New "showcase" on the Campus
Foundation stone laid for new research hall of the Cluster of Excellence MERGE
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Graphics: LUDES Generalplaner GmbH
Today will be laid a foundation stone for new research hall of the Cluster of Excellence "MERGE - Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures". This is the starting signal for the first phase of the new building complex. Two more phases encompass a planned construction of a new laboratory and an office building. The State Minister of Finance, Prof. Dr. Georg Unland, and Dr. Henry Hasenpflug, State Secretary in the Ministry of State for Science and Art, together with Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of Technische Universität Chemnitz, deposited a document witnessing the foundation stone on the construction site at Reichenhainer Straße.
Minister Unland: "The Excellence Cluster MERGE enables TU Chemnitz internationally outstanding research achievements in one of the key technologies of the future, the lightweight construction. This can only succeed in a modern building and technical facilities of the Campus. With the new research hall, the Federal State creates the structural conditions so that excellent research results are achieved with the MERGE at TU Chemnitz."
State Secretary Hasenpflug: "Right next to the lecture hall, the Weinhold-Bau and the building of the top cluster eniPROD TU Chemnitz, are the research institutes of the Fraunhofer with a very special bridge between basic and applied research, as well as the university studies at the highest level."
"We are glad, that the scientists of the Excellence Cluster MERGE will soon obtain the necessary working conditions, and the research interests of our University can be further strengthened", said Prof. Dr. Arnold van Zyl, Rector of TU Chemnitz, and adds: "Also for the economic development in Saxony, this important projects gets a highly visible excellent structural frame on the Campus of our University."
The proposed research complex consists of three contiguous individual buildings. These are available as the separate fire compartments separated from each other, and functionally linked. In the central hall, the heart of the new research facility, will be housed a so-called MERGE machine. This is a newly developed production line for plastic parts. To make these visible from the outside, the west facade of the research hall is fitted with glazing, and serves as a "showcase" on the Campus of TU Chemnitz. In the other two buildings will be housed experimental and research tracks, storage areas and functional rooms.
Under the Project Management of Chemnitz branch of the Staatsbetrieb Sächsisches Immobilien- und Baumanagement (SIB) emerges a total floor space of almost 3,200 square meters. The completion of the research hall, which is to be financed by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) is scheduled for March 2015. The cost for the first construction stage are roughly 12,6 million euros.
Keyword: The Cluster of Excellence MERGE
With the Cluster of Excellence "Technologies for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures" (MERGE), Technische Universität Chemnitz is among the winners of the German Excellence Initiative. In the nationwide unique project are working about 100 scientists on fusion technology in lightweight construction. Their common goal today is to bring together separate production processes in the fabrication of different groups of materials such as textiles, plastics and metals. Multi-component parts can be produced more cost-effective and energy-efficient in large series. In the future, the multi-functionality should occur in a processing stage only. The Cluster of Excellence was established in 2012 at TU Chemnitz within the framework of the Excellence Initiative of the German Federation and the Federal States.
(Translation: Nataliia Boiko)
Mario Steinebach
30.06.2014
