HÖRMANN WINS JOSEPH VON FRAUNHOFER PRIZE

Together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Hörmann has developed an innovative fire-proof glazing. The development team – Thomas Baus, factory manager at Hörmann KG Glastechnik, and the two Fraunhofer researchers Dr. Holger Wack and Damian Hintemann – has now received the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize, which is awarded by Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft annually for outstanding scientific achievements.

The team developed a fire-proof glass that can withstand flame exposure of over 1,000 degrees Celsius for up to 120 minutes depending on the pane structure and is filled with a new type of gel in the pane gap. The processing of this hydrogel is non-toxic, as it doesn’t contain any acrylamide, which is normally used in hydrogel-based fire-proof glass.

The three researchers have also developed a complete system technology for producing the hydrogel as well as the mixing process for manufacturing the fire-proof pane. This mixing and metring technology is complemented by the production process developed and patented by Hörmann for the manufacture of fire-proof panes.

Compared with conventional hydrogel fire-proof pane production, around 85 percent less process waste is generated. This new development also enables higher automation rates and leaner production processes. Four years passed between the early stages in vitro and the company branch being founded with today’s practical application.

Dr. Holger Wack, Damian Hintemann from the Fraunhofer Institute and Thomas Baus from Hörmann (from left to right) developed a fire-proof glass based on hydrogel.

Find out more information about Hörmann's products on their Archify profile page here: https://www.archify.com/id/product/hormann