Customer application

Avoid Faults and Gain Time by Using WINSTA®

The WINSTA® Pluggable Connection System provided safe and fast electrical installations during the relocation of the Swiss Post headquarters.

In 2015, the Swiss Post relocated their headquarters to Wankdorf City, a business park in Bern, Switzerland. The imposing new construction is located across the tracks from the new commuter train station in Wankdorf. Elektro Burkhalter AG, the company responsible for the electrical installations, relies on the WINSTA® Pluggable Connection System from WAGO – and with good reason.

In the future, this will be the city’s new office park; at the moment however, it is only a massive construction site. The land designated as Wankdorf City, in the northern part of Bern, will soon be home to the new headquarters of many organizations, including Swiss Federal Railways, Losinger Marazzi and the Swiss Post. The latter will move into an imposing building named “Majowa” at the start of 2015. With eight floors and 30,000 square meters, it offers space for 1,800 offices. The sheer size makes electrical installations particularly challenging. Lights, blinds, fire alarms, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, multimedia systems, door monitoring, access control, IT systems – they all require electricity and must be appropriately networked.

Swiss Post Headquarters

  • Pressure Builds
  • Planning is Decisive
  • The Lights Go on in 2015

Pressure Builds

This task fell to Stefan Iseli. He is a project manager at Elektro Burkhalter AG, which, together with Scherler AG, is responsible for the electrical installation process. For Iseli, it is not just the enormous volume that demands meticulous preparation – it is also the time pressure. “The construction times for today’s large construction sites are decreasing, contributing to a noticeable increase in pressure.” And this was definitely the case for Project Majowa. This time crunch is one of the reasons that Elektro Burkhalter did not resort to conventional cabling for the electrical installations, but instead chose the WINSTA® Pluggable Connection System from WAGO. The pre-assembled components are delivered to the construction location as semi-finished solutions that are installed by the electricians on site. This saves a tremendous amount of time. The potential for installation errors is also reduced. This is because the WINSTA® Pluggable Connection System allows only one possible connection – the correct one. “That makes it sound too easy,” adds Iseli for clarification. “Our electricians have to concentrate hard on their work – something can always go wrong. After all, we’re working with electricity.” In addition, a simple pluggable connection does not work for all connections. Depending on the load and type of connection, the electricians still have to connect wires to the terminal blocks according to specifications. However, according to Iseli, significantly fewer mistakes occur when WINSTA® Pluggable Connector are used.

Planning is Decisive

A successful partnership has existed between WAGO and Elektro Burkhalter for several years now. Remo Marti from WAGO recalls projects that were similar in scale to the Swiss Post headquarters, in which Elektro Burkhalter relied on WINSTA®. He knows from experience how important early planning can be. “We tailor our products to the customer’s requests and, in some cases, manufacture them specifically for that customer.” For Stefan Iseli, this means that “we need to know what we need early on so we can order it in time. WAGO’s advice during the planning phase is very important. I don’t simply consider WAGO a vendor; rather, I think of WAGO an important project partner.” For the Post headquarters, the quantities extended into the thousands: 1300 floor sockets, connections for approximately 3000 lighting elements and 1600 mixed-valve installations for sanitation, heating and ventilation systems. In addition, more than 1800 connections for sensors and around 2000 ribbon cable adapters were required. The components are stored in sheds near the construction site while they await installation. The time saved during this type of work, versus conventional cabling, is huge. Ultimately, the pluggable system does not just provide advantages during construction, but will also be beneficial down the road. Maintenance will be easier and more efficient.

building_referenz_majowa_1_2000x1500.jpg

The Lights Go on in 2015

Until then, work continues full-time at the construction site. In addition to the electrical installations, the entire inner structure of the building is being built. Until the approximately 1800 post service employees move in, plug connections, screw connections and cabling work will continue at full throttle. Project manager Iseli is confident that the lights will go on promptly in the new Swiss Post building at the beginning of 2015. However, he is not counting his proverbial chickens just yet, adding: “The electrician is the first on site and the last to leave. We have to be flexible right up to the end.” Selecting WINSTA® products has given Iseli confidence that the plan will work.

Summary:

  • The WINSTA® Pluggable Connection System saves time with components that are pre-assembled to customer requirements.

  • Coded plugs and sockets prevent installation errors during wiring.
  • Future maintenance will also be easier and more efficient.

Text: etextera.ch | 2014-11-01
Image sources: etextera.ch, Losinger Marazzi AG

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