- How much fog do I need to feel confident that the required level of deterrent effect is achieved?
Research and results compiled by a major, national Dutch Insurance Company using information & test data gathered over a 10 year period from burgled sites where security fog was installed yet losses in excess of €30,000 (£25,000+) were still being experienced, this resultant guideline, now adopted my many UK insurance companies, was published:
Where a Fog generator is installed to prevent an intruder from entering an area where assets are stored, the recommendation as to the correct amount of fog to be used, is that amount which fills the entire room in no more than 10 seconds with a fog density level which reduces visibility to no more than 50 cm.
So, knowing that the larger Bandit 240DB produces 28 cubic metres of fog per second at 30cm density (equivalent to 46 cubic metres per second @ 50cm density) it is a simple matter of mathematics to calculate the protection levels provided by a single Bandit. For example, a medium sized retail shop of 230 cubic metres would require just a 5 second activation from a Bandit to produce the desired volume of fog.
The smaller Bandit 320 is even quicker – producing 30 cubic metres of fog per second at 30 density!
- Can the FOG BANDIT be used in small rooms and would that be cost effective?
Bandit UK have great experience in fogging relatively small areas, in one case we have supplied a leading ATM provider with Bandit’s for over 400 of their small shop/ATM bunker sites.
With the smaller Bandit 320 there is now ever greater flexibility with different fog cartridges sizes available to match the area requiring protection.
With the Bandit being the only system using a Patented, pre-pressurized cartridge (not pump driven) the following benefits were observed:
Instant activation (just 0.1 second delay between intruder detection and fog ejected at full output capacity of 28 cubic metres per second) meant that there was no time for an intruder to approach the fogging unit and smother it/divert the fog or attempt to damage the unit. Pump systems can take several seconds to prime before activating thus giving the intruder such opportunities.
The Bandit 240DB fog cartridge has the capacity to provide up to 25 activations in small volume (circa 50 cubic metres) rooms if needed.
One fog cartridge has a four year life span unless depleted in the meantime (open fill pump systems require an annual fluid flush-out and renewal).
A room of such a small size means the fog dissipates more quickly through the point of entry thus the Bandit’s ability to continue re-activating if an intruder is re-detected was of immense importance considering the cash levels often held in their ATM’s.
The Bandit’s 24/7 self diagnostic status checks meant that if any area of the Bandit failed this would be instantly be reported (an extreme rarity!) and thus rapidly rectified.
- How does the FOG BANDIT security fogging system work?
When the patented BANDIT system is activated a special liquid formula is heated and ejected under high pressure. As it ejects it instantly vaporises into a thick, dense “fog” which quickly expands to fill the area being protected.
- Is the fog safe to use in any environment and will it leave a residue?
The Bandit has been in use for nearly 20 years now and in that time there has NEVER been a claim for health, residue or contamination problems.
The predominant reason for this is that just ONE millilitre (one thousandth of a litre) of the fog fluid (mainly a mixture of water & food grade glycol) produces ONE THOUSAND litres of fog. The concentration levels are therefore so infinitesimal that the fog itself has been certified, by an officially recognized testing laboratory, to comply with European Indoor Air Quality Regulations and is not only harmless generally but also totally safe to breathe.
The advanced technology incorporated in the Fog Bandit precisely converts 28 millilitres of fog fluid per second to produce 28 cubic metres (28,000 litres) of fog with a density level (eye to object visibility range) of no more than 30 cm. So a Bandit installed in a 280 cubic metre room would be set to activate for precisely 10 seconds to produce the required 280 cubic metres of security fog.
Over the years the Bandit has been used in all forms of applications including protecting sensitive electronic equipment (including main-frame servers using sensitive optic-fibre connections), pharmacies, antique shops, jewellery shops (stocking precious metals and stones) and high fashion stores such as Louis Vuitton & Hermes (stocking v. high quality textiles) which have all used the Fog Bandit with no detrimental effect.
- How often does the Fog Cartridge need replacing?
Bandit 240DB – HY-3 Cartridge Pack;
The HY-3 Cylinder Pack is a clean filled and hermetically sealed unit. The fluid is thus retained in an oxygen free, pressurised, pH stabilised, de-ionised environment so it does not degenerate thus proving a 4 year, maintenance free lifespan unless depleted in the meantime as follows:
A full HY-3 Cylinder Pack can generate a minimum of 50 seconds worth of high density fog (reduces eye to object visibility down to 25cm) at a rate of 28 cubic metres a second with a maximum single activation time of 18 seconds. The BANDIT is thus preset according to the size of room being protected i.e., a 56 cubic metre room would be pre-set for a 2 second (56 ÷ 28 = 2) burst or a 504 cubic metre room for the maximum 18 second (504 ÷ 28 = 18) burst. One HY-3 is therefore capable of anything between 3 and 25 activations before requiring replacement. An exchange refill service is provided by your BANDIT dealer.
Bandit 320 – disposable cartridges;
The Bandit 320 comes with X2 hermetically sealed cartridges for X2 separate activations (+ a test cartridge). Each fog cartridge needs replacing (disposed of) after each activation and a new cartridge fitted (simple process). The Fog Bandit 320 has set cartridge sizes from 40 to 200 cubic metre ranges and also last for 4 years.
- I don’t have an intruder alarm installed at my premises – can the FOG BANDIT system work independently?
Yes, the BANDIT can be easily configured to work as a “stand alone” system, as well as working in conjunction with a conventional intruder alarm system.
- Can I be sure the FOG BANDIT will work with my particular intruder alarm system?
Yes, the BANDIT can be configured in a number of different ways, to allow for differing types of intruder alarm panel signals.
- Can the FOG BANDIT be used for robbery as well as burglary protection?
Yes, the BANDIT can easily be configured to operate for robbery use only, burglary use only, or both options together if required.
- Can a FOG BANDIT protect rooms over 504 cubic metres in size?
Yes, for areas over 504 cubic metres as many BANDIT units and combination of different types of BANDIT units can be linked to function in unison as required.
- I already have a good intruder alarm system – why do I need a FOG BANDIT?
Statistics indicate that the vast majority of burglaries and robberies are completed within just a few minutes, whilst sheer logistics dictate that it typically takes much longer than this for the police or other security services to respond.
During those first few minutes or the so called “window of opportunity” an intruder is able to operate virtually unhindered, unless there is some means of preventing this such as the BANDIT.
The BANDIT security fogging system instantly delivers a visually impenetrable curtain of “fog” the moment an intruder is detected so as to deter them from progressing with their intended crime – “what can’t be seen can’t be stolen!”
- What makes the FOG BANDIT security fogging system so different to other available systems?
Whilst other fogging security systems are able to effectively produce fog using a pump or aerosol driven system, BANDIT’s unique & internationally Patented, high pressure 240DB ‘HY3’ and disposable 320 cartridge system, instantly (just 0.1 second reaction time) produces much higher density fog, many times faster.
It has also been specifically designed from the outset to be more durable, more reliable, have fewer moving parts yet be competitively priced. It also has an in-built self diagnostics system to warn of potential irregularities which could cause the system to fail and a self cleaning system to alleviate problems of nozzle clogging. The life expectancy of a Bandit system is 15+ years.
- Could an intruder disable the FOG BANDIT in some way, so preventing it from operating?
This is extremely unlikely as the speed at which the fog is ejected (jetted over 6 metres in the first 2 seconds alone!) makes it impossible for an intruder to approach the system.
Also, when installed the BANDIT is typically mounted inside the area to be protected with appropriate detectors activating it well before an intruder can approach the unit. Then, due to its high power, horizontal fog ejection, the blanket of fog will have travelled 6 metres or 10 metres (narrow nozzle Bandit 240DB) in just the first 2 seconds alone. Because of this, intruders are not only unable to approach the unit, they are also forced away out of the protected area in a matter of seconds.
The BANDIT can also be configured so as to activate if the system’s connection wires are cut. There are also built-in “tamper protection” circuits to detect any form of system tampering or interruptions to power supply. Lastly, the extremely well insulated heat exchanger means that even if mains power were to be cut, the Bandit would be able to provide a full activation for up to 2 hours from when power was lost.
- What happens if a component, critical to the FOG BANDIT’s ability to eject fog, should fail?
The Fog Bandit’s on-board electronics perform system diagnostics 24/7 and monitor 10 areas critical to the Bandit’s functionality. This includes the monitoring of fuses, tamper, mains power supply, back-up battery condition and fog fluid levels so as to instantly and reliably provide any system status changes to the alarm panel or stand-alone reporting system.
- What happens if there’s a fire in the vicinity of the FOG BANDIT ?
In the event of a fire in the vicinity of the Bandit a built-in digital temperature sensor prevents the unit from activating when the ambient temperature reaches 70˚C. Furthermore, the HY-3 fog cartridge has a safety “release plug” to allow completely safe venting of the pressure and fluid from the cartridge if the surrounding temperature reaches 95˚ C. The Bandit may also be installed with an integrated link to the Fire Alarm system, so that in the event of a fire a signal from the Fire Alarm system can be used to withhold the Bandit from activating.
- Is the FOG BANDIT an approved product?
Yes. BANDIT has CE approval and is certified to fully comply with European Standard EN50131-8 (which has now suprseded the previous British Standard BS7939:1999) , together with approvals and registration for use issued by the Belgium, Dutch and French government bodies. Materials Safety Data Sheets are also available.
- Does Bandit UK Ltd. have any insurances in place to cover losses incurred should the system fail to activate and to cover any other form of damage or personal injury?
Yes, Bandit UK Limited has £10,000,000 Public, Product and Efficacy Liability Insurance to cover the FOG BANDIT’s use in both robbery and burglary applications. Naturally we would expect Authorised Resellers of the FOG BANDIT product to provide their own cover as required by UK law.
