Illumination in rotation
EPS.LUMI profiles on the roof of the Sparkasse  

Illuminated displays are nothing new in the advertising world. But an illuminated display draws a particularly high level of attention if it is one that moves. Like the rotating Sparkasse logo on the roof of the recently renovated branch in the centre of Karlsruhe.

The 3 x 3 metre lighting object is 70 centimetres deep and a total of 600 kilograms in weight and is turned by a rotor fixed to the cement roof between 6 am and 10 pm. "But that is nothing compared to the power of the rotor and housing which is capable of moving an object that is 15 tons in weight," explains Francesco Saponari excitedly. The managing director of the company responsible DiMedi GmbH in Baden-Baden is proud of the eye-catching red illuminated display.  After all, his innovative technical concept was able to defeat the competition and win the contract.

The client, in this case the Sparkasse Karlsruhe, wanted a moving illuminated display that was designed to rotate and come to a standstill exactly in parallel with the building wall. And this was the technical challenge of the project, explained Saponari. The advertising engineer then developed a cost-effective concept which did not require the production of an expensive electronic board. Instead, the logo is controlled by a mechanical tumbler switch which is connected with a timer that is in turn linked to a rectifier. Saponari explains the concept, "The rotor is powered until the display has rotated back to the zero point tumble switch and the motor stops automatically".

A total of 30 fluorescent tubes were installed inside the display. The tubes can be changed either by easily unclipping the tensioned fabric or via the screw-attached aluminium side panels that have access holes. The quadratic illuminated display was constructed using EPS.LUMI profiles, again, putting their almost unlimited abilities successfully to the test.

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