No. 7
SLIDE Magazine for Architecture, Design, Retailer, Trade
Precision Precise? Exact? Accurate?
Precision awareness as an economic factor The new Matsuura CNC Center in action Laminated safety glass and Duoplex – fit for sliding hardware
Contents
Precision Your precision requirements When we decided to dedicate this issue of SLIDE to the subject of «precision» we were immediately confronted by a pertinent question: how does one develop a sense of precision?
Marvelling at precision Humpback whales do not need scientists to reach their goals
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Our fathers, the founders of Hawa AG, were two particularly precise men and have remained so to this day. To think exactly, to speak clearly and to act with focus is a part of their nature. Thus, they have had a formative influence on our principles and on the entire company. Our sliding hardware systems are used by architects, tradesmen and designers. In other words: by specialists with high demands on precision and to whom an extremely exact working method is all-important. The same applies to Hawa. Not only in the department for research and development or in production, but also in sales, customer service and in communications. Precision work by one and all is a decisive contributing factor to our quality hardware and is ultimately what leads to the satisfaction of our customers – time and again.
Topic Only right is right Muotathaler «weather sniffers» Humpback whales Precision awareness as a wave Precision awareness as an economic factor 100% precision awareness: SoftMove 80
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Projects Hotel Valbella Inn, Valbella-Lenzerheide Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh Health resort & spa hotel Rosenalp, Oberstaufen in Allgäu
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Know-how Precision pure in humans and machines LSG with Hawa sliding hardware systems Wood and acrylic combined: Duoplex® News Agenda, Personal
Gregor and Heinz Haab Managing Directors Hawa AG Sliding Hardware Systems
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Hotel Valbella Inn, Lenzerheide HAWA-Frontslide 60/matic at work
Sport and precision Hawa employees work on their precision in their free time
Matsuura in action Precision work at the Hawa CNC Center
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Precision
Only right is right
The terms «precise», «exact» and «accurate» do not mean the same – to be exact. And only what is «right» is important.
The marksman who always hits the bullseye is hitting with high accuracy and high precision.
People like to be precise
Precisely inaccurate
Humans began early on to observe themselves and nature, to measure and improve. They soon understood the correlation between the times of the day and year and the positions of the sun, moon and stars.
A clock that reliably strikes a new hour after 60 minutes is running with precise accuracy. A clock that reliably strikes a new hour of 59 minutes after 59 minutes is running with precise inaccuracy. A clock that strikes a new hour after 59 minutes and then goes faster or slower is running with imprecise inaccuracy as its hours are getting either longer or shorter. And the clock in any of these variants can measure the time either «exactly» or «inexactly»: an atomic clock measures consistent atomic seconds, whilst the sundial measures the inexact position of the sun.
The Maya and the Aborigines, the Chinese and the Egyptians observed the heavenly bodies, recognised cycles and laws, developed dimensions and measuring devices, units and symbols. A complete range of natural science disciplines began to emerge: physics, mathematics, geometry, chemistry – and with them came scientifically precise language. Vernacular language is much less precise. It is, after all, used by the common people whose voices are as multi-facetted as they are generous. Some say «precise» and mean «exact», others say «exact» and mean «correct». And it would never occur to any of them that they are not the same. 4
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Concrete precision Humans have come a long way with regard to precision. Living with megapixels, microfibres, nano-particles and terrabites is meanwhile a matter of course. People do not tend to ponder their disposition towards precision until they attentively study tax declarations, tables of contents, software licensing contracts and other small-printed works of literature.
The marksman who always hits the same spot outside the target is hitting with low accuracy and high precision.
The marksman who spreads his hits across the entire board is hitting with low accuracy, low precision and a high entertainment factor.
Repeat accuracy The term makes sense because it is selfexplanatory: high precision is high repeat accuracy. A marksman needs to repeat his first hit to confirm that he can shoot with precision. In the language of science, precision is «a measure of the congruence between independent measurement results under defined conditions». The conditions during the shoot must remain the same, as must the measurement method, which therefore must also be precise. If one applies these terms to product manufacturing then precision is the measure of deficient products in overall production. A machine working precisely will not produce rejects. And precise inspections make sure that only flawless products leave the factory. Flawless products are therefore the result of a continuous chain of precision.
The science of fuzziness But precision does not always lead to the goal. Internet search engines must be able to find the right results with imprecise search terms. Humans have even developed precise models of the «science of fuzziness», known as «Fuzzy Logic», that is long since in use in thousands of devices, for instance in the form of software for control technology. Lotfi Zadeh, father of Fuzzy Logic and meanwhile holder of 23 honorary doctorates, calls precision the enemy of relevance. Indeed, precision for precision’s sake detracts from relevance, because only one thing is relevant and that is «rightness». The rightness of a society consists ideally of satisfied citizens, whilst the rightness of a market economy consists of satisfied customers. Thus, precision and exactness are merely two tools used to create rightness. But they are two important tools. If not to say the most important, as they are to Hawa AG.
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Precision
Wondering about the weather: Karl «Ibex Hunter» Reichmuth, Peter «Sand Blaster» Suter, Alois «Pine Cone» Holdener, Martin «Mouser» Holdener, Martin «Weather Missionary» Horat, Kari «Nature Man» Hediger.
The funny side of precision
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«Field mice work particularly hard before the foehn wind blows; this is because they want to get their tunnel system finished before the rain comes after the foehn wind.» Six men from Muotathal in canton Schwyz at the heart of Switzerland forecast the weather for the next six months. By observing nature: how do ants and marmots behave, and what about the pine cones and Alpine roses, morning dew and snowdrifts? And they unearth the laws behind the centuries-old
meteorological records documented by monks.
«A wind will blow for three days. If it blows for longer, then it will be at least six weeks.» The «weather sniffers» present their forecasts to an audience. Whether they are congruent or contradictory, there is always a lot to laugh about. A jury determines the success rates for the preceding half-year, and the winner receives a symbolic award. Nothing but folklore,
say the sceptics with a smile. It is true that the weather acts in accordance with the laws of physics. But there are simply too many of them to reach a precise interpretation of their complex reciprocity. Pine cones and field mice do not always share the same opinion. The meteorosensitivity of the stinging nettle is not enough for six months. And the language of the lark is difficult to translate error-free. But one law is set in stone; it applies to weather sniffers and sceptics alike and could not be more precise: «The weather will do what it will do». SLIDE No. 7
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Precision
Marvelling at precision
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Humpback whales commute. They give birth to their young in the warm waters surrounding Hawaii and find their food in the cold waters off the coast of Alaska. These two areas are separated by some 5,600 kilometres. Each year the humpback whales take around 30 days to complete their journey. When humpback whales are not being disturbed and distracted by human interference
such as sonar, they swim as if guided by satellite navigation. They often complete stretches of 200 kilometres or more in an exact straight line. By way of comparison: a deviation of just one degree over 200 kilometres equates to 3.5 kilometres. Out at sea, the weather, the currents and the vertical and horizontal alignment of the Earth’s magnetic field are subject to change. One could expect these factors to displace the whales. But
they stay true to their course. They seem to compensate for the interference, as if they had another unknown «compass» in addition to the sun and the Earth’s magnetic field. Scientists reckon that only a kind of «internal map» would enable the humpback whales to make such precise corrections to their course. The animals couldn’t care less. They don’t need scientists to reach their precise destination. For them, nature is enough.
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Precision
Precision as a wave It is the entrepreneur who defines the corporate goals and provides the employees with the resources they need to achieve the goals with him. He compels them through his spirit, leads by example of practised values and sets priorities. A flair for precision is one of the focal points at Hawa AG.
Gregor Haab, who is more precise in their work: Heinz Haab or you? (Laughs) I am a structured person, someone who plans with accuracy and likes to make decisions based on analyses. Heinz maintains relationships with customers and the markets. That calls for a more spontaneous and situational approach.
Can precision awareness be acquired? A large proportion is acquired during childhood and, if all goes well, exemplified by others. Of course, everyone can improve their sense of precision and accurate work later in life.
What tools would they need? We provide our employees with suitable tools such as process manuals and work instructions that enable them to carry out their work as precisely and goal-oriented as possible. And we take great care to lead by example with regard to precision awareness.
What exactly does that mean?
We keep things in order, prepare the work to be done as best we can, systematically push pending matters to conclusion, pay attention to compliance with deadlines and punctuality, and so on. Supervisors at every level must be capable of flicking the switch that controls precision awareness. Time and again.
website designers or logisticians… This approach to achieving our goal rolls over every division like a wave. We in management must and will be the force driving the wave. Day in and day out.
But that doesn’t make a piece of sliding hardware any more functional or durable.
We make sure we appoint employees who are compatible with our philosophy of precision. An applicant with insufficient discipline, commitment and motivation would not be happy at Hawa. He would find the quality demands upheld by his colleagues and customers overwhelming. Not everyone understands the effort we put into pushing the quality of our products to the extreme.
Of course it does. Even as an apprentice cabinet maker I learnt that a good product will only result from a clean and tidy workplace and well cared-for tools. Sounds trivial, but it hits the nail on the head. Conscientiousness in small matters leads to greater success. Furthermore, one should never reduce the precision inherent in our products to the accuracy of their components alone.
But rather? Precision is geared towards the goal, i.e. towards customer satisfaction. And everyone plays a role in achieving that goal: be they employees in reception, technical consultants,
But the wave doesn’t necessarily have to touch every employee.
«Made in Switzerland»? Of course, this attitude has a lot to do with our roots. The spirit of a small Swiss family enterprise where everyone works hand-in-hand is still present in every division of Hawa AG. That makes it all the more difficult to disregard our philosophy of quality.
«It is difficult to disregard our philosophy of quality.» Gregor Haab completed a four-year apprenticeship as a cabinet maker and a four-year study course in wood manufacturing and engineering. He has been technical director at Hawa AG since 2001. 10
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«You must be able to read the water.» «Boating requires methodology, skill, experience and fine-tuning within the team. My team partner Ivo and I have together driven our Weidling boat forwards with strength and stamina for the last 22 years. Our fathers have even been a team for the past 50 years. We train on the river Reuss near Bremgarten and take part in six to eight competitions every year on rivers in German-speaking Switzerland. The better you know the river and its pitfalls, the faster you can be. You need to be able to ‹read› the water as best you can to recognise the currents and react before they take control of the Weidling.» Dino Rohner, born 1981, Production Planning
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Precision
«Archery is personal development.» «When shooting an air rifle or crossbow you need to aim through the diopter as best you can. Archery, on the other hand, offers you no aids whatsoever. All you have is your eye, your concentration and your breathing technique. Deep, controlled breathing is important for precision shooting. Breathe in and out three times, feel the necessary degree of calm, decide, aim and shoot. Once I have shot I am much calmer than before. I train around one hundred children and am often astounded as to how they benefit from a healthy breathing technique, and not only in archery. For me, archery is not only a sport but also personal development.» Ruedi Brunner, born 1953, Project Consultant
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Precision as an economic factor Exact work is better work. A keen sense of precision is therefore an economic factor. Or a base material that can compensate for a lack of other base materials.
Mountains, water, wood, milk and poverty. Helvetia had more than its fair share of all of these. But cocoa and coffee beans did not grow here, nor did cotton. There was an absence of iron ore and coal, and silkworms spun their silk elsewhere. In brief: Helvetia had little in the way of natural resources.
Import, improve, export However, Helvetia formed a crossing point of four languages as well as the centre of the most important European trade route. Thus, traffic, tourism and transportation became a source of income. And a source of inspiration, too. After all, trade routes were also the circulation routes for people, materials, knowledge and opportunities. Base materials and ideas arrived; tinkerers played around with them, refined them and sent them on their way along the trade route. A lack of base materials encouraged innovation. And in that regard, as
the weather-beaten Swiss compatriots well knew, only quality and durability counted as the central criteria for economic survival. In the late Middle Ages, silk arrived from Asia and cotton from around the world, and many hundreds of thousands of Swiss families made a living from spinning and weaving for many generations. Lace from St. Gallen achieved world renown, whilst textile dying gave birth to the chemical industry.
Patents and business sectors French Huguenots began manufacturing mechanical clocks in Switzerland around the middle of the 16th century. A copyright under patent law soon followed. Cocoa came from Africa, Asia and South America, whilst German Immigrant Henri NestlÊ invented dried milk – the result was milk chocolate. Italian espresso machines had conquered the world.
The first automatic coffee machine made in Switzerland was built in 1980. Today, the majority of automatic machines in use around the world are made in Switzerland. Thanks to Nespresso, Switzerland meanwhile exports more coffee than it does cheese or chocolate.
The small ones are at least as important An awareness of innovation and precision remain a key qualification to this day. In the provision of services as much as anywhere else, including trade, arts and crafts and small businesses: 99.6 per cent of Swiss companies employ fewer than 250 employees. Hawa AG was founded and has since grown in this social and economic environment. It acquires base materials from domestic and international markets, develops and manufactures sliding hardware and ships it abroad. Always in the knowledge that only the best will prevail in the global marketplace.
Only the best will prevail in the global marketplace.
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Precision
ÂŤEvery golfer has his own personal ideal swing that works as easily and smoothly as well-fitted sliding hardware. But he needs to find his swing.Âť
100 per cent Anyone wanting to provide good work needs to check it many times. The same applies to product manufacturing. Take the new SoftMove 80 soft closing mechanism, for instance.
As an accessory to the HAWA-Junior 80, the SoftMove 80 soft closing mechanism is designed to cope with stringent demands and continuous use: it gently decelerates doors and pulls them into their final position. A durable, maintenance-free soft closing mechanism whose tension spring must pass 100,000 test cycles without fail can only be manufactured from high-quality components.
same zero-error approach applies to the highquality hydraulic metal damper and the assembly of parts. This is where a special new screw-tightening machine comes into play. Finally, each SoftMove 80 set includes a disposable drilling jig to offer the installer the best possible quality of installation. It serves the safe and precise assembly of the triggering cam in the top track and keeps it swarf-free.
An occasional inspection is simply not enough to satisfy this demand. Hence, a new inspection stand now makes sure that every part is tested for hundred per cent functionality. The
Once the top track takes up its work it can prove its reliability. It is as reliable as the amount of effort invested in its production: 100 per cent.
The SoftMove 80 contains every ounce of reliability that was invested in its production.
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Lucas Jenni, born 1967, Vice President Marketing and Sales, HCP 18.8
«I work on my own precision most of all.» «I only work 80% during the summer so I can enjoy more time playing golf. I love competition golf most of all and take part in around 40 competitions each year. Precision is always top priority when I am training; after all, the lower your handicap, the more important it is to position the golf ball accurately to avoid as many unnecessary strokes as possible.» Susanna Weber, born 1966, Documentations Management, HCP 11.5
«Studies show that striking a golf ball is the most complex motor movement of any sport. It demands both precision and coordination. After all, the goal is to hit a hole measuring a mere 10.8 cm in diameter from hundreds of metres away.» Daniel Huber, born 1967, Marketing Project Manager, HCP 24.3
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Projects
Hotel Valbella Inn, Lenzerheide The two annexes to the Hotel Valbella Inn blend harmoniously into their surroundings as if they had been a part of the Alpine land land-scape of Lenzerheide for decades. They are hardly a year old: the new hotel wing «Tgiasa da Lenn» with 27 rooms and the five-floor wellness tower «Tor da Lenn». The horizontal structure of the facade designed by Peter Moor Architects is reminiscent of a stack of spruce planks. Wood construction specialist W. Rüegg from Kaltbrunn constructed sliding shutters made of oiled spruce with stainless steel connec connec-tions. The top tracks are concealed to protect them from the many snowdrifts that occur in winter. Despite their dimensions of 2.6 x 2.6 m, the wood sliding shutters lend the facade a concontinuously changing but nonetheless playful and light expression. As the deep and narrow window recesses prevent manual operation, Zurich-based architect Peter Moor decided in favour of an electric drive system. Hawa supported the project by providing a hard hard-ware system based on the HAWA-Front HAWA-Frontslide slide 60/matic. Specific adaptations to the trolleys and concontrols make it possible to open and close the sliding shutters more slowly to compensate for their greater weight.
The 35 wood sliding shutters are a major design element of the spruce facade.
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Project: Location: Country: Architect: Interior designer: Realization: Building owner: Completion: Hawa systems: Intention: Quantity: Material:
Hotel Valbella Inn, «Tgiasa da Lenn» Valbella-Lenzerheide Valbella-L Switzerland Peter Moor GmbH, Architekt ETH/ TH/SI SIA, A, Zurich Christian Aebli & Partner, Fislisbach W. Rüegg AG, Kaltbrunn Valbella Inn AG December 2010 HAWA-Frontslide 60/matic Automatic sliding shutters 35 Oiled spruce
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Projects
Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, Edinburgh
Project: Location: Country: Interior designer: Realization: Consultant: Building owner: Completion: Hawa systems: Intention: Quantity: Material:
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Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh UK mkv design, London Solaglas Motherwell Ltd, Bellshill, Motherwell Häfele U.K. Limited, Swift Valley, Rugby Hotel Corporation of Edinburgh 2010 HAWA-Puro 100–150 All-glass sliding doors 269 Glass
Last year the 26-year-old Sheraton Grand HoHotel & Spa Spa in Edinburgh renovated all 269 rooms and so provided a shining example of how to intelligently install the five-star standard of today in rooms with yesterday’s dimensions. The bathroom has gained greater importance over the past 20 years, especially in the hotel trade. That’s why the interior designers inincreased the amount of space assigned to the Sheraton’s wet rooms. They installed floorlevel shower units, generous bath tubs and separate toilets and surrounded the entire area with elegant glass walls. The bathroom feels larger as a result, but the room no smaller. The designers saved space in the bathroom access area by using a sliding door. They also created space with an all-glass design. Hawa sales partner and renowned hardware dealer Häfele recommended the HAWAPuro 100–150 sliding hardware system. Ease of assembly, greater sliding convenience for the guest and complete transparency thanks to invisible hardware components were the scale-tipping factors, according to product manager Gary King. Guests staying at luxury hotels expect luxury bathrooms where they can spend time, if not to say reside. The Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa with its elegant and spacious bathrooms is in a league of its own in this regard.
Large glass areas make the bathrooms larger, lighter, more elegant – and more relevant to bookings.
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Projects
Health resort & spa hotel Rosen The 2010 conversion of the Rosenalp Health Resort & Spa Hotel was a large-scale project. The challenges facing interior contractor Philipp Haas & Söhne of Bad Reichenhall were just as large.
Sliding elements in hotels and restaurants are subject to heavy use. That is why only one criterion counts: quality.
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How does one install room-high cabinets with minimum base height and distance to the ceiling in rooms that are not exactly gen gen-erously dimensioned? When high-quality veneered chipboard is used for the doors and a number of elements are clad in glass and will therefore be relatively heavy? And when the cabinet fronts should have neither double ends nor sides, making fronts without side-mounted hinges the only option?
the surface. During the implementation phase the team on site found the ability to fit the wooden doors without tools and adjust the door height from the side to be valuable benefits. Setting and adjusting sliding hard hard-ware from Hawa is generally an easy process in any case, opines Johannes Haas, who has installed Hawa products for many years. The large, heavy doors glide astonishingly quietly on HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF hardware – map map-ping an aspect of the wellness concept, so to speak. «The HAWA-Antea HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF is the best overlay hardware available on the marmar ket», an opinion Johannes Haas shares with his brothers Friedrich and Marcus, with whom he jointly manages the company.
30 mm are enough
All-round well-being
The Haas company’s master workshops could count on support from Hawa with re re-gard to advice and detailed planning. The team around Johannes Haas then used HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF sliding hardware for doors running in front of the cabinet body as the solution – it needs a mere 30 mm distance to floor and ceiling and is ideal for minimum base heights and ceiling con con-nection joints.
Other sliding solutions are also at work in the new Rosenalp. Three suites are equipped with a space-saving partition between bedbedroom and living room that interior contractor Haas implemented as a symme symmetrical trical sliding wooden door fitted with HAWA-Symmetric 80/Z. Intermediate and end doors in the completely refurbished restaurant area glide on the all-glass hardware HAWA-Junior 80/GP.
HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF enabled all top tracks, bottom guide channels, fixtures and soft closing system to elegantly disappear behind the cabinets’ sliding fronts, leaving nothing to detract from the appearance of
Host family Schädler is thrilled with the new Rosenalp, as are the guests: «I’ve known the Rosenalp for more than 20 years and still find it overwhelming to come here and enjoy pure regeneration.»
nalp, Oberstaufen
Project: Location: Country: Architect: Realization: Building owner: Completion: Hawa systems:
Intention: Quantity: Material:
Rosenalp, health resort & spa hotel Oberstaufen in Allgäu Germany ALPSTEI EIN N GmbH, Immenstadt Philipp Haas & Söhne GmbH & Co. KG, Bad Reichenhall Allgäuer Rosenalp GmbH & Co. KG December 2010 HAWA-Antea 50-80/VF HAWA-S HAWASymmetric 80/Z HAWA-Junior 80/GP Sliding cabinet doors, sliding doors 12 cabinet fronts, 3 symmetrical wooden sliding doors, 5 all-glass sliding doors Veneered wood, wood with mirror apliqué, glass
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Know-how
People and machines
Always on target The aspiration to achieve the greatest possible precision or ÂŤrepeat accuracyÂť runs through Hawa AG like a central theme. It applies to the provision of services just as it does to every stage between a bright innovative idea and the delivery of a well-functioning sliding hardware system.
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Tour de force
Ghost shift
The horizontal spindle of the Matsuura Maxia H.Plus 405 N high-performance CNC Center that was manufactured in 2011 has a peak performance of 12,000 rpm. Here it is equipped with a T54 roughing shank cutter (Ø 5.0). This tool is made from solid carbide with a titanium carbon nitride coating and cuts pockets in steel plates at speeds of VC 180 M/MIN and VF 925 MM/MIN to accommodate the strike plate of a HAWA-Toplock. A jet of cooling emulsion squirts out of the spindle at a pressure of 70 bar. It cools the tool and washes away the swarf.
The heavy cast body of the Matsuura coupled with state-of-the-art computer technology enable positioning precision and repeat accuracy measurable in micrometres. The Matsuura can work independently and reliably for eight hours, during which it processes twelve pallets of blanks. These work phases often start in the evening and are referred to by the employees as «ghost shifts». When the work is finished each tool is scanned by a laser. If any breakages are detected the Matsuura switches off automatically, as it does when any other malfunction occurs. Usually, however, the automatic tool changer will place the tool back in its position in the rack. Until it is needed again.
«Hawa AG is not a manufacturer of precision mechanical instruments», says Berthold Kübler, Director Operations and Logistics. «We make neither cameras nor wristwatches; our products are anything but fragile. Nonetheless, we do use machines that are also used in the watch-making industry and that are able to engineer products with a degree of precision much higher than is actually necessary for our products.»
The quality of the base material must reflect the quality required of the finished products. That is why quality management plays a pivotal role in the selection of suppliers and in the purchasing process. Initial deliveries are closely scrutinised, whilst deliveries from suppliers of long standing are subject to routine targeted sampling. This is where repeat accuracy is proven. «Suppliers carry a lot of responsibility», emphasises Berthold Kübler.
«You cannot create quality through inspection; quality must be produced and delivered.» Berthold Kübler, Director Operations and Logistics, Hawa AG SLIDE No. 7
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Accuracy
Speed
The Kestrel 2-axis measuring microscope from Hawa measures precision parts with an accuracy of one thousandth of a millimetre, contactless and using only light. The object lies on a gimbal-mounted measuring table with non-linear error correction calibration. The QC-200 measurement computer presents the results either as numerical values or in graphic form; the images are high-resolution and rich in contrast.
The rack on the Matsuura offers space for 320 tools. Hawa has another Matsuura in operation; it was built in 2007 and has 240 rack spaces. The more recent model is the same as the older one but works at a higher speed. According to Markus Stutz, changing tools only takes half as long. The tool changer picks the tool for the next work step from the rack and holds it ready whilst the machine finishes the preceding work step.
After all, «You cannot create quality through inspections and tests. Quality must be produced and delivered.»
In addition, a flying inspection round is made each day: a quality inspector moves from one workstation to the next and checks random samples.
The high availability of materials is a prerequisite for working to a precise time schedule – a case for the high-bay warehouse. Hawa AG practises «preventive maintenance» on a contractual basis to ensure the highly automated system does not break down.
Exceptional precision is required in the bending shop, where components for special applications are manufactured to customised specifications or on the basis of customer drawings.
This approach ensures the manufacturing department always has a sufficient supply of the right parts to enable a continuous workflow and the completion of sliding hardware systems according to schedule. The employees also maintain control over their machines as far as is necessary.
Only a fully efficient inspection process in production ensures the supply of flawless components to the assembly workshop. Here they are assembled to create the sliding hardware systems that pass from specialist retailers to qualified installers. And they know precisely how to use the system in the right place.
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«I want to be sure.» A machine works as precisely as the employee responsible for machine setup and monitoring. So says Markus Stutz, Production Manager at Hawa AG for the past eleven years.
Markus Stutz, does the equation «greater automation = greater precision in production» hold true? No, it doesn’t. Machines and equipment are monitored, adjusted and maintained by employees. A machine can only process a blank without error if it is inserted carefully and properly by us. And employees need to recognise in good time if a tool is no longer cutting properly or if a recently rejected part deviates from measurement specifications.
What does production automation actually achieve? Greater output thanks to high speed and longer working times that stretch into the night. Automation provides a consistent framework for quality and precision in production.
So processes that are more exact are not necessarily slower? Of course, there are some work processes that demand extreme precision and take an according amount of time to complete, for instance grinding or eroding processes. But they relate more to tool production. A machine such as the Matsuura works at high speed but not any less accurately because of it.
In contrast to humans. Indeed, and that is precisely why it is so important for an employee to know what the part he is producing is needed for. He needs to understand the production chain. That way he will always remember that careful and exact work is the be all and end all. The demands on our claim to quality play a decisive role in this regard.
In what way? An employee should never be under so much pressure that he does not have enough time to carry out routine inspections and measurements. Employees need to feel at ease with their work and be pleased with a flawless finished product. Our employees know that their work represents a major contribution to the quality of the product and therefore to the satisfaction of our customers.
«I am the one who makes sure that measurement checks and other inspections are routinely carried out in production.» Individual components need to be engineered with extreme precision. On the other hand, sliding hardware is subject to temperature fluctuations and atmospheric influences and therefore always needs a certain amount of «play», a freedom of movement that allows it to glide without a hitch. How does one measure these tolerance values? With experience. In particular the experience of the designer. He produces the drawings and measurements that come to us in production. It makes no difference whether the sliding hardware is for wood, glass or metal. The more experienced the designer, the less adjustments will be necessary during subsequent protracted test runs.
Are you a precise kind of person? (Laughs) My desk is governed by creative chaos. But I am always very precise where it matters. I am the one who is always checking measurements and machines in production. I want to be sure.
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Know-how
Textile structures, drawings, patterns, logos, photo-quality pictures: glass specialists can apply any digital image to a foil or directly to the surface of laminated safety glass (LSG). They transform burglar-resistant and splitter-resistant all-glass sliding doors into real eye-catchers – and into the ideal setting for form-fitting sliding hardware systems from Hawa.
Sturdy glass for a fine design
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The interplay between light and transparency brings glass to life. Glass can be engraved, lacquered, glazed, printed, dyed, painted and decorated with film. Decorative film in particular opens up new avenues of design thanks to modern reproduction technology. Laminated safety glass (LSG) is predestined as a base for such designs. The «embedded» foil lends glass elements a three-dimensional depth. Swiss company Galvolux SA offers laminated safety glass to which customers can apply
designs in colours and patterns of their choice by means of a special film. Versatile materials, customisable designs and even partial metallising are all possible. Galvolux also offers customers ingenious comprehensive sliding door solutions incorporating, among others, the HAWA-Purolino 80. «The HAWA-Purolino 80 is top quality, especially with regard to technology and aesthetic appeal», says Marco Jelmini, member of the Board of Directors at Galvolux SA. The running technology behind
All glass Wood imitation film is the classic method of designing LSG. Sliding doors can be designed as a standalone eye-catcher or as an integrated element that relates to the walls, floors or other aspects of room design, regardless of the motif.
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Know-how
the HAWA-Purolino 80 and the HAWA-Puro 100–150 is concealed in the top track, leaving the large surface design of the glass door uninterrupted by cover caps or other assembly components. The ceiling-integrated variant achieves the greatest surface area effect as its top tracks are completely integrated in the ceiling. These two sliding hardware systems are therefore suitable for design-oriented interior finishes in residential and public buildings,
as well as for applications in hotels and restaurants. In view of the safety standards demanded in public buildings, LSG clearly has to be the first choice.
or temperature-induced slippage are therefore ruled out. The only prerequisite is LSG with specified drill holes, which is meanwhile available from many glazing companies.
The appropriate hardware systems from Hawa enable form-fitting and safe mounting solutions for LSG – as opposed to force-fit mounting through clamping. Damage to the glass caused by excessive clamping force
A form-fitting and safe connection between LSG and sliding hardware enables the complete integration of the top track in the ceiling – resulting in perfect transparency and designs of superior visual appeal.
Ideal for TSG-based LSG LSG for creative minds There are hardly any limits restricting the design of the foil between the glass layers. Fantasy is all that matters. 28
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HAWA-Puro 100–150 HAWA-Purolino 80 HAWA-Junior 40-80-120-160/GP HAWA-Ordena 70/P and 70/F HAWA-Variofold 80/GV HAWA-Centerfold 80/GV HAWA-Variotec 150/GV and 150/GR HAWA-Motus 150/GV-matic
Simple and safe assembly LSG and HAWA-Puro 100–150 go well together: insert the two-part glass holder in the glass cut-out and drill using the template to equalise tolerances; then fit the wedge suspension and trolley to finish. The suspension is integrated in the top track to conceal all hardware components.
A pretty duo: wood and acrylic The wood-acrylic composite material Duoplex® manufactured by Franz Kolar GmbH was the recipient of the interzum award 2009. Duoplex® was developed for high-end furniture and interior design.
The new composite material is suitable for applications in design-oriented room partitions, sliding doors, interior doors, furniture fronts and other aspects of interior fittings and furnishings. Duoplex® is translucent and enables impressive effects in combination with light.
4 woods, 2 acrylics, 4 veneers Manufacturer Franz Kolar GmbH is located in the Austrian town of Brunn and produces standard combinations of oiled beech, maple, oak and walnut with transparent or satined acrylic surfaces. It is also possible to use highquality veneers in chocolate oak, sandy oak, oak titanium and walnut vario.
Duoplex® surfaces are cohesive and easy to clean. The natural wood surface is maintained on both sides and forms the real strength of the new material: it doesn’t just look like wood but feels like it, too.
Made to measure The manufacturer supplies made-to-measure panels of 5 or 8 mm thickness and up to 1000 x 2000 mm in size. Duoplex® can be used with various sliding hardware models for glass, including – HAWA-Junior glass systems – HAWA-Symmetric 80/G and 80/GV – HAWA-Variofold 80/GV – HAWA-Purolino 80
Duoplex® broadens the spectrum of applications for sliding hardware systems in interior design.
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Know-how
News
Supporting young talent
Tender invitation texts
Hawa on tour
Hawa AG Qatar
Hawa Student Award 2012
Copying invites to tender
Visiting craftsmen
New subsidiary in Qatar
«Living in Urban Niches» is the subject of the Hawa Student Award 2012. The competition gives students of architecture in the German-speaking region an opportunity to have their vision of
Downloadable tender invitation texts in German and English relating to more than 50 Hawa products have been available in Word document format in the HAWA-Productfinder, in the Products section of the website www.hawa.ch since August 2011.
As of summer 2011 Hawa will be following invitations to visit cabinet makers and carpentry colleges in Switzerland and will bring along models and presentations on tried and tested products and new developments in the mobile «Hawa Showroom».
Architects, designers and general constructors can use the documents as tender invitation tem-
It will enable interested companies and young professionals to gain first-hand experience of the Hawa product range.
A further Hawa AG subsidiary in the Middle East commenced operations in the small gulf state of Qatar on the occasion of the «Project Qatar» exhibition in April 2010. The new subsidiary under the management of Iyad Nassar is based in the capital city of Doha in close proximity to the airport. It will support the subsidiary Hawa Middle East FZE founded in Dubai in 2005.
condensed living arrangements evaluated by a jury of renowned experts – and perhaps to be honoured with the Student Award. You can find further information on the task, the competition programme, prize money and how to register in German and French on Hawa’s topical website myslidestyle.ch. The closing date for submitting project work is 28 October 2011. The subject of the last Hawa Student Award, «The Changeable House», was adopted by the Argentinean association «Sociedad Central de Arquitectos» and will be carried out for the first time in cooperation with Hawa AG.
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plates for new constructions or refurbishment projects. This source of information makes it easier for the caller to include all the technical details of the planned sliding solutions in the planning phase right from the start.
Hawa expects the more direct Interested wood specialists can use the subject competence of Hawa’s experienced consultant Josef Marfurt as a source of information and inspiration for creative and perhaps new applications to broaden their own personal spectrum of offers available to their customers.
and better networked contact to building owners, architects and processors in both English and Arabic to result in the timely inclusion in planning and decisionmaking phases. Address: Hawa AG Qatar Global Business Centre 4th Floor, Office L12 P.O. Box 25422 Corniche Area, Doha Qatar
Agenda
Personal
Batimat 2011 World’s largest trade show for all segments of the construction industry with a comprehensive range of topics. www.batimat.com
7. – 12.11.2011
Hawa
Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles, France Hall 7.1, Stand D6
7. – 8.12.2011 Hawa
Düsseldorf, Germany Hall 1, Stand 89
17. – 21.1.2012 Hawa
Messe Basel, Switzerland Hall 1.1, Stand B22
Architect@Work 2011 Trade show for architects, engineering offices, interior architects and designers. www.architectatwork.de
Swissbau 2012 Bi-annual, most important trade show for the construction and real estate industries in Switzerland with a focus on the areas of Concept and Design, Building Carcass and Envelope, Technology and Construction Site, and Interior Work. www.swissbau.ch
Oliver Kalbhenn has advised Hawa retailers in Germany since January 2011 – with contagious commitment and a great deal of competence. «Success is achieved together» is a conviction Oliver Kalbhenn wholeheartedly subscribes to. He supports and advises Hawa’s market partners in Germany through close cooperation. The master carpenter can look back on 15 years’ experience in sales. He spent the last three years with the German kitchen and furniture association MHK Group. He is 43 years of age and lives with his family in Aschaffenburg in the greater Frankfurt area.
Legal notice Magazine for Architecture, Design, Retail, Trade
SLIDE, No. 7, september 2011, is published twice per year Published by/Copyright Hawa AG Sliding Hardware Systems, CH-8932 Mettmenstetten, slide@hawa.ch, subject to modification Project responsibility Rolf Arnold, Anke Deutschenbaur, Doris Hug Concept/Editing/ Design Basel West Unternehmenskommunikation AG, CH-4012 Basel; Editor: Willi Näf; Design: Thomas Aerni; Lithography: Yvette Bolliger Printed by Engelberger Druck AG, CH-6370 Stans Languages/Circulation German 6,000, French 2,500, English 4,000 Picture credits Pages 1 – 3, 10 – 15, 22 – 25: Frédéric Giger; Pages 2, 8, 9: Paul A. Souders/Corbis/Specter; Pages 4, 5, 30: istockphoto; Pages 6, 7: Remo Nägeli; Pages 16, 17: Valbella Inn AG, www.valbellainn.ch; Pages 18, 19: Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa; Page 21: studio 22; Pages 26, 27: Galvolux SA; Page 28: Marc Eggimann; Page 29: Franz Kolar GmbH; Page 30: Marcel Studer Article No. 22044
Virtues such as commitment and passion are important to Oliver Kalbhenn. «I see them in both Hawa and myself». Oliver Kalbhenn knows he can rely on the strong and highly motivated team at Hawa’s headquarters. «Together, we can ignite the passion for Hawa sliding hardware systems among our German retail customers and so contribute towards their success.»
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Hawa sliding hardware: open for individual design ideas.
Your creative designs have to take customer specifications and spatial circumstances into consideration. Hawa has for many decades developed highly adaptable hardware systems and solutions made specifically to accommodate your ideas whilst leaving you as much room for manoeuvre as possible. That is why it is always a good idea to make the Hawa website at www.hawa.ch your first stop for sliding, folding, stacking, opening and closing solutions for walls, doors, windows and shutters. Hawa AG, CH-8932 Mettmenstetten, Switzerland, Tel. +41 44 767 91 91, Fax +41 44 767 91 78, www.hawa.ch