TRUMPF, a German machine tool and laser manufacturer, recently opened its new “Smart Factory” in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The new space is both a factory and a showroom that turns high-tech machines and production processes into exhibition-like showpieces. The smart factory is fitted with digitally networked machines that present the entire sheet metal process chain as an interlinked, holistic process.
Designed by Barkow Leibinger, the new structure is divided into two volumes. The first is the showroom to the south and the second is the office and auditorium space to the north. These two volumes are connected at their corners and create two rectangular exterior zones – a driveway and parking lot to the southeast, and a curved terrace that overlooks an adjacent reflection pond to the northwest.
Courtesy of TRUMPF.
The building ranges from about 4.5 to 13-meters-tall and has a continuous pitched roof. At the front, the 12-meter-high glass facade presents the showroom space to passing traffic. The double glazing used has a low-E coating to protect against excessive solar radiation. The glass facades are made of anodized black aluminum and are recessed up to 1.5 meters back into the volume. Slim, recessed Corten steel I-Beams vertically divide the glass facades and support against horizontal wind loads. In addition to the glass, rust-colored corrugated Corten steel cladding was used on the exterior and charred wood siding was used on the facades of the inner courtyard and pond to achieve a softer appearance.
This charred wood look was brought inside the building, as well, in the form of ceiling-high wall paneling. Black steel, polished concrete floors, and expanded metal mesh juxtapose the wood surfaces on the interior.
The Skywalk. Courtesy of TRUMPF.
11 steel Vierendeel trusses, about 45 meters in length, span the showroom. These beams were customized from welded variable parts laser-cut on TRUMPF machines and function as another exhibit that showcases the company’s manufacturing machinery.
Running through these trusses at a perpendicular angle is a 6.5-meter-high skywalk that runs the length of the 180-foot-long production hall. The skywalk uses glass guardrails and grated flooring and has pocket-like inlets for special exhibits along the sides. It is connected to the “Control Center” that flanks the showroom on the east. The Control Center presents visitors with real-time production line performance figures via large touchscreen displays.
The Control Room. Courtesy of TRUMPF.
The lower volume on the building’s north side is linked to the showroom via public zones like the lobby, the water-facing café, and a large auditorium. An open-plan office space and meeting rooms for employees are also included and arranged around a central courtyard.
The building comprises over 50,000 sf and totaled $15 million in equipment investment and $15 million in construction investment. The new facility represents the fifth TRUMPF location in the U.S. and will house about 30 employees.
Courtesy of TRUMPF.
Related Stories
Sponsored | | Jul 17, 2014
A major hop forward
The construction of efficient metal buildings has helped Perrault Farms expand its hops-harvesting business.
| Jul 14, 2014
Foster + Partners unveils triple-glazed tower for RMK headquarters
The London-based firm unveiled plans for the Russian Copper Company's headquarters in Yekaterinburg.
| Jul 10, 2014
Berkeley Lab opens 'world's most comprehensive building efficiency simulator'
DOE’s new FLEXLAB is a first-of-its-kind simulator that lets users test energy-efficient building systems individually or as an integrated system, under real-world conditions.
| Jul 7, 2014
7 emerging design trends in brick buildings
From wild architectural shapes to unique color blends and pattern arrangements, these projects demonstrate the design possibilities of brick.
| Jul 2, 2014
Emerging trends in commercial flooring
Rectangular tiles, digital graphic applications, the resurgence of terrazzo, and product transparency headline today’s commercial flooring trends.
| Jun 30, 2014
Report recommends making infrastructure upgrades a cabinet-level priority
The ASCE estimates that $3.6 trillion must be invested by 2020 to make critically needed upgrades and expansions of national infrastructure—and avoid trillions of dollars in lost business sales, exports, disposable income, and GDP.
Sponsored | | Jun 27, 2014
SAFTI FIRST Now Offers GPX Framing with Sunshade Connectors
For the Doolittle Maintenance Facility, SAFTI FIRST provided 60 minute, fire resistive wall openings in the exterior using SuperLite II-XL 60 insulated with low-e glazing in GPX Framing with a clear anodized finish.
| Jun 18, 2014
Arup uses 3D printing to fabricate one-of-a-kind structural steel components
The firm's research shows that 3D printing has the potential to reduce costs, cut waste, and slash the carbon footprint of the construction sector.
| Jun 16, 2014
6 U.S. cities at the forefront of innovation districts
A new Brookings Institution study records the emergence of “competitive places that are also cool spaces.”
| Jun 12, 2014
Austrian university develops 'inflatable' concrete dome method
Constructing a concrete dome is a costly process, but this may change soon. A team from the Vienna University of Technology has developed a method that allows concrete domes to form with the use of air and steel cables instead of expensive, timber supporting structures.