Modern barriers for hi-tech companies

The SUMMIT was built in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, over a period of 18 months. The new structure is now the headquarters of five companies in the hi-tech and IT sector which were previously at separate locations. They form part of ifm electronic GmbH from Essen, a specialist in the field of automation technology with over 7,000 employees worldwide. The complete value chain of Industry 4.0, from intelligent sensors to data evaluation and deployment in the ERP system, is covered and developed further at the Siegen location. Some 350 people work in the newly developed technology centre and the building has capacity for a maximum of 450. The facilities of The SUMMIT also include a car park with 300 spaces, 30 visitor parking spaces, two disabled parking spaces, two parking spaces for electric vehicles with charging points, plus twelve spaces for bicycles. The location and the plans also make it possible to extend both the building and the parking area if required.

The people responsible decided to secure the entrance and exit with barriers to prevent parking by people not associated with the company. “The barriers are mainly to prevent parking by unauthorised persons. There is a football stadium close to our premises and fans are happy to use the car parks of nearby companies. The barriers also have a security function at night and at the weekend”, explains Tristan Neuhaus, Manager for Digital Marketing, Marketing and Corporate Strategy at pmdtechnologies ag, a company in The SUMMIT. The general contractor commissioned with the new build engaged its long-term partner company, Fritz Buhr GmbH & Co. KG, which produces wire products and grilles in Bochum, for the securing of the site. For many years the Bochum company has been working together in this field with Automatic Systems, which supplied both the BL15 barriers which are used. “There are an average of 250 employees on site with suppliers and visitors adding to this. The BL15 is extremely suitable for such high frequency and it scores highly thanks to an opening and closing speed of just 1.2 seconds”, explains Carmen Unger, Sales and Site Manager at Fritz Buhr GmbH & Co. KG, and contact person for the project. In spite of the high speed, the oval barrier arm carries out the movement perfectly and prevents long waiting times. “Even cyclists can pass through the barriers as the induction loop in the ground detects metal and opens in this instance as well”, Unger continues. Neuhaus adds that it was nevertheless important for the people responsible to ensure that a certain distance between the barrier and greenery was maintained as a colleague suffered serious injuries when passing a barrier at the previous location. In order to open the barrier, employees produce their authorisation card at the entrance and this is also used for opening doors. Visitors are linked to reception via a bell module which subsequently opens the barrier. The exit is free. “We did not consider automatic number plate recognition as we often use hire cars and pool cars”, Neuhaus explains.

The LED lights integrated into the cover of the round housing also make a contribution to security. They function in a similar way to traffic lights and can be seen from a distance. A green light indicates that the driver is free to proceed while a red light indicates that the driver must stop and wait. It also blends in seamlessly with the surrounding area thanks to its modern design and the anthracite colour, as grey tones are also dominant inside and outside the building. The barrier will also respond to any attempts at forced entry with a reversible asynchronous direct current geared motor, which protects the device against unauthorised, intentional, forcible lifting of the barrier arm. “For me it is particularly important that the barriers work seamlessly and do not present obstacles. With the BL15 we have found the ideal solution for this location”, Carmen Unger of the Bochum wire company concludes.