Flo Loc Products International
Born in 1989 from a simple dream: how to prevent further damage or destruction caused by nature (the fires after the Loma Prieta, CA earthquake and NO water in the tanks) or man (Kuwait oil wells set on fire and exploding up in flames that lasted 10 months). The patented mechanical seismic sensor was the first born, FLO-LOC, to signal a seismic event and it was then built into a controller. Power was needed, on ocassion to stay energized, so the POWERPAK 24VDC was designed and built. They all came together to become the reliably integrated Seismic Control System that is certified and tested as a totally assembled and connected unit before it leaves the factory. We have come a long way since then, offering a multitude of variations of the basic concept to many industries throughout the world.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations and our distributors
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Environmental Monitoring
- Market Focus:
- Globally (various continents)
This company also provides solutions for other industrial applications.
Please, visit the following links for more info:
About Us
Our Origins
Born in 1989 from a simple dream: how to prevent further damage or destruction caused by nature (the fires after the Loma Prieta, CA earthquake and NO water in the tanks) or man (Kuwait oil wells set on fire and exploding up in flames that lasted 10 months). The patented mechanical seismic sensor was the first born, FLOLOC, to signal a seismic event and it was then built into a controller. A compact, light, powerful workhorse was needed to receive the signal, and FLOPAK the motorized valve actuator was developed. Power was needed to stay energized, so the POWERPAK 24VDC was designed and built. They all came together to become the reliably integrated Seismic Control System that is certified and tested as a totally assembled and connected unit before it leaves the factory. We have come a long way since then, offering a multitude of variations of the basic concept to many industries throughout the world.
Our Mission
Our mission is assisting you to protect and safeguard your storage and supply systems from loss. Conserving what is most important to you is why our products were designed. We want to be on your team to make your mission our mission.
Goal
Stay incredibly simple, compact, light weight, strong, practical and flexible and yet be extremely technical and up-to-date. And listen, listen, listen...
How Does it Work?
When an earthquake strikes, FLOLOC actuates valves to close immediately and intelligently, thus safeguarding the millions of gallons of water, chemicals, sewage, oil, or gas in storage and in pipelines. FLOLOC can also activate pumps off and on, shut down power, activate alarms and continue working for days when power is lost because it has its own internal DC power source. All FLOLOC systems can continue to be monitored and operated locally as well as remotely. Our job is to make your job easier and more cost-effective.
Seismic Awareness
Is your storage and distribution system seismically protected? The odds are increasing every day that your district will encounter a major earthquake, so you should be aware of the various components of your system and their ability to survive a moderate to severe seismic shock.
A Guide to System Awareness
Storage
- The older the construction, the more likely it is to sustain damage during an earthquake.
- How many reservoirs do you have? Are they located in populated areas?
- Are they buried or elevated? Underground facilities are usually more resistant to earthquake damage.
- What kind of soil are your reservoirs built on? Sand can liquefy. Clays may amplify. Solid rock is the most secure.
- Do you store hazardous materials such as chlorine?
- Is your facility near a known earthquake fault? Maps of all known active and inactive faults in your area are available from various sources (see http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/).
- Are your storage reservoirs firmly anchored to the ground? Unanchored reservoirs in the Landers quake were thrown three feet in the air and dropped, instantly releasing all their stored water and giving them the appearance of crushed cans.
- Do your reservoirs have internal baffling? Sideways movement of water (seesh) will damage a reservoir as easily as vertical movement.
- What kind of valving is employed? Gate? Altitude? Manual? How are they controlled? Do you use Telemetry / SCADA ?
Pump Stations
- How are they powered? Diesel? Natural gas? Electric? Or some combination?
- Is on-site emergency power available?
Testing and Certification
FLOLOC Products International maintains its own complete seismic testing facility where each FLOLOC Seismic Sensor is thoroughly tested and certified with copies of its certification and verification of accuracy supplied to each customer.
FLOLOC Products International adheres to the standards and requirements set by the State of California for its approval of seismic shut-off devices for gas valves. AWWA has recommended the use of those same standards in the water industry. The California Division of the State Architect (CADSA) requires that any seismic sensor designed to operate as a gas shut-off device and sold in the State of California be tested and certified by one of its official list of qualified testing laboratories. The initial testing and certification of our seismic sensor was done by National Technical Systems (NTS) of Fullerton, California. NTS is the recognized leader in aerospace component testing and is used by organizations such as the Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Its standards are far more severe than those laboratories generally used for the testing of commercial products such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). FLOLOC Products International also maintains its own complete seismic testing facility, where each FLOLOC Seismic Sensor is thoroughly tested and certified with copies of its certification and verification of accuracy supplied to each customer. Our own testing equipment is periodically tested and certified, traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), by the following:
- Oscilloscopes: ICC Instrument Co., Inc., Santa Ana, California
- Accelerometers: Excalibur Engineering, Irvine, California
FLOLOC Products International uses primarily UL approved components, particularly where such components come in contact with 120 VAC. FLOLOC Seismic Controllers and POWERPAKS are UL and ULC certified. All FLOLOC products operate on safe, 24VDC and contain only the highest quality mechanical, electrical and electronic components available to the aerospace industry.