Structural System:Widespan™ Structural System
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Project Details
Facility design considerations improved the production line.
Future-Forward: Hörmann building expansions will be consistent, efficient and will provide good value.
LEED Silver: The building’s insulated roof and wall panels helped it achieve the certification.
Brand Standards: Butler matched the distinctive Hörmann blue on the custom-coated wall panels.
As the largest manufacturer of doors, door openers and loading dock equipment outside the United States, Hörmann is known worldwide as a leader in door technology. The family’s name is synonymous with brand-quality products covering a wide range of doors for residential and commercial applications..
In 2012, Hörmann had outgrown its U.S. manufacturing facility in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, and the limitations were holding back the business. The company had doubled its production output over the previous three years and needed a new building to accommodate growth.
Hörmann sought a state-of-the-art facility to boost production efficiency by using a streamlined layout. The Steinhagen, Germany-based manufacturer identified an opportunity to improve the efficiency by transitioning to straight-line production — the traditional means for assembly line production in which all parts being assembled are strategically aligned and the product moves down the line from one station to the next until it is completely assembled.
The new facility also needed to provide office space, allow for expansion and have a style that reflected the aesthetic standards of the Hörmann name.
Dynamic Building Corporation in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, recommended a Butler® building system for Hörmann. Dynamic Building, a Butler Builder® with more than 60 years of commercial building experience, is one of the largest general contractors in Pennsylvania. Given the expansion flexibility of Butler buildings and the loads its structural systems can handle, Hörmann selected Butler based on Dynamic Building’s suggestion, commencing the design process.
“Dynamic Building presented a plan for a great building that would meet our needs. With Butler, we were able to look to the future and construct a building that could take future investments into consideration.”
Dr. Mark Haley, Hörmann
Dynamic Building teamed up with a local Pittsburgh architect as well as a German architect, representing Hörmann’s corporate requirements, to transfer the design to the U.S. This included adding insulation for the roof and wall panels beyond the local building codes, and a diligent separation of scrap waste at the build site to achieve LEED® certification.
Given the strong ties between Hörmann and its headquarters in Germany, it was important to integrate corporate branding into the design. Specifically, Butler provided external building panels in a special Hörmann blue to meet brand standards, pairing them with Hörmann offices, which were decorated in orange, while also keeping with the Hörmann corporate identity.
“It really stood out that Butler was able to get a special color panel for us. Hörmann blue is a very distinctive blue color, and we appreciate the effort Butler made to help us represent our brand.”
Dr. Mark Haley, Hörmann
Hörmann focused on creating a bright and pleasant work environment for its employees. The SunLite Strip™ daylighting system offers increased daylight for employees in addition to windows for each office. The daylighting system provides so much light, in fact, that the production system essentially runs throughout the day without additional lighting.
“We made daylighting recommendations to meet the vision for the great working environment outlined by Hörmann. It’s great that Hörmann anticipates financial savings due to the reduced need for electrical output and that their employees have a better place to work as well.”
Bill Kronstein, Dynamic Building
In the new manufacturing facility, loading and unloading materials for shipping and receiving is much improved. When a truck arrives at the facility, it waits outside until a custom Hörmann high-speed door opens. Once trucks pull into the building, the automatic door quickly shuts. Materials are either loaded or unloaded via crane directly onto the production line — reducing transport time and effort during the process. Once loading or unloading is complete, another high-speed Hörmann door opens at the end of the line, allowing trucks to exit.
Between the truck entry and exit points, the straight production line maximizes efficiency. The high-speed Hörmann doors at each end of the line increase energy efficiency by limiting exposure to the outside elements during harsh Pittsburgh winters — an advantage of implementing your own product in your facility design.
“The building is designed as Phase 1, but we can, and will, move to Phases 2 and 3 with Butler as we grow. Thanks to the Butler building system, that expansion process will be consistent, efficient and provide good value for the cost.”
Dr. Mark Haley, Hörmann
SunLite Strip® has been further enhanced since this project was completed.
Dynamic Building Corporation
dynamicbuilding.com
Pfaffmann + Associates, PC
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