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.
Travel commands from the control center:
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 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.
Travel commands from the control center:
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.
For more information:
Demag Cranes & Components
29201 Aurora Road
Cleveland, OH 44139
(440) 248-2400
Fax: (440) 248-3086
Demag Cranes & Components based in Cleveland, OH , a subsidiary of Demag Cranes AG , is a world class manufacturer of high quality industrial cranesand components, electric chain and wire rope hoists, and load handling attachments and accessories for material handling flow, logistics and industrial drive applications. The company offers a complete range of services and support programs including replacement parts, maintenance and refurbishment.
