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  • A world first: Transponder technology for concrete system formworks

    PASCHAL is the first formwork manufacturer worldwide to succeed in “personalizing” formwork elements. The PASCHAL identification technology gives every tagged formwork element an electronic identifier.
    For the first time PASCHAL identification technology offers the formwork industry advantages which until now have only been enjoyed by other sectors of industry:
    The seller offers a distinctive top product. With immediate effect, the assurance of top product quality is self-evident for both parties.
    The purchaser always knows the exact origin and previous history of the goods. This presents new possibilities to evaluate and administrate formwork elements.
    The owner can allocate different elements clearly. This means, for example, that he can already schedule elements of comparable quality from the office.
    The investor can apply accurate and specific depreciation to his assets. Previously, this was only possible for either batches or the complete rental park.
    Leasing creditors have for the first time a clearly identifiable collateral. They always know which elements are theirs and where they are.
    The construction manager can confirm to the site management and the purchaser that he is using the highest quality products.

    A technology leap
    The Research Department of PASCHAL is the first formwork manufacturer worldwide to successfully integrate RFID technology into formwork elements. RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. The R&D-Department of PASCHAL had the task of integrating these sensitive electronic information carriers into the formwork material in such a way as to enable them to withstand rough construction site conditions.

  • Position Sensor for SIL2 Applications

    Temposonics® absolute, non-contact M-Series position sensors are now approved for operation in safety-related applications. The sensors meet the requirements of Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2) to EN 61508 and therewith also the requirements of Performance Level d to EN 13849-1. This means the MTS position measurement systems are approved for safety functions on mobile and stationary machines. Measuring lengths from 50 mm to 2,500 mm are available.

    This high degree of operating safety is ensured by built-in diagnostic functions of the M-Series position sensors. In the sensor head, signals are checked and changes are detected immediately. The transducer transmits the position value to the control system only after the diagnostic test. In this way, Temposonics® sensors provide a Safe Failure Fraction (SFF) of 95 % at a Hardware Fault Tolerance (HFT) of 0. They are designed for a high-demand mode of operation. Due to the SIL2 classification of the sensor, this corresponds to an average probability of failure (PFH) in a range from e 10(high-7) to < 10(high-6) per hour. Designed for safety-related applications, the MTS sensors support the functional safety and contribute to meeting the safety targets of the entire machine. Possible applications are a variety of utility vehicles that must be in accordance with the special safety requirements. In the field of mobile hydraulics, these applications include steering systems of construction or agricultural machines and crane overload systems.

  • The most modern biogas system in the world goes into operation

    PASCHAL supplies round formwork and wall formwork for the Bürstadt Energy Park
    TTR round formwork and Modular/GE wall formwork for concrete buildings of the highest order

    In May 2007, the construction company Wilms GmbH & Co.KG started the skeleton building work as commissioned by the company Energiepark Bürstadt GmbH & Co Biogas KG. The turnkey project was budgeted to cost 11 million Euros. This included the building for the power station, the office building and four “smaller” reservoirs with diameters of 18.0 metres and two “large” round reservoirs with diameters of 28.0 meters. Also, there is a 4,000 square metre sole plate for silage that is subdivided and surrounded by a 4 m high wall. A warehouse with 1,000 square metres holds the bio waste and also large biological solids.

    Walls
    The straight walls were formed by the company Wilms GmbH using their own GE-elements. These large-surface elements come from the MODULAR/GE series; whilst the numerous different grid elements can also be used for manual formwork, the GE-elements are up to 2.75 metres high and 2.0 metres wide.
    The trapezoidal girder round formwork (TTR) with adjustable radii was met with great enthusiasm. The world’s leading technical product with 21 mm thick, 15-layer plywood made of Finnish birch that can be nailed is the only system that can be flexibly tigthened to a radius of 2.5 metres where other systems would break or form waves. As a “dual support” it can be even used for radii up to 1 metre with an 18-mm plywood. The formwork here is stable, round and accurate and does not distort even if it is moved several times. The circumference can be formed to the exact centimetre and without any on-site compensation work. One square metre of formwork surface can absorb up to 60 kN of fresh concrete pressure even though there are only 0.28 ties per square metre. It is exactly these benefits that count especially when producing complex constructions such as round reservoirs. Thanks to the speedy relocation process, the extremely low number of ties and the fact that the formwork does not need to be additionally supported with belts or re-rounded, all the work was performed comfortably. safely quickly and efficiently. The low number of ties also improves the quality of the concrete surface.

  • Golden Mile – The Foundation of the Palm Jumeirah

    PASCHAL delivers formwork for one of the most famous construction sites in the world

    Dubai (Emirate of Dubai, United Arabic Emirates, UAE): Seven years of construction, 200 million cubic metres of sand moved, seven million tons of rock, an extension of the coastline by 100 kilometres, … »Palm Jumeirah« is located in the Persian Gulf, and, as the name so aptly explains, is shaped like a palm tree, with trunk, fronds, and a border. It is a world-first in terms of a man-made island of such colossal dimension to be used for residential purposes. For many years, this project has been among the most spectacular, and with its ten-digit building costs, also among the most expensive construction sites in the world. It made the news in practically all the media around the world. The official inauguration took place at the end of 2008.

    PASCHAL at the Gulf
    PASCHAL-Werk G. Maier GmbH, with its main factory located in Steinach (Baden) has been working successfully on the Persian Gulf for many years. In 1997, the company founded a subsidiary, PASCHAL Concrete Forms Co. W.L.L. Bahrain in the kingdom’s capital Manama.
    Then, in October 2004, a joint venture between this subsidiary and a company in the region formed PASCHAL Emirates LLC Dubai. The two companies are located less than 500 kilometres apart.

    The Site
    PASCHAL Emirates received an order from Al Shafar General Contracting Co to provide formwork material for the construction of a large, one mile (1.6km) long complex, consisting of ten-storey buildings featuring luxury apartments, while the complex’s lobby was to house a variety of shops. The projected duration was set at 30 months. The entire project was to cost 1 billion dirhams (approx. 200 million euros).
    Foundations, walls, lift shafts, and the load-bearing rectangular pillars were produced with RASTER universal formwork, which proved to be the ideal choice for the task. The buildings themselves were then constructed as skeleton structures. That means that on top of the foundations (see site image), one or more cellar or basement floors with interior and exterior concrete walls were erected. A robust interior core of the building would be the site for the electric systems (lifts, electric and water supply) as well as the stairwell. The inner core is surrounded by concrete pillars, and some few load bearing walls to carry the weight of the ceilings. All other interior and exterior walls are built with bricks.

  • Linear Inductive Encoder Kit

    Neuchatel, Switzerland, September 2009

    POSIC introduces a highly miniaturized incremental inductive encoder kit IT3401 for linear applications. The sensor-head measures only 11 x 11 mm with a thickness of 0.9 mm and has A quad B and Index output signals. The linear scale is a 0.6 mm thick and 7.5 mm wide PCB-strip that comes in different lengths. The resolution ranges from 0.3 µm at a speed of 0.2 m/s to 150 µm at 50 m/s.

    Typical applications are in the mechatronics and motion-control domains as position feedback device for magnetic actuators like brushed and brushless motors, voice coil actuators, solenoids, linear drives and more. Markets served include industrial, robotics, medical, instrumentation, laboratory automation, office equipment.

    Evaluation kits containing 2 cabled sensors, a linear scale of 200 mm length and an interface board are available from stock.

  • PACTware live training

    PACTware live training: breaking down the the barriers of proprietary configuration tools

    After last years success, the 2009 PACTware Roadshow again was present in german centers of process automation. It offered a unique opportunity to draw together customers of different industries to share ideas and best practices that will help improve their business performance. Participants were trained in the fundamentals of this new and advanced configuration tool for field devices and network components.

    They learnt how PACTware and the related FDT/DTM technology provide access to device intelligence and how PACTware brings increased openness in field device configuration management. In three workshops being repeated twice in parallel, the attendees were trained how Pactware and the DTMs increased the customer’s benefits during commissioning, operation and maintenance of a plant.

    There was an impressive interest at the stopovers in Hamburg, Halle, Frankfurt and Marl with customers accross that region and several company representatives. The keen interest made this Pactware roadshow one of the most successful ever.

    PACTware is an advanced configuration tool based on FDT technology, managing field devices and standardizing the data exchange communication interface between field devices and systems. Established as an open system, PACTware is vendor independent and allows any device to be accessed through any proto-col. PACTware as an FDT frame application is indeed a truly open system that allows integration of expert applications from different field device vendors.

    The PACTware Consortium is an international non-profit association comprised of the world’s leading companies in field and network instrumentation. The roadshow event was prepared by some key companies of the PACTware Consortium: Bopp & Reuther, CodeWrights, ICS, ifak system, Invensys, KROHNE, Pep-perl+Fuchs, Samson, Trebing & Himstedt, Turck und VEGA. As part of the roadshow event, the organizing companies presented their DTM based instruments and Pactware on table tops.

    In several workshops, a live-operation multi-vendor demo wall featured numerous application examples, showing first-hand how commis-sioning, operation and maintenance can be considerably facilitated and speeded up using only one single tool for all communication and field devices via HART, PROFIBUS and Foundation Fieldbus protocol. Several discussions made clear that PACTware is assessed as being on the right track breaking down the the barriers of proprietary configuration tools and delivering the true value of devices.

    About KROHNE: Established in 1921, KROHNE is a family-owned business employing more than 2,500 people around the world with representatives on all continents. The company headquarters are based in Duisburg, Germany. KROHNE is a market leader in the development,and manufacture of innovative measurement technology and prides itself on exceeding customer expectiations in terms of quality, performance capability, service and design.

  • Multi clamp for LOGO-formwork

    Steplessly adjustable and also clamps the compensation elements at the same time

    Steinach (Baden): The PASCHAL-plant G. Maier GmbH, service provider and manufacturer in the field of concrete systems formwork, presents a new development: The MULTI CLAMP. It was developed for all LOGO-formwork systems.

    The standard connection panel
    … for the LOGO system is the PASCHAL-taper clamp. The clamp weighs just 1.6 kg and is sturdy and easy to handle. The mechanism can be opened or closed with just one strike of the hammer and is used to clamp two formwork elements firmly together.
    Compensation elements important
    To adapt the formwork to the exact construction dimensions, all that is needed are the variously sized formwork elements, and if necessary narrow and very narrow fitting and compensation elements.
    Wherever a compensation element is placed between two formwork elements, it needs a connection piece that holds these three parts together.
    New
    The new MULTI CLAMP holds the compensation elements tightly in position between the formwork elements that are up to 12 centimetres wide. It creates tension that is transferred to the jaws thereby clamping the formwork elements tightly to the compensation element. This secure fit means perfect tightness is achieved.
    The MULTI CLAMP weighs 5.3 kg and is easy to handle on the building site.
    Good to know:
    Not for PASCHAL, but for many other formwork systems, residual dimensional compensation is required on site. The inaccuracy of the formwork here means extra time, material and costs for the customer although he actually ordered extensive formwork. The compensation work usually comprises the thickness of a plank, however sometimes it can be up to 20 cm – an improvised, often time-consuming task requiring lots of hands because the material, which can usually only be used once, needs to be disposed of afterwards.

    In contrast, PASCHAL offers system-integrated formwork solutions. The narrowest formwork elements only measure 20 centimetres, and there are compensation elements in widths of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 centimetres in PVC and in widths of 5, 6 and 10 centimetres in steel. These are placed between the formwork elements. Therefore the new PASCHAL-MULTI CLAMP is an important accessory that it is hard to imagine doing without on the building site.
    When will the Multi clamp be available?
    Production began at the beginning of March – the market launch has therefore just started.

  • Largest Dam Currently Under Construction in Central Europe

    PASCHAL provides robust ATHLET formwork system for flood control

    How to better protect Danube-abutting communities against floods? Most importantly, by controlling the most powerful tributaries. The seemingly modest and unimposing river Breg, which converges with the river Brigach at Donaueschingen to form the Danube, comprises a 183 square kilometre catchment area of the Black Forest Nature Preserve, and is therefore particularly susceptible to flooding. An ideal location for the flood control basin was found at the city limits to the west of Wolterdingen. A 110 metre wide, 460 metre long, and up to 18 metre high earth-fill dam is being constructed straight across the narrow Bregtal valley, which will be able to hold 4.7 million cubic metres of water along a length of four kilometres, and on an area of 70 hectares. Flood water flow will therefore be greatly reduced, and the flood level for all communities up to Riedlingen, which lies 130km downstream, decreased.

    Centre piece and core of the dam is the hydraulics building with a length of 100 metres, which was – by order of the regional council in Freiburg – constructed in 2007/2008 entirely out of in-situ-concrete by Emil Steidle GmbH & Co KG (Sigmaringen). Its cross section is square and U shaped, whereby the outside walls are 1.75 metres at their base, and 0.80 metres at the top; the insides of the walls are perpendicular, while the outside is slanted inwards at a ratio of 1:20. There are an additional two walls with a thickness of 1.5 metres on the inside in flow direction. These support the powerful lock mechanisms.

    At the outflow, the bottom slab slants radially by a couple of metres towards the so called Lake Kolk, while simultaneously broadening to a width of 35 metres into a ‘T’ shape. The overall height of the construction is 19.0 metres. The retaining wall is designed to withstand a water level of up to 16.9 metres. The building is topped with ceilings with a thickness between 0.75 and 0.96 metres.
    For the casting pit and diversion flumes, 20,000m³ of earth had to be moved, 7,900m³ of which was topsoil excavation.

    The entire pit was then surrounded with subterraneous curtains to a depth of five metres, which were filled with bentonite. This step ensures a drastic reduction of river and ground water influx.
    Future plans for the dam also include a by-pass road for Wolterdingen, which means that no additional costly bridge construction will be required.

  • Inauguration of new welding and production building

    Official inauguration on 28 April 2009

    The new welding and production building was inaugurated with an opening ceremony on 28 April at the parent plant in Steinach. More than 200 guests were invited to the occasion.

    Opening ceremony

    The inauguration ceremony for the new welding and production building took place on 28 April. Pastor Buhl from Steinach blessed the building in the name of the Lord. The Mayor of Steinach, Frank Edelmann, greeted those present in German, English and French. Sound artist Mario Blattner, who was also the supervising engineer in charge of the building, expressed his sentiments with a demonstration of Asian tone scales and a gong; the arrangement was based on the positions of the planets.

    Guests included the company founder, Mrs Gertrud Maier, the directors of the Haslach Sparkasse bank, and the PASCHAL Advisory Board. PASCHAL partners from Bahrain, Dubai, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, India and the Ukraine were also present.

    Barbara R. Vetter: “This building was constructed to provide our employees from the welding shop with healthier working conditions and, for rationalisation reasons, to integrate four different locations in a single one. This will save us considerable time and money and also provides space for future production facilities. In a changing environment, we cannot afford to stand still; instead, we must advance and make ourselves fit for the future. Only in that way can we give the company the opportunity to survive in a competitive world.”

    The building

    The building itself measures 20 x 40 metres. The load-bearing columns have deep foundations so they can support not only the roof and walls, but also the heavy-duty travelling cranes.

    The building took nine months to be build and an investment of some 1 million euros. It can accommodate up to 20 workplaces.

    Many tasks, including the precision welding required for modern formwork systems such as the LOGO.3 or special formwork, can now be carried out efficiently at the plant.

  • PRECISION VOLTAGE TRANSFORMERS UP TO 440V (VT) – SVL series

    High precision measuring voltage transformers
    Low-cost series
    Frequency range 50…400Hz
    Multi output voltage level on the same item, from 2,5V to 10V
    Short circuit proof up to the max permissible input voltage (500V)
    Max ambient temperature 80°C
    EN61558-1 and EN61558-2-6 safety requirement compliant
    Encapsulation in epoxy resin
    5000V dielectric strength between primary and secondary windings
     
    We can also provide custom products that fit perfectly with the techno-economic needs of each customer
     
    Contact us for more information.

  • Review: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS is up for the Challenge

    Filed under: , ,

    2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS – Click above for high-res image gallery

    The 2010 Kizashi will change the way you look at Suzuki. To put it bluntly, the Kizashi is the strongest evidence yet that Suzuki’s automotive division is no longer operating on autopilot in the States. And what’s more, the brand is showing serious confidence. Consider the vehicles against which the automaker wants you to cross shop its Kizashi: the Acura TSX and Audi A4.

    Suzuki has launched a promotion called the Kizashi Test Drive Challenge that will pay $100 to anyone who test drives a Kizashi and still decides to buy the more expensive TSX or A4. After spending some quality time with the model, we don’t envy those potential Acura and Audi customers who are unprepared for how difficult their decision is going to be.

    Photos copyright (C)2009 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.

    Continue reading Review: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS is up for the Challenge

    Review: 2010 Suzuki Kizashi GTS is up for the Challenge originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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  • Now See The REAL State Of The US Labor Market

    Econ Edge Employment 8On Friday, the BLS announced that unemployment in November had edged down to 10%, which was WAY better than analysts had been expecting. The report was, arguably, the first major green shoot on the unemployment front.

    (Though ominously, it came even as other measures of economic activity showed signs of backsliding in November.)

    But before you crack open the champagne about one month, you should get some perspective

    Nathan A. Martin at Nathan’s Economic Edge has gone through all of the employment data, most of it out of the St. Louis Fed, and it paints a grim picture about how bad the employment situation really is. The scope of the problem — which has now become an obsession in Washington — truly remains enormous.

    Now, see the evidence >>>

    Join the conversation about this story »

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