Modern and clean logistics fair in Frankfurt counts on functionality and design (high speed roll up doors)

When a trade fair company modernises its premises, this modernisation is carried out for service and competition reasons. When special emphasis is put on an appealing design for the construction of a new logistics centre, the reasons for that are mostly related with image reasons. “We want our Cargo Centre to represent transparent, modern and clean logistics”, explains Oliver Schell, head of the logistics service department of Messe Frankfurt. Since recently, the Cargo Centre has been the heart of logistics on the exhibition premises in Frankfurt. “We have chosen the technology with utmost care”, says Oliver Schell. “As far as the doors are concerned, we have decided for Efaflex products. Doors are the strategically most critical spot in the Cargo Centre.” The construction department of the trade fair company had already fared well with these high-speed doors.

The specifications which were to comply with by the door specialist from Bruckberg (Lower Bavaria) were nevertheless quite numerous. High reliability, fast opening and closing as well as the possibility to adjust the door design to the architectural concept of the building – these were only some of the selection criteria. The trial operation of the new Cargo Centre took place during the IAA 2007. “During this event, 25,000 m³ of empties were stored in the hall. During the Heimtextil fair, we had 200 tons of piece goods there”, says Oliver Schell. Such quantities of empties must be distributed smoothly to the stands, immediately after the end of the fair and within just a few hours. If something gets stuck, this causes expensive waiting times for exhibitors and forwarders. Therefore, the highest level of reliability was important for the planners, and the manufacturer had to guarantee that the doors can also be opened if electronic equipment or power fails. In the beginning, until everything was configured correctly, there had been some minor doubts.

“But during operation, we could rather early see that our decision for these doors had been absolutely the right one”, says Schell. He explains that the temperature within the 5,500 m² hall always has to be at 18 degrees centigrade. Exhibits and brochures may not be exposed to changing temperatures and must all the more not become damp. “Our Efaflex spiral doors ensure that we achieve this aim quite easily. The total resistance to heat flow of the 60 mm thick laths is 0.9 W/m²K.” The insulation effect of the laths additionally reduces noise by 25 dB. Thanks to an opening speed of 1.2 m/sec and a closing speed of 1.0 m/sec, the direct area around the doors does not cool down as much as with conventional industrial doors. The trade fair company invested eight million Euro in the Cargo Centre. During fairs, it is to be exclusively used as logistics area. In 2007, 36 events took place on the premises in Frankfurt. Thus, the building is nearly permanently in use. Messe Frankfurt organises more than 100 fairs on five continents worldwide. As one of the leading companies of the industry worldwide, it has formed a network with 14 subsidiaries, five branches and 48 international sales partners. The major fairs for consumer goods, technology and textile industry, automobile industry and for architecture are located in Frankfurt upon Main.

With so many design-oriented fairs it is obvious that the new halls as well as the Cargo Centre on the premises were built in accordance with the most modern architectural concepts. The colours of the outer façade are to represent piled up containers. This design is continued with the colours of the entire building, from the cellar rooms to the office rooms which are integrated on the east side of the building with 700 m². Therefore, the planners were happy that Efaflex was also able to adjust the colours of the doors to the design, explains Schell. Each of the ten anthracite grey high-speed spiral doors with a size of 4,000 x 4,200 has five transparent laths at eye level. They provide safety and let daylight enter the hall as do the large windows on the north and the south side. “Transparency and design are therefore a welcome additional benefit offered by these fast doors.”