BARTEC collaborated with the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main to create concepts, designs, models, and visualizations of products for Explosion Protection that could be implemented in real hazardous areas. The work was carried out by the students in the Industrial Design Department under the supervision, leadership, and guidance of Professor Frank Georg Zebner together with the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Ing. Alex Buck and Christina Timmann from the University of Art and Design Offenbach am Main. Additional support was provided by BARTEC namely Kevin Rogers, BARTEC Head of Global R&D business unit Electrical Safety Systems (ESS), Josef Kraus (Head of Product Management Trace Moisture Business Unit PAT, and Janis Wagner, Head of Corporate Development and M&A.
The goal was to develop design concepts in the field of explosion protection, with a particular focus on the design of products such as EXgates and distribution boxes: housing systems for measurement technology, and modular product systems that cluster individual products in product family. The students developed successful designs to provide insights into both visionary and applicable design strategies that BARTEC could use for its further development of the design for the products for explosion protection.
Alex Buck, Prof. Dr.-Ing. (Arch.) said that the initial idea of the project was to familiarize BARTEC with the use of industrial design as a differentiating tool in the market. The professor added ‘’I would like to state that I consider the results to be very successful, and there seems to be significant potential for differentiation. BARTEC should explore ways to embrace the tool of designing strategically.’’
Kevin Rogers, BARTEC Head of Global R&D business unit Electrical Safety Systems (ESS): “Starting this project together with the students we had the expectation to get some new creative ways on how our products could be a little more modern and stylish. During the intense workshops, the discussions were going very deep in a technical core direction. The results presented in the final auditorium showed that the way of how products are created was thought from a totally different perspective. Combining the basic requirements of a product by adding up many influences from nature, mathematics, and technology created new classes of solutions.’’
Dr. Martin U. Schefter, BARTEC CEO adds: “Collaborations such as these are essential for fostering a dynamic relationship between the academic and business sectors, driving progress, and contributing to the growth of both parties involved. This joint project had successful results and it was a great exchange, bringing successful together the theoretical insights of the university, students’ fresh ideas, and innovative approaches to design and the practical applications of the company”.