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Explosive Cutting Frame
The Explosive Cutting Frame is a cutting tool used primarily for hole cutting within fire-fighting operations.
Smoke evacuation in two minutes — not twenty!
When a building is on fire urgent steps need to be taken to prevent the fumes from exploding. The smoke must be evacuated as quickly as possible. On older buildings without proper fire vents a hole has to be cut through the roof to let the smoke out. Such an operation is of course extremely dangerous for anyone who is working directly on the roof making a hole manually by hacking and sawing. By using the Explosive Cutting Frame a suitable hole can be made in just a couple of minutes.
What's Explosive Cutting Frame?
The Explosive Cutting Frame itself is a robust plastic (EPP) unit which is at a certain point charged with a flexible linear shaped charge. A single frame cuts a hole measuring an area of approximately 0.5 sqm. Several units can easily be linked together in series or in parallel should the hole from one unit be too small. Each frame comes prepared with two detonator wells for a reliable connection of the initiation system.
Right: Explosive Cutting Frame charged with a flexible linear shaped charge. Far right: Cut away section of charged frame.
All preparation is done on the ground
As soon as the hole size to be cut is determined the frames are linked together and charged with the flexible linear shaped charge.
The initiation system is then attached to the frame before the whole system is put in position on the building.
Right: [1] The first picture on the right shows four charged frames that has been linked together and put in to position. You can also see that the initiation system has been attached to the frames.
[2] The hole in the second picture is the result of an Explosive Cutting Frame that has been detonated.
Safety aspects
Tests in the qualifying programme show that the safety distance can, if necessary, be as short as 20 metres! Since there are no metal components involved fragments from a detonating frame will not add more hazard to the environment than the fire itself.
Additional information
- Want more details? Don't hesitate to contact us.