Always on the ball |
Media module suspended from Demag hoists floats above stadium
Demag Cranes & Components is always on the ball during the Football World Championship with four hoist units which raise and lower a media module direct above the centre spot of the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The media module performs two tasks. It provides the crowd with images and further information. And when the weather is good, it accommodates the roof panel which normally protects the pitch.
The media module was supplied by Sauernheimer GmbH, which was established as a small electrical company in Nuremberg in 1926. The products supplied by the family-owned company, which has 25 employees, range from purpose-built illuminated advertising panels for indoor and outdoor use, lighting effects systems and stylish decoration accessories to large media modules. These can now be found all over Europe. Sauernheimer installed its biggest LED video display so far with a 144 square metre screen in Dublin.
Hoists provide "moving moments"
A special media module by Sauernheimer is suspended from four hoists supplied by Demag Cranes & Components above the Commerzbank Arena in Frankfurt am Main. The new arena, which is located where the legendary Frankfurter Waldstadion stadium once stood, was built for sports, concerts, business and major events of all kinds. Depending on how it is used, the FIFA World Championship stadium can accommodate a crowd of up to 55,000. A highlight is its rope and steel membrane interior roof, the largest of its kind in the world. Of the total 37,500 square metres of roof surface, 9,000 square metres are accounted for by the interior roof, which is opened or closed depending on the weather.
The cube-shaped media module is suspended from a central node, where all of the ropes supporting the roof meet above the centre spot. It weighs a total of 38 tonnes. Almost 28 tonnes are accounted for by the mobile part, the rest by drives and the steel superstructure, which connects the cube with the central node. The media module offers a screen diagonal of 8.5 metres. The edges measure eleven metres at the top and 9.2 metres at the bottom. This means that the displays are inclined at an angle of eight to nine degrees, enabling the crowd to see the images and information even better. The brilliant view from all seats is also enhanced by a total of some 150,000 red, yellow and blue LED lamps, which are arranged on each of the display panels which measure almost 31 square metres in size.
Before the roof above the football pitch can be opened or closed, the four Demag hoist units automatically lower the media module on the given command to a height of 19 metres. The cube accommodates the folded interior roof. It then returns to its original height of 26 metres above the pitch. The sequence is reversed in the other direction. It takes approximately a quarter of an hour to open or close the roof.
Parallel operation guaranteed
The architects had originally considered a media module that would only be lowered seven to eight metres. This would have been sufficient to remove the folded interior roof from its housing and bring it back in again. It was the idea of Sauernheimer GmbH to lower the mdoules until they can be reached from the pitch for maintenance purposes. On the basis of this idea, the company developed a concept with hoist units. The owners of the stadium were convinced and Sauernheimer was awarded the contract.
The Nuremberg-based company initially considered moving the module using chain hoists. However, with a weight of almost 28 tonnes, they would have needed to use and synchronise at least eight hoists of this type. The company contacted Demag Cranes & Components to discuss possible technical solutions. The decision was made in favour of a solution with four rope hoists, which was then developed in detail.
The units selected were four rope hoists from the DH 1000 range, each with a load capacity of 14 tonnes. The eight rope falls each measure 20 millimetres in diameter. The hook path is 30 metres in length. Demag coupled two pairs of hoists units in the longitudinal direction and then the pairs with each other. Parallel motions of the coupled hoist units are ensured by synchronised mechanical operation via universal shafts and angular gearboxes. An additional customer benefit: Sauernheimer only requires two hoist motors for this solution. Compared with the eight chain hoists initially considered for the application, the maintenance requirement is reduced.
Travel commands from the control centre
The commands for the lifting, lowering and locking operations come from a control centre. The images and sound, the mobile roof section and the floodlights are all controlled from here. When a corresponding command is issued, the hoists automatically move the media module. Control lamps continuously show the operator the current position of the video module.
Four retaining hooks also offer additional safety when the module is in its parking position under the roof. They can hold the weight of the entire module. In this position, the hoists are completely relieved of the load, which also enables them to be maintained. For safety reasons, the control system monitors the end position of the locking arrangement and issues a release signal when it has been reached. An error message would otherwise result.
Before the module reaches its end position, it reduces its speed from four to 0.6 metres per minute. The speed is automatically reduced two metres before the end position. In addition, Demag fitted all of the hoist units with a second brake and an electronic load monitoring system and with rope sheaves instead of bottom blocks. The maintenance position was set at a height of two metres above the playing field when the media module is lowered. In this way, any risk of personal injury or damage to the pitch heating system is excluded. The media module can also be controlled by means of a control pendant to simplify any maintenance work.
Since people can be present below the suspended load, unlike in industrial applications, the hoist units need to be rated to BGV-C1, which means that a inspection has to be carried out by an expert engineer every year. However, reliable operation of the media module is already ensured by the maintenance performed by the Demag Cranes & Components customer service on an annual basis.
Demag Cranes & Components GmbH in Wetter/Ruhr provides solutions for material flow and logistics requirements and drive applications with the most comprehensive range of products and services for companies of all sizes – from small workshops to the trade sector and major industrial enterprises.
With the product range of the two Cranes and Handling Technology/Drives business unit, the company provides special solutions in various industries for travel applications, ergonomics and load handling at the workplace and material flow in production and storage. The third business unit is dedicated to Service and ensures the economical use of Demag products with its complete range of services, and thus also lasting customer satisfaction.
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