Awards and Recognition

REDDOT Award for CoolTherm®

The CoolTherm® is a self-sufficient server rack with innovative air-conditioning technology. Within a closed air circulation system, the air heated up to about 40 degrees centigrade by the blade servers is pressed through an air/water heat exchanger and efficiently cooled back down to 20-25 degrees centigrade; thus the unit is able to master waste heat energy ratings of up to 35kW.

The concept is an efficient and economical solution for data processing centres. This translates to 80 per cent in saved space, compared to conventional cooling systems in data processing centres, as well as 25 per cent less energy consumption for the cooling system.

The design of the server rack and its door formally underlines the innovative function of the heat exchange process and simultaneously conveys the image of a high-end product from Knurr.

CoolTherm® Presented with the IF Award

Numerous technical and functional product features very quickly prompt product comparisons, especially in the investment goods industry. Using the most diverse characteristics, an industrial design therefore provides an excellent opportunity to contribute to a targeted, and even "necessary", differentiation. Differentiation features in the industrial design consequently make a very significant contribution to a product’s success.

As one of the most influential leading innovators in server rack and network technology, Knurr has already been consistently applying the industrial design as a strategic competition factor for many years. A customer-specific industrial design and successful engineering are part of the core competencies and are incorporated into the Knurr integral quality concept. The top of the range product, CoolTherm®, a server rack platform equipped with innovative thermal management, continues this demand for high quality standards and is an expression of a highly creative value conservation and brand philosophy. Bestowal of the IF Award is recognition of this continuously implemented design strategy.

Future-Proof Solution in the Data Centre:

CoolTherm® Server, storage and IT components are constantly becoming more efficient and at the same time more compact in their construction, and increasingly require less space. The requirements of a data centre’s infrastructure are already undergoing drastic change, especially in order to provide thermal management to cope with the enormous increases in heat loads.

Knurr developed the CoolTherm®, a high quality product that has already been installed hundreds of times over and is primarily characterised by its integrated thermal management, as an innovative "future-proof" solution that is thermally managed separate from the room infrastructure by a closed air circulation in the CoolTherm® server rack. Even the airflow heated by blade servers to over 40°C is routed via an air-water heat exchanger and consequently efficiently cooled to 20 to 25°C, which allows an enormous dissipated heat load of up to 35 kilowatts to be managed. For the data centre and the IT room this concept represents a fail-safe, highly efficient and economical solution. Compared with a conventional cooling system, CoolTherm® achieves an 80% space saving and saves up to a quarter of the previous energy input for cooling. The CoolTherm® design formally emphasizes the innovative function of the heat exchange process and at the same time profiles the high quality rating of Knurr’s high-end product.

Knurr ranks among the best in communication for customer loyalty!

Based in the Bavarian town of Arnstorf, Knurr AG has this year won over the Jury of the German Award for Business Communication with an impressive concept for customer loyalty. From among 980 companies, the elaborate marketing concept of this industrial-scale enterprise rapidly found its way to the forefront of the competition. The recently released "Jahrbuch" (Yearbook) reaffirms the skills of Knurr’s marketing specialist responsible, Werner Gropp.

In addition to the acclaimed overall presentation of the "Cabling & Networking Technology on Tour" campaign for customer loyalty, Knurr AG scored further points with the proven success of this marketing activity. Marketing Director Werner Gropp explains: "Our aim was to counterbalance the effects of the autumn trade fair, EXPONET in Cologne, the appeal of which had suffered considerably. We came up with an excellent way to do this by setting up a road show, which goes by the name of "Cabling & Networking Technology on Tour", with which we achieve a customer-oriented, industry-specific information transfer. We also succeeded in substantially reducing costs with a significantly higher number of lead reports!"

Technical lectures by industry experts in the area of network technology and structured cabling were rounded off with the presentation of the latest products. Even the early invitation phase was recognised as being extraordinary. Several hundred customers in this sector were addressed and invited with a direct mailing campaign, intensively supported on their premises, followed by a subject-specific offer which emphasized the product diversity of Knurr and its partners.

Lars Barnau of the German Award for Business Communication was clearly impressed: "The Jury found the invitation method, the successful attempt to steer clear of the usual, no-frills bulk mailing and the refreshing humorous approach to be particularly creative!" In addition to the original idea, the activity also drew praise for it long-term capacity and the recognisable further development of a trade fair and exhibition character to a very personal consultancy talk. In the jurors’ opinion, Knurr AG enhanced the communication between company and customer in a sustained fashion with direct dialog and interaction, and was consequently able to intensify customer loyalty.

The Knurr Marketing Team, which, with Werner Gropp at the helm, continues to reinforce its commitment to matters concerning "Cabling & Networking Technology on Tour" and will be present at 15 individual events across the whole of Germany, received numerous congratulations on reaching the final from within the advertising industry. The aim is to also extend this marketing concept outside of Germany to the rest of Europe and to continue this advertising success story.

FSC PrimeCenter Rack receives Industry "iF Award"
	The Fujitsu-Siemens PrimeCenter Rack is to receive the award for design excellence, the "iF Award ". The rack manufactured by Knurr as commissioned by Fujitsu Siemens is on display at CeBIT 2004 in the iF-Pavilion/IC and at Knurr in Hall 14, at Stand G12.

With PrimeCenter Rack, Knurr once again prove their depth of know-how in the rack technology and design area. Culmination of this successful combination of technology and design: The iF Design Award in the product design category, Communication/Entertainment. Knurr developed the PrimeCenter Rack in cooperation with designafairs, and manufactures the rack exclusively according to their customer contract for Fujitsu-Siemens computers. An especially successful cooperation, as the distinction with the iF Design Award proves only too well.

The PrimeCenter Rack is on display with other winners of the iF Design Award at CeBit 2004 in the iF-Pavilion/IC.