Patol
Patol is a British manufacturer of specialist fire detection systems, based near Reading, supplying linear heat detection, aspirating smoke detection, and infrared sensing for industrial and transport infrastructure.
Patol Ltd was founded in 1968 and operates from Padworth, near Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom.
Since November 2022, Patol and its sister company Linesense Fire Detection have been owned by Sdiptech, a Stockholm-listed infrastructure technology group. At the time of acquisition the two companies were placed in Sdiptech’s Special Infrastructure Solutions business area and reported combined annual turnover in excess of GBP 3.2 million. Sdiptech reorganised into four business areas from January 2025.
Products and rail applications
Patol’s range covers the main categories of fire detection and alarm systems used in industrial and transport settings: linear heat detection, aspirating smoke detection, infrared transit sensing, and thermal imaging.
The core product is Linear Heat Detection Cable (LHDC), available in digital and analogue variants, which detects fire and overheating continuously along its length. Analogue zones can extend up to 500 metres. Paired with Patol’s LDM-621-DDL interface, the cable locates the fire position to within one metre — the configuration Patol specifies for tunnel installations.
LHDC is used in rail tunnels, cable tunnels, escalators, and rail vehicle engine compartments. In tunnels, airflow tends to trigger false alarms in conventional smoke detectors, which is why cable-based heat detection is used instead. Aspirating smoke detection covers early-warning applications in enclosed interiors, infrared transit sensors detect heat and flame in material moving on conveyors, and FireTIR thermal imaging is marketed for transport applications including railways.
Certification and market position
Patol publishes its approvals in consolidated form. The digital non-resettable cable and its associated units and junction boxes hold EN 54-28 approval, the digital cable is UL listed, and three separate SIL 2 approval certificates cover its controllers. The company holds ISO 9001 and ISO 45001 certification and is a member of the Fire Industry Association and the Fire Industry Manufacturers Alliance.
Within the rail supply base for fire safety and noise control, Patol occupies a narrow niche: at roughly GBP 3 million in turnover it is a small unit inside a group whose 2024 net sales were around GBP 380 million. It sells directly to industrial end users and through fire protection contractors that integrate its detectors into larger systems. Manufacturing is in the UK, and the company runs a separate India office alongside its UK operation.
Current activity
Patol exhibited at the Fire Safety Event at the NEC Birmingham in 2025, at stand 4/N26, and appears on the exhibitor list for the 2026 edition, held 28–30 April 2026. It has published application guidance on fire detection for air-source heat pumps and for commercial solar arrays, extending its LHDC positioning into newer infrastructure categories.
