Winners demonstrate innovative capacity of the sector

From the designer noise abatement screen via tubular solar collectors through to the subframe for the Porsche Panamera - the European Aluminium Award 2010 has demonstrated just how innovative and efficient the use of aluminium can be. In the framework of the International Trade Fair Aluminium in Essen, on 14 September, the sector prize was awarded for the seventh time, for creative solutions. This year, a total of 33 products were nominated for the Award. The jury, chaired by Prof. Laurens Katgerman of the Delft University of Technology (NL) announced five prize winners in the two sectors “Industrial Products” and “Consumer Products”, for the five categories “Automotive & Transport”, “Building & Construction”, “Production Techniques”, “Design” and “Innovation”. For the first time, the Young Design-ers Prize was also awarded, aimed specifically at students and designers below the age of 30. Two further products received an honourable mention from the jury.

Category Consumer products - Design
Company: van Campen Industries - Netherlands
Product Name: Sound of Silence - Aluminium Noise barrier.
1) The Sound of Silence is a 20.000 m2 aluminium noise-reducing structure to muffle the noise of the A2 motorway in Eindhoven. The design is based on the art structure “Noise Crystal” by Spanish artist Eusebio Sempere. The vertical pipes in his art work had a noise-reducing effect. In order to make the vertical profiles of the aluminium sound barrier noise absorbing, the closed aluminium surface was perforated with approx. 1 billion 6 mm diameter holes, creating a passage of approx. 12.5%. The internal construction also had to be filled with absorptive materials and a noise-reducing barrier in between. Worth mentioning is the fact that the entire fence can be relocated and that prefabricated elements can be used to replace damaged ones.
From the Jury
“This product shows an innovative approach to traffic noise reduction together with an adopted process to produce the tubes in the barrier. Clear example of a total performance approach.”

Category Consumer products - Innovation
Company: ANOX / ITHO - Netherlands
Product Name: Douche WTW - Compcote-W® Coating.
2) ITHO developed in close co-operation with ANOX a heat exchange system for shower cabins. Main innovation is the use of an aluminium tube in direct contact with the drinking water. The specially developed Compcote-W® coating prevents any migration of aluminium into the drinking water. The Com-pcote-W® coating is the only coating which is KIWA-ATA (no. K52404/01.) certified. With this certification the use of aluminium, in drinking-water application, has been made possible. Douche-WTW is a simple tube which can be installed in the wall below the shower cabin. The excellent thermo conductivity of aluminium recovers the heat of the wastewater which is re-used. This will save you 50% of energy each time you shower. CompCote-W® is based on the CompCote® process which produces a polymer aluminium oxide composite finish with revolutionary properties that significantly enhance the performance of aluminium products.
From the Jury
“With this invention ANOX made it possible that aluminium can be used for types of applications like the ITHO Douche WTW.”

Category Industrial Products - Automotive & Transport
Company: Farsund Aluminium Casting / Porsche - Norway / Germany
Product Name: Porsche Panamera Rear Subframe
3) Light-weight car subframe for safety functional application with high requirements in strength and stiffness. Cast as one piece in hollow design using only one sand core. With a size of 1200 by 710 by 335 mm and wall thickness down to 3,5 mm it expands the dimensions of usual aluminium castings for chassis application. The concept substitutes usual multi-part solutions and allows a high degree of functional integration. The true value of the Porsche Panamera rear subframe is that is has expanded the boundaries of what is possible in both casting and automotive design. As an alternative to the traditional welded steel sheet design concept, this ultra light weight hollow core aluminium casting is an all round winner. Its weight of 16 kg has a positive impact on the environment with saving of at least 4 kg per car compared to steel. The one-piece concept with a high degree of functional integration also means less efforts during axle assembly as well as the reduction of investments.
From the Jury
“To produce a complex thin-walled shape with no defects requires a fully controlled casting process including feeding and thermal control.”

Category Industrial Products - Building & Construction
Company: Ritter Energie & Umwelttechnik - Germany
Product name: Solar Thermal Tubes.
4) Façade collector with evacuated tubes and semitransparent perforated aluminium CPC reflector. Building integrated solar thermal collector for domestic hot water, heating and cooling. The Ritter evacuated tubes technology with CPC aluminium reflectors in combination with the aluminium frames and element façade from Wicona are a system that has to be assembled in a workshop by skilled metal building companies and installed on site, according to the building design.
From the Jury
“An innovative concept that combines design and functionality.”

Category Industrial Products - Production Techniques
Company: ZMAG America - USA
Product Name: Typhoon Chip Melter and Alloyer.
5) Zmag’s Typhoon is the world’s first aluminium chip melter/alloyer utilizing a permanent magnet-based Vortex Generator and uniquely-designed Vortex Well to quickly melt, insert, and submerge aluminium chips, UBC (used beverage cans), alloying materials and small scrap into the furnace bath.
From the Jury
“By using a non-contact technology this product requires less maintenance and replacement of parts and is therefore much more reliable.”

Category Young Designers
Sjoerd Smit - Netherlands
Product name: Van MOOF no. 5 - Urban Bike Frame
The VANMOOF 5 Urban Bike has a striking aluminium frame with a highly advanced solar powered LED light system built inside its tubes.

Honourable Mentions
Category Consumer products - Innovation
Company: SolarCar - Netherlands
Product Name: SolarCar Power Top

Category Industrial products - Building & Construction
Company: Stork Project - Norway
Product name: Aluminium Construction Kit for African Housing.