Success story from the tire repair shop
Save energy automatically with Hyperion 3D
Pneu Egger AG is the leading company in the Swiss tire trade. Alongside tires of every variety, the company also offers accessories and a comprehensive range of vehicle services, carried out across over 40 branches. One of these workshops is Pneu Egger in Hinwil near Zurich. Every day, up to one hundred vehicles pass through the workshop door – from motorbikes, cars, trucks and buses, right through to mobile construction machines. The industrial door is high enough to accommodate all shapes and sizes, and used to be fully opened via remote control for each vehicle that entered the workshop. This was a cumbersome process that led to a great deal of energy being wasted. That’s why Pneu Egger Hinwil decided to look for a solution that would enable them to automate the door system and adjust the opening height as required for each vehicle. With Hyperion 3D, BBC Bircher was able to offer a tailor-made solution.
Starting point
Pneu Egger Hinwil had recently invested in a new, on-demand sectional door. However, operating the door was proving to be especially laborious in practice. Someone in the office was always charged with the task of opening the door via remote control so that the service staff could drive into the workshop. A ground loop was initially thought to be the obvious solution for automating the door. However, there was another important consideration to be taken into account. The 4.5 m (≈ 15 ft) high industrial door always opened fully – not just for trucks, but also for 1.3 m (≈ 4 ft) high sports cars. In the spring and fall in particular – the high season for changing tires – this led to a great deal of energy being lost, as well as creating unpleasant temperature conditions in the workshop itself. It was very important therefore to be able to adapt the door height to match the height of each vehicle.
Solution
From the first conversation with Pneu Egger Hinwil Branch Manager Marc Kristoffy, it was clear to BBC Bircher’s consultant that the innovative energy-saving solution Hyperion 3D would be perfectly suited to the customer’s requirements. The sensor system guarantees that opening heights are perfectly matched to each vehicle that passes through, helping to keep energy losses caused by air flowing in and out to a minimum. According to BBC Bircher’s energy calculator, predicted energy savings are around 5000 kWh per year, which is equivalent to the annual energy usage of a single-family home.
Thanks to the Bircher SmartConnect app, the system could easily be configured and quickly put into operation. The app also provides Pneu Egger Hinwil with the option to make fine adjustments itself as well as to call up statistics relating to the door.
Benefits for the customer
- Automated on-demand opening based on 3D analysis of the area around the door
- Door system is significantly more productive
- Significant reduction in door opening times
- Less wear on the door components due to reduced running lengths
- Annual energy savings of around 5000 kWh
- Reliable detection of people, meaning that the door only opens for vehicles
- Convenient app for fine adjustments and door statistics
"Things get especially busy for us at the start of the winter period. Around then, the door is opened around 50 times a day. Thanks to the sensor system, we no longer have to open the door fully, meaning we can prevent draughts from blowing in. As far as our staff are concerned, the warmer we can keep the workshop in that period the better!"
– Marc Kristoffy, Branch Manager at Pneu Egger Hinwil