Schüco Parametric System Used in a Project for the First Time

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Schüco Parametric System used in a project for the first time Eye-catching in 3D

Bielefeld. The TU Darmstadt opened the ETA factory on 2 March. In the "model factory of the future", mechanical engineers, civil engineers and architects gather together to research how industrial production processes can be optimised in terms of energy efficiency. The Schüco Parametric System was installed on a building for the first time on the south façade. The three-dimensional, partially printed glazing units protect the machines in the hall from direct solar radiation and afford exciting and generous views. The Parametric System facilitates planning, prefabrication and installation of the complex 3D façade units.

Energy efficiency in office buildings and private households has been an important issue for years. In industrial production, however, the potential for savings is still frequently underestimated. And yet, with the long-term rise in energy costs and increasing cost pressure, they may become a key economic factor. In the ETA factory, which was opened at the beginning of March on the "Lichtwiese" campus of TU Darmstadt, mechanical engineers, civil engineers and architects now want to conduct interdisciplinary research on how industrial production processes can be designed to be more energy- efficient in future. The potential is huge. The ETA factory should require around 40 percent less energy than a standard production hall.

To this end, a process chain typical of the metal fabrication industry will be reproduced, consisting of turning, drilling, linishing, cleaning and other fabrication steps. The special thing here, however, is that instead of considering machines, buildings and technical infrastructures in isolation, which was previously customary, the systems are now "intelligently" networked. This means that the waste heat from the tool machinery in the production hall is used to pre-heat the cleaning baths and provide air conditioning for the hall. The inner roof and wall units on the long sides made from standard concrete and the outer roof and façade panels made from ultra- high performance concrete are traversed by capillary drainage mats and can be thermally activated. In the winter they heat up the hall, and in the summer they cool it down.

Professor Jens Schneider from the Institute for Structural Mechanics and Design at the TU Darmstadt calls the ETA factory a "large-scale research device". "It is a prototype on which we are testing innovative materials and systems." In this way, the building is not just a shell, but an integral component of production – a completely new approach. The planning process was also novel. 39 project partners from science and industry developed the "factory of the future" in an interdisciplinary way. "We have designed the ETA factory from the inside out. First the machinery requirements were defined, and the building and façade were based around them. The holistic view allowed new energy saving potentials to be uncovered," says Jens Schneider.

Eye-catching glazed front faces The fully glazed end faces makes you curious to see what is going on in the factory of the future. On the north side, a Schüco FW60+ Structural Glazing (SG) façade protects the offices behind it from overheating. Highly-insulated vacuum insulation panels were inserted in the space between the panes of the opaque opening vents in order to ensure high levels of thermal insulation and user comfort.

On the south side, light-controlling louvre blades located in the top two thirds of the façade in the space between the panes of

2/10 the Schüco Unitised Curtain Wall USC 65 FSG prevent direct solar radiation. "The machines could otherwise be subject to thermal deformation due to the radiant heat, and the dimensional accuracy could suffer," reports Jens Schneider. Thus, the louvre blades direct daylight onto the ceiling, where it is reflected and evenly lights up the factory hall. The workspaces of the researchers appear light and pleasant – a welcome contrast to otherwise dark industrial halls which are only illuminated with artificial light.

The spectacularly designed glazing in the bottom third of the façade is a real eye-catcher. It was here that the Schüco Parametric System was installed in a building for the first time. The parametric glass units enable effective solar shading for the south façade, which is heavily exposed to zenith light. At the same time, they allow a wide range of views between inside and outside. The façade consists of six prefabricated units, each 3.5 x 2.4 metres in size, which were mounted onto the pre-constructed steel skeleton using a mobile crane. 32 percent of the glass in the three upper panes has been printed with a dot pattern as solar shading, as these panes are more exposed to the sun. The bottom pane is transparent and tilted forward towards the ground. This prevents distracting reflections and allows passers-by to look into the hall from the outside without glare.

The construction projects by just under 70 centimetres. "If you stand directly in front of the glazing on the inside, you are virtually in the centre of the façade. It's an amazing feeling," says Herbert Hölscher, Managing Director of Hölscher Stahlbau-Leichtmetallbau, the company from Kleve, Germany, which carried out the work. It only took a day to install the parametric units. The installers mounted each floor-to-ceiling unit on two retaining pins, which they had already welded to the steel frame in the factory. The vertical position of the units was aligned using screws. They then laid the coupling gaskets and brushed them with a lubricating wax from Schüco, so they could slide into one another. "Each unit weighs around 750 kilograms. Without lubricant, you get a weight that won't move at all,"

3/10 Herbert Hölscher says knowingly. The units had to be placed very precisely; the installers had a maximum horizontal play of ten millimetres. "So that they could be mounted as horizontally as possible, we produced a precision-fit lifting traverse beforehand. The anchors at the top also served as eyelets for the lifting hook," the metal fabricator revealed.

Valuable planning aid The prefabrication of the aluminium tubular frame system was very complex in design. At each node of the parametric units, three round tubes converge and have to engage with one another faultlessly. Each of these nodes is different. "The question, then, was how can the joints be designed and constructed without significant additional time and cost? This was where the Schüco Parametric System was a valuable aid," says Herbert Hölscher. Thanks to the Parametric System, the detailed planning was fully automatic. Sawing to length, machining and drilling of the aluminium tubular frame were carried out in the Schüco CNC processing centre. The joint nodes for the tubes also had an individual number engraved on each node arm, so that it was not possible to later confuse their allocation to the tubes.

In the Hölscher factory, the metal fabricators then fixed the tubular frames using templates and screwed the profiles in place one below the other by means of insert sleeves. They then installed the tubes on the outer load-bearing unit frame using at- tachment profiles. After that, a structural glazing specialist bon- ded the double insulating glazing to the adhesive frames which were joined to the tubular frame by means of adapter profiles. The silicone bonding absorbs positive wind loads, negative wind loads and earthquake loads, while concealed glass carri- ers also absorb the dead load of the panes. Additional pressure plates or retaining profiles are not needed. The double glazing was designed as a stepped rebate, which means that the outer pane is slightly larger. This gives a beautiful, slimline appear- ance.

The solution for complex 3D façades

4/10 Not only does the Schüco Parametric System facilitate planning for metal fabricators like Herbert Hölscher, clients, engineers and architects also profit. After all, the complexity of façades is increasing internationally. Individually-designed 3D façades were previously only possible with elaborate special solutions. With the Schüco Parametric System, three-dimensional freeform façades can now be created for the first time as system solutions that are easy to design and calculated with the security of a series product. Those involved in the project can draw on a continuously closed digital process chain during all stages of design, planning and fabrication. In this way, interface problems can be circumvented and costs for requested changes can be balanced at an early stage. Expensive overplanning is avoided and the number of additions reduced. Another benefit is that various geometries can be depicted and different glass or infills can be used by combining and joining the individual units. "You can give façade structures a different look," says civil engineer Professor Jens Schneider. "The three- dimensional folding of the façade makes it easy to pick up on local conditions, create vistas and break up large-scale façades. Hence interesting design options arise, particularly in office buildings and high-rise buildings."

Schüco – System solutions for windows, doors and façades Together with its worldwide network of partners, architects, specifiers and investors, Schüco creates sustainable building envelopes that focus on people and their needs in harmony with nature and technology. Metal and PVC-U window, door and façade solutions from Schüco meet the highest requirements in terms of design, comfort and security. At the same time, CO2 emissions are reduced through energy efficiency, thereby conserving natural resources. The company delivers tailored products for newbuilds and renovations, designed to meet individual user needs in all climate zones. Everyone involved is supported with a comprehensive range of services at every stage of the construction process. With 4800 employees and 12,000 partner companies, Schüco is active in more than 80 countries and achieved a turnover of 1.425 billion euros in 2014. For more information, visit www.schueco.de

5/10 Project details Project: New ETA factory on the Lichtwiese campus of the TU Darmstadt Client: TU Darmstadt Overall project coordination: TU Darmstadt, Institute for Production Management, Technology and Tool Machinery (PTW), Professor Eberhard Abele Design architects: Professor Jo Eisele, Frank Lang, TU Darmstadt Responsible architects: Dietz Joppien Architekten AG, Frankfurt am Main Façade design: Institute for Structural Mechanics and Design, TU Darmstadt Metal Fabricator: Hölscher Stahlbau-Leichtmetallbau GmbH, Kleve

Schüco products Schüco FW 60+ SG façade system Schüco Façade USC 65 FSG Schüco Parametric System

Key data for the newbuild Start of construction: 12 August 2014 Completion and opening: 2 March 2016 Partners: 39 research partners from science and industry Net floor space: approx. 810 m2 Gross floor area: approx. 1450 m2 Usable space in the machine hall: approx. 550 m2 For further information: www.eta-fabrik.de

6/10 Picture credits: Schüco International KG

High-resolution pictures are available to download in the Schüco Newsroom at www.schueco.de/presse.

Prototype and eye-catching architecture: the ETA factory, opened at the start of March on the Lichtwiese campus of the TU Darmstadt.

The façades on the long sides made from ultra-high performance concrete are traversed on the outside by capillary drainage mats and can be thermally activated.

7/10 Spectacular eye-catcher: The Schüco Parametric System has been installed in the bottom third of the south façade of the factory.

The surrounding buildings are reflected in the three-dimensional glass façade. This creates interesting perspectives.

The upper panes have been printed with a grid of dots as solar shading, as they are more exposed to the sun.

8/10 In contrast, the bottom pane is transparent and tilted forward towards the ground. This avoids reflections and allows you to look into the hall from the outside without glare.

High-precision work: Installation of the three-dimensional Schüco Parametric units. A mobile crane lifted each 3.5 x 2.4 m unit as close as possible to the construction.

The units were then brought to the correct height with millimetre accuracy using ratchet screws.

9/10 So that they could be mounted as horizontally as possible, the installers produced a lifting traverse in the factory beforehand.

The coupling gaskets were brushed with a lubricating wax so that the units could be moved sideways.

The installers put up the steel skeleton on which the units hang two weeks earlier. It then only took one more day to actually install the Schüco Parametric façade.