The Technikum in Allendorf (Eder) is the nucleus of innovation at Viessman. In the state-of-the-art development center, interdisciplinary teams pool their know-how and develop the high-efficiency climate solutions with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption.
The Technikum in Allendorf (Eder) is the nucleus of innovation at Viessman. In the state-of-the-art development center, interdisciplinary teams pool their know-how and develop the high-efficiency climate solutions with the goal of reducing CO2 emissions and energy consumption.
At more than 50 million Euros, the Technikum is the largest single investment in our company’s history to date. We are using the research and development center, which was inaugurated in 2017 in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to expand our role as a leader in innovation even further. “Employees from all fields were involved in the planning and design,” says Michael Imhof, Head of R&D System Verification & Validation. “This played a significant role in our success”. Today, around 100 specialists, technicians and engineers from across disciplines work together here on climate solutions of tomorrow.
Whether oil- or gas-fired boilers, combined heat and power systems, fuel cells, heat pumps, ventilation units, system technologies or battery storage systems: In the Technikum, we develop prototypes from start to series production. We carry out stress tests and endurance tests in parallel with development for all climate solutions to ensure their reliability and robustness.
50 m
EURO INVESTMENT
11000
SQUARE METERS
100
EMPLOYEES
250
WORKSTATIONS
Viessmann has developed a number of outstanding solutions that have since become technical milestones. Heating technology is currently undergoing a deep transformation, and Viessmann intends to play a key role in shaping and accelerating this transformation with a strong emphasis on inventive talent. With the Technikum, we have created an exceptional base for future innovations. Smart homes and big data are among the topics that inspire developers in the Technikum: By analyzing user and building data, we are driving energy efficiency forward.
Our experts in the Technikum have already brought a number of innovations to market maturity—the innovative propane heat pump Vitocal 25x, which Viessmann recently launched, for example. With a low GWP 100 (Global Warming Potential) value of 0.02, the cooling propane used in this heat pump is especially environmentally friendly. Conventional coolants have a GWP 100 of 20.
We are also working on more climate-friendly solutions: “At the moment, we are further developing our wall-mounted boilers and fuel-cell portfolio to enable the use of 100%-green hydrogen in order to actively advance climate conservation,” says Michael Imhof. “We have already received qualification and approval for our wall-mounted boilers for an admixture of 20% hydrogen”.
Viessmann highlights its top-of-the-line solutions with a clear, reduced and function-oriented design—a design that’s also reflected in the Technikum. Those who enter the Technikum can expect light, open and spacious rooms as well as an extremely low level of background noise, which we achieved with a number of sound-absorbing surfaces. The Technikum provides the ideal conditions for detecting any flow or combustion noise that may occur, even early on in development.
12
CLIMATE CHAMBERS
4
ANECHOIC CHAMBERS
105
GAS CONTROL PANELS
3
LABS
20
TYPES OF GAS
40
KM GAS LINES
48
DB (A) NOISE LEVEL
6
MW COOLING CAPACITY
With its labs and workstations, the Technikum offers the ideal conditions for developing ideas, building and testing prototypes and continually optimizing our products and solutions. Here, different disciplines work together hand in hand. We learn from our mistakes to be better and better.
Prototyping is right at the front of our product development process, and it brings the entire process together. From mock-ups to functional prototypes to final designs: this is where we turn our visions into realities. To make this possible, we have mastered a wide variety of metalworking technologies, and we use additive production processes for the timely implementation of prototypes. Our strengths are cooperation, improvisation and flexibility.
We aim to build solutions for our customers and partners that are durable and easy to operate. There are 110 workstations in the Technikum to comprehensively test heat generators and to ensure the high quality, reliability and efficiency of our products. We test the durability and robustness of prototypes in the Technikum by rapidly aging them using the 250 workstations for endurance and stress trials.
How corrosion-resistant are building materials? Is the coolant free of harmful organic substances? In our chemical laboratory, employees test the quality of the components that we use and analyze process water. We also use the chemical lab to measure compression sets, test condensation resistance and analyze thermogravitries.
The electronic laboratory is used for aging and environmental simulation tests. Here, we test the mechanical strength of our devices and their service life, as well as analyze causes of damage if faults occur. The services of our electrotechnical lab also include temperature shock tests, vibration tests and optical inspections and analyses.
Quality starts with the materials: our specialists test the materials we use in our heat generators from metals to plastics to elastomers. In addition to classic metallography, our experts use electron-scanning microscopes and computer tomography. They also advise their colleagues on using the right materials for the right projects.
Our state-of-the-art, flexible acoustic measurement center is outfitted with four sound-measurement rooms, and modelled on the acoustic measurement centers used by the automotive industry. Here, we measure the operating noise of all heat generators so that our engineers and technicians can develop low-noise solutions that can fit into the end user’s everyday lives. Thanks to a high-tech system, we can perform these measurements automatically.
At the Viessmann Technikum, our interdisciplinary team of engineers, technicians, mechatronics engineers, designers, software developers, lab technicians, specialists and product managers create new solutions. Together, we search for ideas, tinker with solutions and optimize our products. Everyone involved in the development and sales process works here together: from the development engineer to the product manager to the sales department, who know our customers’ specific requirements.
Our experts are supported by creative thinkers from the whole Viessmann family, which now has 14500 members worldwide: whether it’s by supplying new ideas or solutions to problems, the wisdom of our entire team aids the Technikum team via a digital platform. A research network with Viessmann experts from China, the US and Turkey supports the transfer of expertise internationally. We cooperate with experts from technical colleges and universities as well.