Colt’s line of smoke and fire curtains are now available in North America from The Bilco Co. Products are available in fixed and automatic designs and can be specified with a fire-rated material.
In the event of a fire, smoke can make it very difficult for occupants to escape from a building. It can also hinder firefighting efforts and cause devastating damage to building interiors and valuable contents. Smoke and fire curtains are designed to create a physical barrier that prevents the movement of smoke and heat. They contain and channel these elements to a pre-determined area and direction. This allows occupants to safely escape from the building through smoke-free areas and aids fire containment efforts by controlling the fire source and improving the air quality for firefighters. Property damage is also minimized as smoke is restricted to the immediate area of the fire and unable to spread to the rest of the building. Colt ventilation systems can then be used to remove the smoke from the building by either powered or natural means.
Smoke curtains are available in fixed and automatic designs. Fixed fire curtains are ideal for areas where visibility is not a concern and feature a fabric material that is held and clamped by a series of angle pieces. The bottom of the curtain is weighted to ensure that the cloth remains taut and to reduce the amount of deflection caused by air currents. Products are designed to withstand temperatures up to 1112 F (600 C) and are rated to European standards.
Automatic smoke curtains are used where fixed smoke curtains are either impractical or aesthetically unacceptable. Products are equipped with an electric motor that holds the retracted curtain at the ceiling level and unrolls the fabric automatically upon a signal from a fire detection system. Products are designed to operate for 1,000 cycles at normal ambient temperatures in the range from 32 F to 140 F (0 C to 60 C) and to withstand hot air and smoke at temperatures up to 1112 F (600 C). Fire rated automatic curtains are also available and feature a heat-resistant fabric that is impervious to smoke and hot gases. Models are available with a 60-, 120- and 180-minute fire rating and all automatic smoke and fire curtain products have been tested to meet European standards.