Double award for ZIEHL-ABEGG at Materialica

By admin February 28, 2014 6:00 am IST

ZIEHL-ABEGG, one of the leading global players in the field of ventilation and drive systems with an adapted control technology, has got two awards at the Materialica Design + Technology Awards in Munich.
“The two awards solidify our position as a technology leader,” says Dr. Walter Angelis, Technical Manager for Ventilation Systems at ZIEHL-ABEGG. The successful products were the ZAplus fan system and an innovative bionic bio-fan, which was presented for the first time.

“The panel presented us with the Gold Award in the ‘Product’ category – this was for the sophisticated ZAplus complete system,” explains Angelis. The system integrates the fan, motor and control into a single, compact unit made from high-strength composite material. This optimises the air flow and spares the need for unnecessary packaging material. The ZAplus system saves a great deal of energy and sets a new benchmark in terms of efficiency, going above and beyond the requirements of the EU Directive for energy-related products (ErP). The ZAplus fan system is used in supermarkets, hotels and refrigeration. In summer, the ZAplus was selected as the fan of the year at the international Plus-X-Awards. When it came to the blade design, the developers took inspiration from the wing of an owl – the quietest bird of prey: spikes on the rear edge of the fan blade and a kink on the top edge help to reduce noise generation.
This bionic blade design also features in the second of our decorated products: the bionic fan consists of a bio-material, making Ziehl-Abegg a trendsetter once again. “The fan blade contains more than 60 per cent renewable sebacic acid, which is extracted from the castor oil plant,” explains Angelis. Neither the plant nor the castor oil itself is a foodstuff. The cultivation of this plant on low-nutrient ground means that it does not have an adverse effect on food production. The material also enables improvements with regard to chemical resistance, stability and weight. The bionic bio-fan is quiet, saves energy, reduces CO2 emissions and is 100 per cent recyclable. It is suitable for use in refrigeration, heating systems, heat pumps and electronics cooling. At Materialica, this product received the silver award in the ‘CO2’ category.