… need one thing above all: Reliable sun protection
Messe Stuttgart is one of the ten largest trade fair centres in Germany – it is the pivotal point for innovation and commerce in the Baden-Wuerttemberg region. For some months already exhibitors have been able to present their products in the long-planned new trade fair centre. Neue Messe Stuttgart has seven halls with a total of 105,200 square metres of exhibition space, which this year will be home to some 80 trade fairs. The project not only impresses thanks to its ideal transport connections and its close proximity to the autobahn and airport – it has reaped praise above all for its aesthetically-pleasing design.
Rolling roofs
In his speech to mark the opening of the new centre German president Horst Köhler described the architecture of the trade fair buildings as a “landscape of rolling roofs”. Something that becomes apparent to visitors as soon as they arrive in the entrance hall: A conical glass roof spans the entrance area. The horizontal shading beneath the glass roof ensures a well-tempered climate. So as not to impair the filigree glass and steel construction, for the mounting of the sun protection the planners used a cable-controlled fabric tension system – thus only one cross brace is visible in the middle.
Functionality and appearance go hand in hand
“Lots of glass and lots of light” was the motto for the architects – creating pleasant room temperatures while not impairing the filigree construction was the challenge placed on sun protection. The sun protection system was planned by the company Hassinger in Ludwigshafen. In this respect the primary emphasis was on combining functionality with an appealing appearance. The shading in the entrance area is made up of 80 textile-covered slats as long as 7.5 metres, which may be turned by 90° on their horizontal axis. In order to bring these reliably into the desired position the planners decided in favour of a drive solution from the manufacturer elero Linearantriebstechnik: Econom 0 linear actuators each with a force of 3,000 newtons move the slats precisely – right down to the millimetre. “Having sun protection that displays lightness and is also aesthetically pleasing was particularly important to us,” explains Uwe Nitschke from the company Hassinger. “This is why we opted for the Econom 0. Its lean design does not impair the transparent architecture.” In addition to the compact design, another economic benefit bears fruit: Thanks to their stainless steel housing the actuators are virtually maintenance-free.
Reacting in good time
The slats are controlled manually or via a weather sensor. Thus on particularly hot days the linear actuators turn the slats into a virtually horizontal position – the textile roof thus created underneath the glass not only provides an additional aesthetic effect, but also ensures that energy can be saved that is otherwise used for cooling. In winter, in contrast, slats that have been closed in good time retain some of the emitted heat in the building and thus contribute to additional heat insulation. Thanks to integration in the building’s master control system the Econom 0 even reacts to signals from the fire alarm system – an important aspect in buildings with large numbers of visitors. In the event of a fire hazard the slats are opened immediately so that smoke and fumes may escape.
Those wishing to see benefits of the linear actuators for themselves can do so at R + T 2009 at the very latest – elero Linearantriebstechnik will be represented there with a stand in Hall 3.
Located right next to Stuttgart airport and the A8 autobahn, the grounds of “Neue Messe”, which cover over 100,000 square metres. Source: Messe Stuttgart
Lots of glass, lots of natural light – the entrance lobby to Neue Messe. Source: elero Linearantriebstechnik
Thanks to its compact dimensions the Econom 0 actuators are easily integrated into the filigree sun protection system.
Source: elero Linearantriebstechnik
Electric push-rod actuators such as the Econom 0 have a constant stroke speed and move sun protection slats right down to the millimetre. Source: elero Linearantriebstechnik
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elero Linearantriebstechnik based in Poessneck (Thuringia) is a subsidiary of elero GmbH and thus part of the Günther Group. The company which was founded in 1995 develops, manufactures and markets electric push rod actuators. elero Linearantriebstechnik also profits from over 40 years of experience from the mother company elero GmbH in the fields of drive and control technologies. 100 employees in Poessneck push the envelope of linear actuator technology thus ensuring sustained growth.
