Elegant luminaires with glare-free light

ELEGANT LUMINAIRES WITH GLARE-FREE LIGHT

Lighting systems for hotels, stores or public buildings must meet the highest standards in terms of lighting technology and design. PLANLICHT, a specialist in contemporary lighting solutions, uses covers made of light-diffusing PLEXIGLAS® acrylic glass for elegant luminaires with glare-free light.

Light is a central element in interior design. Modern lighting systems ensure pleasant brightness and therefore good vision. At the same time, they set rooms perfectly in scene. However, efficient light sources such as LEDs require covers made of LED-optimized materials in order to achieve the desired lighting effect.

PLEXIGLAS®, the brand acrylic glass from Röhm, is a proven material for luminaires with the highest standards of technology and design thanks to its wide range of properties. In line with the innovations in lighting technology, Röhm has continuously developed its portfolio of special PLEXIGLAS® products for luminaires. They are also suitable for lighting with the latest generation of LEDs.

The long-established Austrian company PLANLICHT from in Tyrol also values this material for luminaire construction and has the cover panels of the “ophelia” and “olmo” panel luminaires made from light-diffusing PLEXIGLAS® variants by PLEXIGLAS® processing partner Hans Fischer GmbH.

PLEXIGLAS® acrylic glass for panel lights with uniform light

The round “ophelia” and the square “olmo” are designed with simple elegance and offer a wide range of possible applications as ceiling, wall or pendant lights. For such designer luminaires to shine in all their beauty, the point light from the LEDs must be evenly distributed. However, the smaller the distance between the LEDs and the cover, the more likely it is that so-called hotspots will appear. Such undesirable differences in brightness in the backlighting can be avoided with light-diffusing materials. Depending on the location and use, PLANLICHT offers luminaires with a diffuser made of PLEXIGLAS® Satinice oder PLEXIGLAS® Textures: PLEXIGLAS® Satinice to create a harmonious, uniform light image. PLEXIGLAS® Textures for applications with higher glare-free requirements, such as in workplace environments.

Uniform light in many varieties

Cover panels made of light-diffusing PLEXIGLAS® Satinice or PLEXIGLAS® Textures ensure harmonious, uniform and glare-free light, as here in the square “olmo” surface light from PLANLICHT. The low weight and shatter resistance of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic glass are particularly advantageous for large pendant luminaires.

Free from reflections

The round “ophelia” model with a diffuser made of PLEXIGLAS® Satinice: When switched off, the luminaire appears in a rich white and is free of reflections thanks to the frosted surface, which is particularly pleasant for wall luminaires.

Pleasantly glare-free

Designed with light: Panel luminaires from PLANLICHT with covers made of light-diffusing PLEXIGLAS® Satinice or PLEXIGLAS® Textures in the lobby of a hotel.

Convincing photometric properties

“With PLEXIGLAS® Satinice, we achieve an absolutely homogeneous light image. In addition, when the luminaire is switched off, the material appears a rich white and is free of reflections thanks to the frosted surface,” explains Raimund Mayr, Technical Director at PLANLICHT.

Mayr is impressed by the photometric properties of PLEXIGLAS® products: “The excellent light diffusion combined with the high light transmission of the LED-optimized materials enables us to create highly efficient lighting systems.”

PLANLICHT uses PLEXIGLAS® Textures 0A000 Z as a luminaire cover for applications with particularly high demands on visual comfort, for example in offices. “The surface structure ensures excellent glare control in all directions. This is important for standard-compliant lighting solutions, for example for VDU workstations,” explains Mayr.

Luminaire covers from the plastics expert

The cover panels made of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic glass for “ophelia” and “olmo” are produced in Cologne by the plastics processing company Hans Fischer GmbH. “We have a wealth of experience in the processing of semi-finished plastic products with satin and textured surfaces. We produce square and round covers in various sizes for PLANLICHT,” says Sales Manager Tim Kulisch. “Thanks to our state-of-the-art portal milling systems and CO2 laser machines, we are able to produce covers for large-format panel lights.” Because cost efficiency and sustainability are just as important in lighting design as excellent lighting conditions, the plastics processor always ensures the best possible utilization of the material. “Special formats from the manufacturer Röhm also reduce waste in production,” says Kulisch.

He points out further advantages of PLEXIGLAS® acrylic glass: “It is considerably lighter than glass and is also unbreakable. It also does not yellow, is durable and can be machined very easily during processing. “This is why the brand acrylic glass from Röhm is so important in the lighting industry, there is hardly anything comparable,” summarizes Kulisch.

75 years of Hans Fischer Kunststoffverarbeitungs-GmbH

75 years of Hans Fischer Kunststoffverarbeitungs-GmbH

We look back with pride on the past 75 years and what we have achieved during this time.

The company was founded in 1946 by Mr. Hans Fischer as a bookbindery and quickly expanded its range of services to include, for example, the processing of rigid and flexible films into ring binders and ID card covers.

In the 1950s, Hans Fischer discovered the material PLEXIGLAS® for himself and his company, as a result of which the individual company rapidly developed into a modern plastics processor.

Business registration 1946

As a family-run medium-sized company now in its 3rd generation, we are proud to have established ourselves on the market for 75 years and to have allowed our customers to benefit from our decades of experience in the industry.

Company headquarters 1948-1949 – Rheinauhafen Cologne

In the period from around 1980 to around 2015, the company was particularly strong in the POS/POP, visual merchandising and shopfitting sectors. In addition to customer-specific production, Hans Fischer also maintained an in-house range for these sectors, consisting of display stands, brochure stands and similar items. articles. The best-known Hans Fischer product from this period is undoubtedly the Plexiglas nameplates.

In the 80s and 90s in particular, the company was one of the market leaders in German-speaking countries, primarily for leading retailers, the tourism industry, large industrial customers and numerous resellers.

In recent years, the company has increasingly developed into a technical solutions provider. Significant investments have been made in machinery and new markets have been opened up on the sales side through structural and personnel changes.

As a plastics processor with in-house screen printing, we are also valued today as a comprehensive solution provider.

Today, in addition to long-standing customers from the POS and store fitting sectors, our customers include leading manufacturers from the mechanical and plant engineering, medical technology and lighting industries, as well as leading electronics manufacturers from the household appliance, smart home and electromobility sectors.

Meanwhile, printed operating displays made of PMMA and PC, printed pictogram discs, drawing parts as transparent protective elements for machine and plant construction and POS displays are classic applications from our company.

In addition to our high level of in-house production expertise, e.g.

  • CNC milling and laser machining,
  • the hot deformation,
  • and the high-quality bonding of thermoplastics,
  • the assembly of components,
  • and in-house screen printing,

we also offer holistic solution concepts through a strong network (e.g. large format digital printing, wood and metal processing, etc.).

In order to live up to this claim even in times of ever faster changing requirements, dynamic markets and constant technological progress, we produce exclusively “Made in Germany”. This is a matter close to the hearts of the shareholder families and will not change in the future.

Unternehmenssitz seit 1992 – Köln Marsdorf
Company headquarters since 1992 – Cologne Marsdorf

We took our anniversary as an opportunity to refresh our company logo, which we are pleased to present to you here.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank our employees, suppliers, partners and, above all, our customers for their many years of loyalty. We look forward to the future with you and hope that we can continue to be a fair and reliable partner for you for the next 75 years.

PLEXIGLAS® PROTERRA

PLEXIGLAS® PROTERRA – 100% recyclable

More and more of our customers are attaching great importance to issues such as sustainability and resource conservation. We are therefore pleased to be able to offer you the right material with PLEXIGLAS® PROTERRA from Röhm.

There is no waste in the cycle of nature. When something decays, something new is formed from its components.
PLEXIGLAS® PROTERRA follows this example. Not a mass-produced plastic. Instead, it is a high-performance material that consists of 90% recycled PLEXIGLAS®.

  • 100% Recyclable

Added value instead of waste. PLEXIGLAS® contributes to a resource-conserving circular economy. The material can be broken down into its original components and completely recycled.

For example in PLEXIGLAS® PROTERRA

  • Environmentally friendly manufacturing

Plexiglas production is harmless to nature. Waste water and exhaust air from production are filtered and treated, no toxic substances are produced. Production waste is collected and recycled.

  • Long-life products

What doesn’t break doesn’t need to be replaced. Unlike many other plastics, PLEXIGLAS® is extremely durable, break-proof and weather-resistant.

  • Good for people and the environment

PLEXIGLAS® sheets and installations do not release any substances into the soil, air or water, even after many years. The material is food-safe, odorless and even burns without any harmful substances.

 

We will be happy to provide you with further information and specific project advice. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sonderanfertigung Maschinen-Einhausung aus PLEXIGLAS im Kölner Schokoladenmuseum

Transparent chocolate production

Transparent chocolate production

The Chocolate Museum in Cologne gives visitors an insight into the production of sweet figures, truffles and pralines. The PLEXIGLAS® viewing windows are so transparent that you are tempted to reach out and touch them.

Almost everyone loves chocolate! But who has any idea how the bitter cocoa beans are transformed into sweet delicacies? The Cologne Chocolate Museum shows the production steps from roasting to the finished bar in a walk-in chocolate factory.

The highlight is the glass chocolate factory, where chocolatiers demonstrate their craftsmanship: In the hollow figure studio, they paint molds with liquid chocolate. This gives Santa Clauses white beards and Easter bunnies dark googly eyes. At another station, chocolates and truffles are decorated. This fascinating manufactory was modernized by Hans Fischer in spring 2020 with large-format viewing windows made of PLEXIGLAS®.

Unobstructed view of the chocolatiers’ work

“We want to make the production of chocolate transparent and tangible for our visitors,” says Dr. Christian Unterberg-Imhoff, Managing Director of the museum. And where transparency is required, PLEXIGLAS® is the perfect choice, as it is one of the most transparent materials of all. Because it is also absolutely colorless in its original form, objects behind it can be seen in the correct proportions and colors without distortion. It provides a perfect view, regardless of the material thickness. Transparency and brilliance are permanently retained. This is why PLEXIGLAS® is a popular material for viewing windows, aquariums and museum display cases.

As there are already privacy screens and machine cladding made of the brand acrylic glass in other places in the chocolate museum, it made sense to use the proven material from Röhm for the chocolate studio too – not least for a uniform and high-quality appearance.

The PLEXIGLAS® enclosure of the hollow figure studio is ceiling-high and forms a hygienically enclosed space within the room. This is important because food is processed here in the midst of museum operations. Two doors are visually inconspicuous – the entrances for the master chocolatiers. The enclosure also serves to protect visitors from running machines such as the hollow figure centrifuge.

Logistical top performance

Although the extensive redesign of the chocolate atelier took place several months ago, the museum director still holds his breath for a moment when he talks about it: “It was the ultimate challenge!”

Tim Kulisch from PLEXIGLAS® processing partner Hans Fischer Kunststoffverarbeitungs-GmbH in Cologne explains where the challenges lay. The company designed, planned and implemented the enclosure. The dimensions of the viewing windows placed special demands on statics, transportation and installation. “Some of the PLEXIGLAS® elements installed here reach the maximum available sheet size of two by three meters.” Things got pretty tight in some places on the way through the building.

“The trickiest part was getting the large PLEXIGLAS® sheets to the second floor of the museum undamaged. This was achieved using vacuum lifting equipment, which resembles giant suction cups and grips bulky workpieces securely. We used two cranes with vacuum lifters – one that lifted the sheet from below and one that picked it up from above,” says Kulisch, describing the procedure. It’s a good thing that PLEXIGLAS® is only half as heavy as glass and is also many times more break-resistant.

Glashebegeräte für Montage im Einsatz

PLEXIGLAS® can be customized during installation

Kulisch also appreciates the fact that PLEXIGLAS® can be adapted to unexpected circumstances during installation. For example, if a component protrudes somewhere. Or if a sheet gets scratched during transportation. “If it were glass, you would have to throw the whole thing away. PLEXIGLAS®, on the other hand, has the advantage that it can be cut to size on site and scratches can be polished away.” However, this was not necessary for this project in the Chocolate Museum; everything went smoothly.

PLEXIGLAS® XT with optimum thickness tolerance

Over a length of ten meters, 15 PLEXIGLAS® elements are mounted between stainless steel strips on the floor and ceiling. The specialist company chose extruded (XT) brand acrylic glass from Röhm with a thickness of 25 millimeters for this project. “Thanks to its low thickness tolerance, PLEXIGLAS® XT is ideal for applications that require a high degree of dimensional accuracy,” explains Kulisch. The individual elements fit perfectly into the strips. The construction is stable, nothing wobbles or rattles.

“Spectacular construction”

The museum director is delighted with the new exhibition space. As are employees and visitors who know what the hollow figure studio used to look like. “The previous studio was smaller and not completely visible. Now we have an eye-catching, chic construction with full-length viewing windows that brings visitors very close to the action,” says Unterberg-Imhoff happily.

And it doesn’t matter if particularly curious chocolate fans leave fingerprints behind, because PLEXIGLAS® is very easy to clean – for a permanently appetizing sight.

“PLEXIGLAS® enclosures are transparent and brilliant. And they offer an unrestricted view of production processes.”

– Tim Kulisch

Business Development & Sales Manager at Hans Fischer Kunststoffverarbeitungs-GmbH