http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/ ift Rosenheim - press releases http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1376&lang=en Modern fabric solar shading and power operated industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates in building applicationsThe „Efficient + Safe/Secure“ Special Show is organised by Messe Stuttgart and ift Rosenheim. From 28 February until 3 March 2012 innovative exhibits of leading manufacturers demonstrate at the trade fair R+T in Stuttgart in the entrance area East that high-performance solar shading has become an essential feature of energy-efficient buildings. Also power operated pedestrian doorsets and industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates offer great potential to save energy and to increase comfort and safety in use. Developers, building owners and investors receive competent and product neutral information about the technology, future requirements and necessary verifications.The „Efficient + Safe/Secure“ Special Show aims to demonstrate that high-performance solar shading has become an essential feature of energy-efficient buildings. But solar shading needs to offer more than just attractive colours and a pleasant design: light transmittance, resistance to wind load, UV resistance, emissivity and many other characteristics need to be taken into account when planning and using innovative solar shading, particularly in relation to its interaction with modern glass technologies. The use of smart controls in conjunction with solar shading can contribute significantly to ensuring that it is used in a needs-oriented, energy-efficient way. Automation is also an important factor in the development of pedestrian doorsets and industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates, because it helps to make them more convenient, user-friendly, energy efficient, and suitable for use by the elderly. Power operated doors and industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates only stay open for as long as needed, to prevent unnecessary losses of precious warm or cool air from the building. At the same time, however, users must be kept safe from the risk of serious accident. The Special Show will therefore focus on the following topics:Efficient thermal insulation in summer and light control through the use of innovative solar shading elementsSmart controls for needs-oriented usePower operated pedestrian doorsets and industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates with modern safety management featuresExhibits for which reliable, comprehensive documentary evidence as a basis for professional planning activitiesHowever, the requirements and verifications are complex, time-consuming and often still unknown to the construction industry, which means that there is considerable need for dissemination of information to developers and manufacturers. This is exactly the task that the special show, organised by ift Rosenheim in collaboration and association with Messe Stuttgart, is dealing with. The exhibits of leading manufacturers showcase future-proof technology and how power operated components can be harnessed to enhance energy efficiency, safety and living comfort. The special show is divided into following subject areas:Thermal insulation in summer through the use of internal and external solar shading systemsSmart controls for solar shading elements to provide needs-oriented shading and light controlIntegration of power operated industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates into buildingsSafety and energy efficiency of power operated industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates (safety in use and minimisation of ventilation heat loss in rapid action industrial, commercial and garage doors and gates)Information on the objectives and “rules of play” regarding documentary evidence for energy efficiency, solar shading elements, and power operated componentsThe pictures are available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1363&lang=en Window and facade constructor industry takes on the challenge of the 2020 energy turnaroundThe 2020 energy turnaround can only be achieved with a combination of energy conservation and energy harnessing measures – this was agreed by technical experts and politicians from local authorities and state and federal governments. On 13 and 14 October, this subject drew over 1,000 specialists from 29 countries to the Rosenheim Window and Façade Conference, Europe’s largest industry-specific conference. The discussions centred on technical solutions, necessary adaptations of standards and legislation and on support for medium-sized entrepreneurs and consumers aiming to build by providing practical aids such as an energy label for windows and an app for conserving energy with windows and glass.“Windows are not refrigerators”, with these words the Director of the Institute, Ulrich Sieberath crystallised the issue at stake for the industry, because what is needed is to explain to consumers and politicians the necessity and advantages of energy performance upgrades of buildings. He challenged politicians to issue reliable framework conditions to enable the industry to provide the necessary technology and capacity. Unfortunately, Dr Frank Heidrich, Head of the Energy Efficiency Department of the Federal Ministry for Construction, was not able to bring a positive message from Berlin. In a crisis meeting of Undersecretaries of State on 13 October, no line of compromise emerged between Bundestag and Bundesrat because, although everybody wants public funding, nobody wants to finance it.The desired energy turnaround can only be achieved by refurbishing / upgrading buildings at a rate of 2% per year. However, this means that tax incentives and public funding need to be boosted otherwise it will not be possible to reduce the nearly 40% of primary energy consumption in buildings in Germany. Conserving energy is still the most cost effective way of reducing energy consumption; in addition, each euro of public funding generates turnover in the proportion of 1:8, which should be sufficient argument to emphasise the urgency of the subject to politicians at all levels.Various lectures pointed out in detail how it is possible to harness solar energy for passive energy gain using modern windows, facades and glazing and that window replacement can contribute to the harnessing of renewable energy. In new build, energy-plus houses have been state-of-the-art technology for some time although due to ignorance and lack of funds, this has not been implemented on a wider scale. The design of windows should be differentiated according to the orientation in which they are installed and their purpose; it is no longer adequate to install the same window type throughout a building. Unused surfaces on roofs and facades can be utilised for the decentralised generation of electricity using PV modules, which could be used to supply the energy for future electric cars. However, this requires more detailed energy management and building services installations, which in turn depend on reliable technical data for building components and building envelope.Building owners and facilities managers who are willing to carry out a refurbishment and energy upgrade, without the help of a services engineer, need simple parameters for assessing the performance of windows. For this reason, the ift Rosenheim has developed an energy label based on ISO 18292 called “Energy evaluation of window systems – calculation methods”, which takes into account the special technical features of windows. In this way the industry is responding to a request by the EU Commission to give the development of an energy label for windows high priority in order to utilise the large energy conservation potential in existing buildings. This development was confirmed by market researcher Oliver Schmitz of the GfK market research group, who has detected a willingness of people in the growing 60+ age group, with its high level of disposable income, to invest in their own four walls. The advertising message “Geiz ist geil” (stinginess is cool) is out and is being replaced with slogans involving the terms trust, security and reliability. Older people are particularly keen on quality and are competent at finding information, both online as well as from trusted retailers and suppliers. The item “window” takes top spot in the list of upgrade options, and consumers expect window replacement to be carried out by professionals rather than on a DIY basis.The move towards better quality is also supported by the legal side. Dr Bernhard Schneider, Head of Department for Construction Products Legislation at the Federal Ministry for Construction, was very clear on the issue when he said: “The new Construction Products Regulation clearly incorporates an element of consumer protection.” For the purpose of CE marking and the declaration of performance characteristics, manufacturers have to pay greater attention to legal requirements. The Construction Products Regulation (BauPVo, Regulation EU No. 305/2011) has been in force since 24 April 2011. The sections of relevance to manufacturers will not become mandatory until 1 July 2013; up to that date the “old” Construction Products Directive continues to apply. This Directive had the disadvantage of not being legally binding throughout Europe, a deficit that has been addressed by the new regulation which is incorporated in law.According to Prof. Christian Niemöller, “The pertinent new amendment is the Declaration of Performance to be issued by the manufacturer.” The Declaration of Performance is the means by which the conformity of the construction product, with its declared performance characteristics, is verified, rather than “just” stating the products’ compliance with a standard. This will present new challenges to window and facade construction companies who assemble their products from outsourced products and components and have to rely on the statements of their suppliers. Also new is the legal introduction of the identification of construction products using type, batch or serial numbers in order to ensure traceability. This involves manufacturers in a duty to monitor their products and may even require corrective action, for example recalling construction products which do not comply with the Declaration of Performance or other requirements. This includes information under the EU regulations for the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals (REACH), which have to be provided together with the Declaration of Performance. This means that here too, suppliers to the manufacturers have to provide the necessary safety data sheets in order to be able to supply the requested information as part of the Declaration of Performance. Together with the Association of Window and Facade Manufacturers (VFF) and the Federal Float Glass Association (BF), the ift Rosenheim will provide detailed explanations of the interpretation at a conference on 17 and 18 January 2012.The 27 lectures at the Rosenheim International Window and Façade Conference presented a number of technical solutions and opportunities as well as necessary “homework”. A documentation volume has been produced including the lectures and a CD with the slides which provides up-to-date information to all those who were not able to attend the event. Below follows a list of keywords of the most important statements and information from the lectures.For excerpts from the conference papers and selected slides please click here.The pictures are available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1367&lang=en Energy efficiency and the use of regenerative energies will remain significant subjects also in the future. This means considerable market potential for the window and facade industry in the refurbishment of buildings. Nowadays consumers, who are willing to invest in changing windows, are highly confused by discussions about different U-values, g-values, psi-values etc. To change this nuisance and to promote the exchange of windows, the EU commission requires the development of an energy label for windows. The basic reason is, of course, to fully utilize the huge potential of the energetic refurbishment of buildings. ift Rosenheim has faced this problem and designed an energy label, which covers the special aspects of windows without making it too complicated. The energy label is available as a web based tool.Unfortunately, the energy-related evaluation of windows is significantly more complex in comparison to a refrigerator, since there are also desirable and undesirable solar gains and other criteria which have to be considered in addition to the thermal losses. While the heating need was considered primarily so far, owing to rising demands on comfort, the cooling energy need or the risk of high interior temperatures, too, becomes increasingly more important. Hence, apart from the behaviour in winter (heating conditions), the behaviour in summer (cooling conditions) also needs to be evaluated. As a result, the marking has to take into consideration the energy efficiency during winter and summer, solar shading systems and daylight utilisation.Climatic conditions in summer and winter between Northern and Southern Europe are so different that one single key figure is not sufficient. For the energy performance (EP), the differentiation provided by ISO 18292 “Energy performance of fenestration systems for residential buildings – Calculation procedure” between the heating and the cooling period leads to the two key figures EPH (Energy Performance Heating Period) and EPC (Energy Performance Cooling Period). In addition, there is also a data related to daylight in form of the daylight Performance (DP). Climatic conditions in Europe vary considerably and solar gains depend on orientation and shading to a large extent and at least to the installation location, thus a classification into climatic zones is quite worthless, so is a general product label too. In any case, the demarcation of these zones is difficult, since there are substantial jumps in the classification depending on the climatic zone, e. g. when a B window may become a D or A window, while passing the zone. The main figure is that a window having A/A classification should be the best for every climate condition, even if it is partially exaggerated and not economical.You can download the complete press release as pdf-file below.The pictures are available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1361&lang=en The EU Commission has chosen to replace the existing Construction Products Directive – which was implemented in Europe through national legislation – with a Construction Products Regulation which, in contrast, is directly applicable in each EU Member State. This means that, in future, CE marking will be based on uniform requirements throughout Europe. This development will further promote, and increase the transparency of, the free circulation and use of construction products in the EU. The ift Rosenheim will keep the window, door, gate and facade industry regularly updated on the practical implications of these changes, and publish application rules and other assistance in implementing them.On 24 April 2011 the new Construction Products Regulation (CPR; EU Regulation 305/2011) was published in the EU Official Journal, thereby entering into force and superseding the existing Construction Products Directive (Directive 89/106/EEC) that had previously formed the legal basis for CE marking. However, the articles in the CPR relevant to manufacturers will only be binding from 01.07.2013 onwards, because until then the Construction Products Directive will continue to apply in full. Thus the existing rules for CE marking will remain valid until the end of June 2013.This gives manufacturers sufficient time to make the necessary changes. According to the transitional provisions in Article 66 of the new EU Construction Products Regulation:Products which are CE-marked prior to 1 July 2013 can be marketed unchanged.Any evidence of conformity issued can continue to be used.Any European technical approvals issued can continue to be used throughout their period of validity.Although the CPR is more detailed than the CPD in numerous places, and despite the addition of some new content and numerous new terms, its core elements are the same as those of its predecessor:Mandatory CE marking Existing conformity proceduresMandatory factory production control Initial type testing (ITT)Adherence to the requirements of harmonised standards An important new element is the so-called “declaration of performance” which manufacturers are required to supply, by which they indicate that they accept responsibility and liability for the conformity of their construction product with the declared performance. The declaration of performance also makes marking traceable, thus improving transparency for customers.The German Federal government, the individual Federal states and the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) are working together to take the steps required for implementation of the CPR. The ift Rosenheim will continue to provide its members and the industry with relevant information about the CPR; this year’s International Rosenheim Window & Facade Conference shed light on new elements in the CPR that are relevant for manufacturers; and a special symposium will be held on 17 and 18 January 2012 which will look in detail at the interpretation and implications of the CPR.The picture is available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1352&lang=en In July 2011, the new work programme for submitting proposals for EU-funded research was published in the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Among other things, this includes a Call for proposals for research on windows and facades.One of the Call topics in the “Energy Efficient Buildings PPP”, for which € 140 million of funding is planned for 2012, is: “Novel materials for smart windows conceived as affordable multifunctional systems offering enhanced energy control”.The overall aim here is to generate solutions for improving the energy efficiency of buildings in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Possible areas of research could include:• Improving U-values,• Control of solar energy gains,• Reducing component weight,• Sound insulation,• Sustainability aspects.Both the full version of the Call and an excerpt from it can be found on the website of the ift Rosenheim.The deadline for applications is 1 December 2011. Up to 4 million Euros of funding is available. The funding quota ranges from 50 % to 75 %.General information about the Seventh Framework Programme is available here.Companies interested in participating in a project, companies with specific suggestions for a project proposal, and companies looking for partners for an EU-funded project of this kind are advised to contact the ift Rosenheim.Contact and further information:Norbert SackThe pictures are available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1350&lang=en 39th International Rosenheim Window and Facade Conference, 13 to 14 October 2011According to the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, all new build must be “nearly zero energy” by 2020. Energy conservation and renewable energy use will also be critical for ensuring the success of the “energy turnaround”. In construction, the building envelope will play a central role, because it has a huge influence on the energy balance and living comfort in a building. However, optimising thermal insulation alone is not enough. Further possible effective measures include harnessing solar energy with glass or photovoltaics. The 32 speakers at the International Rosenheim Window & Facade Conference will therefore be looking at the key approaches available for using the opportunities presented by the energy turnaround. Presentations will also address current trends in research, technology and standardisation. And the ift Expert Forum will provide ample scope for discussing specific questions with experts from the ift.Googling the term “Energiewende” (energy turnaround) produces seven million hits. One thing is clear, and that is that the energy turnaround can only work if buildings are upgraded to better energy conservation standards, and more renewable energy is generated. The quality of the building envelope, including new windows and facades, will play a central role in both conserving and generating energy. The products and systems required for the plus-energy houses of the future are already available today, but they need to be more actively used. The International Rosenheim Window and Facade Conference will therefore demonstrate how building components can be developed into construction systems which can be easily integrated into buildings.One viable option is certainly to step up the use of solar energy generation in the building envelope, for example by the intelligent use of glass with improved g-values, or by using photovoltaics on the building envelope. Energy losses can be further reduced by better controlled ventilation to suit the user’s needs, by mechatronic windows, and through effective solar shading and daylight control. This is also the reason why this development is encouraged by KfW and EnEV funding and needs to be supported with other evaluation procedures. For example, a new Energy Label for windows will be presented at the Conference. Speakers from the Federal Ministry for Construction (BMVBS), the Federal Environment Agency and the market research agency GfK will introduce facts about consumer trends, funding sources and new legislation, for example regarding the Energy Bonus pursuant to EN 16001, which awards cash to support energy-efficient production methods.The new Construction Products Regulation will be comprehensively explained by Dr. Bernhard Schneider from the BMVBS and Prof. Christian Niemöller, so that you can be well prepared for the changes affecting CE marking. In addition, we will report on changes to standards and laws and on practical topics such as the potential for improvement in PVC and wood windows, facade connections, fasteners, and components on escape and emergency exit routes.Presentations are categorised according to the following eight subject blocks:Being familiar with requirements and using them to one’s advantageInstallation and materialsFire safety and securityEnergy efficiencyGlass and sunBuilding services and windowsMarkets and trendsHigh-tech solutions for windows, facades, profiles, etc.The architectural excursion on the Friday afternoon will introduce delegates to the new high-rise Sparkasse Rosenheim building with its impressive, innovative double-skin facade in wood construction and progressive energy concept. Alternatively, delegates can attend workshops to obtain answers to their remaining questions, or observe sample tests at the ift Rosenheim.The pictures are available in the ift picture library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1335&lang=en New regulations call for action Particularly strict regulations apply worldwide to fire resistant and smoke control elements. Nearly 250 visi-tors from 13 countries informed themselves about new regulations and standards in Europe. This year the focus was on the European Construction Products Regulation and the prEN 16034 “Windows, doors and gates with fire resistance and/or smoke control characteristics” as well as the product standards for internal doors, facades and natural smoke and heat exhaust ventilators (NSHEVs). In addition, the national approval procedures from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and the US were presented in detail, together with an approach for dealing with the EXAPs (scope of extended application). All the lectures are available online in German and English. The Construction Products Regulation (CPR), effective from 24.04.2011 are already making their presence felt. Although the transition period until 01.07.2013 gives the manufacturers enough time to adjust, the nature of the regulations shows clearly that the EU Commission is serious about implementing the regulations quickly and consistently. This is also empha-sized by specific requirements for the national market surveillance bodies. Dr. Rainer Mikultis, the Managing Director of the Austrian Institute of Construction Engineering (OIB), pointed out the cen-tral importance of the newly-implemented declaration of con-formity. “The CE mark no longer shows the conformity with a product standard but rather the compliance of the declared specific properties with the respective declaration of confor-mity”. This increases the level of responsibility and liability of the manufacturer and places more importance on the need for them to make the right choice of representative test specimens and ensure their comprehensive factory production control.He also presented the detailed descriptions of the rights and duties for manufacturers, distributors, importers and system suppliers with regard to the CE mark. The testing institutes in Europe, which are currently of very different quality, will have to fulfil strict requirements and this will be a big challenge in particular for the institutes that do not have accreditation according to EN 17025 requirements regarding the competency of testing and calibration laboratories. The next speaker, Ulrich Sieberath, Director of the ift Rosenheim, focused on the CPR from the perspective of the window and façade industry, particularly the new, simplified verification procedures. Ac-cording to Article 37 “Use of simplified procedures by micro-enterprises”, the micro-enterprises can use simplified methods for demonstrating compliance with the requirements. Initially this sounds appealing but the problem is the subsequent sentence, which states “...demonstrate the equivalence of the procedures used to the proce-dures laid down in the harmonised standard...“. However the ift Rosenheim would still like to take advantage of the opportunities of-fered by the CPR, in order to develop additional, appropriate simplifi-cations for micro-enterprises and handicraft enterprises, for example procedures using tables or online calculation tools. However, it should also be pointed out that there are risks involved when the equivalence of the methods is difficult to prove in the case of complex testing procedures. Ulrich Sieberath expressed the effects of the standardization work as follows “The integration of the Construction Products Regulation in the respective product standards will be a Herculean task, however the ift Rosenheim will take on this task in accordance with its statutory goals“. Andreas Matschi, Head of the division Building Components at the ift Rosenheim presented—in ten steps—possibilities for awarding the CE mark on the basis of the future product standard prEN 16034 “Windows, doors and gates with fire resistance and/or smoke control characteristics” and the opportunity to subsequently distribute the products more easily in Europe. Of particular interest was the infor-mation regarding the circumstances by which today’s testing and classification reports, as well as the reports on the scope of extended application (EXAP) are utilizable for a CE mark at a later date. Other important aspects for the participants were the opportunities provided by cascading ITT, by which the test results can be used by the fabricators, and the requirements for service and maintenance by the building operator. Andreas Matschi anticipated that the standard will be adopted in January 2013 and that the co-existence phase will begin in July 2013. Dr. Gerhard Wackerbauer and Claudia Rieß from the ift Centre for Fire Testing used numerous examples to describe how one can achieve a broad scope of application for the products and subsequently reduce the number of required tests with the aid of an intelligent selection of test specimens and EXAP reports. The prerequisite for this however is a testing centre with comprehensive experience and know-how, which must explain and answer for the extension and extrapolations provided by the EXAP reports. This was supplemented by a lecture by Alexander Spreitzer (ift Product Engineer for locks and hardware), who explained in detail the interchangeability re-quirements for locks, hinges, handles, locking devices or gaskets — a very important topic with view to the wide range of architectural hardware. The main focus of the discussion was on the “Hardware Per-formance Sheet (HPS)”, which in future, will contain all the relevant data and test results. Likewise, in connection with tests on small samples and the right choice of test specimens, a larger scope of ap-plication can be covered. The ift Fire Safety Symposium was rounded off with the lecture by Prof. Hans Ebert from the Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung & neue Medien (Institute for economic research and new media), in which he showed how quickly Facebook, Twitter and Co are also conquering the construction industry and how the generation 16+ uses this media as a matter of course. Thus it would be no surprise if soon, for a ten-der process, a sheik from the Middle East were to request the instruc-tion manual and the required documentary evidence of performance for the product from the manufacturer via Youtube. All of the lectures and a large number of tables and images are avail-able online in German and English on more than 400 pages. (www.ift-rosenheim.de/literatur) The pictures are available in the ift Picture Library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1323&lang=en The European Construction Products Regulation, which came into force in February 2011, and the Guideline for Sustainable Building issued by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs will lead to an increasing demand for sustainable and energy-efficient buildings with appropriate certification. However, as yet few people are familiar with the complex requirements and time-consuming verification process. For this reason, the ift Rosenheim has published Technical Information NA-02engl/1, which contains important background and contextual information and explains what manufacturers, assemblers and designers/engineers have to do.The construction and property industry have a large impact on the conservation of energy and resources and hence the general environment as they account for large quantities of energy and raw materials used in construction and during the service life of buildings. In order to come closer to the objective of a sustainable construction industry, a number of different assessment systems for sustainable construction have been developed. The most important assessment systems are LEED and BREEAM, which are internationally recognised, and the BNB and DGNB system in Germany.Determining the environmental impact as part of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) plays an important part in the overall assessment process of sustainable construction. Each EPD is based on the assessment of the respective life cycle (LCA), which provides an impartial evaluation of the impact of a construction product on the environment.EPDs can simply be produced using an existing average EPD which is based on average characteristics representing a typical cross section of the industry. Another, more involved method is to produce a product- or company-specific EPD from scratch for which all data are individually collected and evaluated for the respective product or company.When producing EPDs it is necessary to have a Product Category Rule (PCR) which defines the relevant conditions and procedures for the product groups in question. There are a number of different existing PCRs that can be used.When producing an Environmental Product Declaration in accordance with EN 15804, the only mandatory information to be supplied is on the product stage. It is not mandatory to provide documentation on the other stages – the use stage, de-construction and end-of-life/recycling. However, the environmental impacts of the building envelope are much more significant during the use stage; e.g. when considering maintenance intervals and service life. For this reason, in the EPDs produced by the ift, it is possible to provide voluntary technical information about the other life cycle stages in addition to the mandatory data. It is advisable to use this option since most certification systems specify additional evidence and characteristic values, information which is very important for architects, designers, engineers and building certification specialists.Visit the ift website at www.ift-rosenheim.de to download this Technical Information or order a printed copy.Title ift Technical Information NA-02engl/1“Green Envelope – Sustainable construction with windows, facades, doors and glass”ISBN 978-3-86791-249-5Price 20.00 EUR Pages 16The pictures are available in the ift Picture Library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1322&lang=en Istanbul Window is the leading trade fair for the industry in Turkey, and attracts a large number of visitors from the Middle East and the Arab nations. Like elsewhere, the question of how to improve quality is a hot topic in Turkey, because the market there is being flooded with low-cost profiles, and ever fewer building owners are prepared to accept low-quality windows and installation. At the same time, the Turkish building authorities are conducting thorough checks on an increasingly frequent basis. For these reasons, the leading testing and certification body ift Rosenheim put on a Special Show and Congress covering all aspects of quality, safety and security, in collaboration with the trade fair company Tüyap, the trade association Pükad, and its own Turkish partner, ift Rosenheim Türkiye.2011 was the 12th year in which the Istanbul Window trade fair was held, and this year 545 exhibitors attended – a 40% increase compared to 2010. Three more halls were added, creating a total exhibition space of 98,000 m², and the number of visitors also increased. The large proportion of visitors from the Arab nations makes this fair particularly attractive for visitors and exhibitors from abroad. A comprehensive range of products is exhibited at the fair: not just windows, facades and doors, but also a full range of accessories and production machinery. For this reason the fair, as a member of the Global Fair Alliance, is also a partner to the top international trade fair fensterbau/frontale.The Turkish construction market is one of the most dynamic in Europe: it grew by 13.6% in the first half of 2010, for example. Turkey’s window and facade manufacturers and German and Turkish profile manufacturers face enormous competition from low-cost suppliers in Asia, and are looking to improve product quality in order to ward off these competitors. At the same time, building owners are applying tougher demands, energy requirements are on the increase, and building inspections are becoming more efficient. Turkish manufacturers are therefore very interested in obtaining information about efficient quality management systems, relevant test methods, and internationally recognised verifications of product characteristics. The ift Rosenheim therefore put on a Special Show and Congress covering all aspects of quality, safety and security, in collaboration with the trade fair company Tüyap, the trade association Pükad and the Turkish test centre ift Rosenheim Türkiye. Presentations at the Congress dealt with topics such as how to improve burglar resistance, the CE-mark for windows and glass, how to increase energy efficiency (U-value etc.), how to deal with quality assurance, and the interchangeability of hardware (QM 328). At the stand, a window from Ege Profil Ticaret ve Sanayi A.S. was exhibited, which allows effective burglar resistance to be achieved without the use of gratings and without creating the impression of being in a prison. The window’s design features demonstrated in a presentation given the day before, could thus be clearly illustrated by the example of a window used in practice and discussed with the experts from the ift Rosenheim.All presentations and other technical information can be downloaded free-of-charge in both English and Turkish from the ift website, from the sections “Fairs” and “Publications”.You can also contact the team at ift Rosenheim Türkiye directly, in case of any further questions. Their laboratory is located at:Mahmut Bey Mah. Atlas Cad. No.: 32, 34217 Bağcılar, Istanbul / TurkeyTel.: +90 (212) 445 40 06/08, Fax: +90 (212) 445 40 1Your contacts in Turkey:Dr. Muzaffer Tamer – Director tamer@ift-rosenheim.de, Tel.: +90 (212) 445 40 06/08 – 1501Cüneyt Gülseren – Marketing and Salesgulseren@ift-rosenheim.de, Tel.: +90 (212) 445 40 06/08 – 1502Atilla Özcelik – Head of Testing Departmentoezcelik@ift-rosenheim.de,Tel.: +90 (212) 445 40 06/08 – 1505The pictures are available in the ift Picture Library. http://www.ift-rosenheim.de/en_presse_pressemitteilungen.php?id=1319&lang=en International ift Fire Safety Symposium 2011 in Nuremberg on 11 and 12 MayNew test standards for fire and smoke control doors and shutters, the reaction to fire of building materials in windows and facades as well as the changes in the rules for approval procedures have a big impact on the classification and hence the marketability of new and existing products. Similarly the curtain walling product standard DIN EN 13830 and the future product standard for fire and smoke control doors and shutters, prEN 16034, the rules for CE marking and the new Construction Products Regulation contain important changes you should be familiar with. The ift Fire Safety Symposium held in Nuremberg on 11 and 12 May 2011 will update you on the latest developments.The motto of the 2-day symposium is “Knowing fire safety requirements and applying them correctly“. The symposium will look in detail at such issues as interchangeability rules and EXAPs which make the application easier when competently applied and understood. The same applies to the use of modern simulation tools which allow to considerably reduce the expenditure in testing, e.g. for NSHEVs.Speakers from the ift Rosenheim as well as high-calibre experts from the fields of science and industry will provide practice-oriented information on the peculiarities of the German approval procedures, for example the approval procedure Z-6.21 for fire and smoke control doors and shutters for external application.But also the fire safety in buildings in the USA, Poland, Austria and Switzerland will be discussed in detail. For example, the paper ”Verification of fire safety for the US market“ will explore the current requirements, standards and verification methods applied in the USA so that internationally operating companies will be updated on the developments in other countries.A total of 24 presentations will provide participants with up-to-date insights into further focal themes, including:Evidence of specified use of fire and smoke control doors and shuttersInternal doors and doorsets on escape routesGlazing systems and wallsFire and smoke control doors and shuttersBuilding material, accessories and interchangeabilityFacades and NSHEVsIn the programme, the presentations are subdivided into a variety of subject sessions, thus allowing participants to obtain the information they require in a targeted, compact form.On the first day of the Symposium the new requirements will be vividly demonstrated by means of a live fire test at the ift Centre for Fire Testing in Nuremberg.The simultaneous translation of all lectures into English will support the delegates from other countries in the professional and efficient handling of relevant test, evidence and approval procedures.The programme and registration details are available at www.ift-rosenheim.de under “Events”.The pictures are available in the Picture Library.