hour).
Disposal of raw materials: e.g., flour, powdered milk, or meat that can no longer be used.
Supply shortages: Contractual penalties with retailers, damage to reputation, lost customers.
High restart costs: not only for repairs, but also for restarting operations, cleaning, and audits.
Insurance claims: often involving high deductibles or even denial of compensation.
Business Interruption Risk – Two Scenarios with Actual Downtime Costs
Not every fire in an electrical control cabinet costs the same, as the following example shows. The property damage in Scenario 1 and Scenario 2 is identical. However, due to interdependencies within the value chain, the costs of business interruption vary.
Insurers confirm that business interruption costs now account for over 50% of the total claims amount. Therefore, conduct a risk analysis to identify the control cabinets with the highest risk of business interruption.
Scenario 1: Control cabinet fire in production unit 3
Scenario 2: Control cabinet fire in production unit 1 with secondary damage
In Scenario 2, the total losses amount to €50 million in property damage and a loss of revenue of €300 million, plus consequential damages and damage to the company’s reputation. This total far exceeds the property damage.
Statistics on the Causes of Fire Damage
The chart shows that electricity, at 30%, is the most common cause of fire investigated during the 2016–2025 period. That is why it is crucial to extinguish electrical fires immediately. Taking action early can prevent flames, smoke, and heat from spreading. This helps protect lives, prevent major property damage, and avoid costly business interruptions.
The Solution: Integrated Fire Protection with AMFE
The Automatic Mini Fire Extinguishing Unit (AMFE) protects switch cabinets, control systems, and processing machines. It detects a fire directly at its source and extinguishes it automatically without an external power supply. Thanks to its compact design, it can be seamlessly integrated directly into sensitive production facilities.
Deletion directly in the control cabinet
No consequential damage from firefighting
Easy Installation
Non-conductive
Low-maintenance (often possible to do on your own)
Suitable for harsh industrial environments
Retrofitting of existing systems is possible
Designed for demanding environments
High humidity
Cleaning processes
Temperature change
Dust pollution
Continuous operation
Ovens and dough mixers generate heat—AMFE protects against flying sparks in control cabinets.
High humidity and harsh cleaning agents –
AMFE is corrosion-resistant.
Tell us about your challenge.
We’ll find a solution!
References
As a global market leader and technological pioneer, JOB develops integrated fire protection solutions for a wide range of applications in the food industry.
Mini Fire Extinguisher for the Control Cabinet
Use of the AMFE in the control cabinet
Contact
Markus Fiebig
Head of Business Development & Sales Extinguishig Solutions
For more information, please contact Markus Fiebig.
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