Metal mesh roll-up solar protection and security shutter systems
Never before seen in the industry: At the R+T in Stuttgart, the world's leading trade fair for roll-up shutters, doors/gates and solar protection, GKD – Gebr. Kufferath AG (GKD) presented roll-up solar protection systems, sliding shutters and security shutters made of metal mesh. The combination of transparency and robustness met with correspondingly high interest among the trade visitors. The fact that the systems combine high-quality mesh with proven technology from reputable system partners was particularly appealing.
For the first time, the world's leading manufacturer of metal fabrics was represented at the R+T fair to present its innovative solar protection systems and security shutters to international professionals. The roll-up systems offer completely new design possibilities for solar protection and roll-up doors thanks to the transparency and resistance that is typical of metal mesh. As a solution which is both functional and attractive, not to mention easy to install, these systems met with great interest among tradespersons and dealers. The six meter wide and 3.5 meter high roll-up door of stainless steel mesh was a real eye-catcher. The visually delicate but technically extremely robust design attracted everyone's attention as a high-quality alternative to conventional folding and roller grilles. Usable indoors and outdoors, the roll-up door reliably prevents undesired access or theft. Three mesh types – TIGRIS, LAGO and SAMBESI – provide choice and their degree of transparency can be individually customized. As a result, the innovative security shutters guarantee the desired degree of outward view and daylight usage. At the same time, their wind-permeable texture ensures the ventilation of the rooms behind them while also demonstrating their rain protection qualities. Up to eight meters wide and five meters high, the roll-up doors also score highly thanks to their small bale diameter. Quiet operation and light weight are further advantages of this system. An important plus point from the perspective of the specialist visitors was that the roll-up door system was designed by the strategic partner Ferdinand Braselmann, a manufacturer that has been highly esteemed for its solid products for many years. The systems guarantee easy installation, quick implementation and permanently trouble-free operation. The metal mesh roll-up systems set new standards in terms of durability, weather resistance, minimum cleaning requirements and low maintenance costs. As such, they are predestined for use in display windows in shopping arcades as well as for shops in train stations and airports, kiosks or residential areas with exclusive usage zones. Entrance areas in industrial and catering operations can also be partitioned in an aesthetically pleasing manner using this system. These high-quality roll-up doors provide an attractive shutter solution for entrances or underground parking garages, which blends in harmoniously with ambitious designs.
Horizontal folding shutters for exterior applications – in color too, on request
As a response to not one but two popular trends, the motorized metal mesh shutters were also the focus of visitor interest at the R+T fair: they combine high-performance solar protection with the possibility of individual coloring. The extraordinary aesthetics of these weather and corrosion-resistant metal mesh systems were particularly appealing to the architects among the visitors. Tailor-made, the elements are available in almost any size and impress as a perfectly coordinated system of mesh and technology. The
3 tried-and-tested drives from Baier guarantee long-term operational reliability and convenient operation. In untreated aluminum, the horizontal folding shutters represent a subordinate feature in any architecture. With color anodizing, they set specific accents or support holistic corporate architecture concepts.
Maximum transparency and perfect solar protection
In addition to the system solutions, the innovative SOLAR OMEGA solar control mesh also aroused the interest of the specialist audience. Thanks to its special mesh design, this mesh type offers excellent protection against sunlight despite its unrivaled high transparency. The flat wires, interwoven horizontally using a new method, reflect the solar energy to the exterior from deep within the mesh. This protects the rooms behind the shutters, preventing them from getting too warm, reducing air conditioning costs and thus improving the energy efficiency of buildings in the long term.
Successful premiere
The specialist visitors from home and abroad demonstrated an extremely keen interest in the use of metal mesh for solar protection systems and security shutters, indicating just how unfamiliar this material still is in this industry. “The particular aesthetics of the mesh – transparency, visual lightness, metallic shimmer – were a magnet,” said Hans-Michael Link, head of the metal fabrics division at GKD. And then there is also the mechanical robustness of the flexible metal mesh structure. He added: “In combination with the proven systems for roll-up doors and sliding shutters, this was a real innovation for the visitors to the trade fair.” The demand for discussions between the visitors and the experts at GKD regarding processing, the variety of applications and specific solutions was just as high. Hans-Michael Link therefore draws a positive conclusion: “The premiere at the R+T fair was successful: Our systems were very well received and we have many specific project requests – including from abroad.”
