Printed and Disposable Electronics News

EL makes backpacks lighter

Oryon, a leading safety clothing brand in the US will make its jackets and backpacks more visible by integrating flexible EL lights.
Lightweight high-visibility jackets for cyclists and backpacks for campers will be launched across Asia, the US and Europe by Q4 2007.
Orgacon, a printed electronics spin-off from Agfa is producing the EL lights with its own line of inks and materials. Tradtionally, EL has been avoided by the clothing industry because of its inability to withstand water. Louis Bollens, business manager at Orgacon claims the EL lights are more durable than others on the market and are rugged enough to be laminated into apparel.
Orgacon is also developing its business in the automotive industry. The company has formed joint development partnerships with European EL manufacturers Elumic and Schreiner Variolight to produce lights for number plates and interior lighting. In Q3 2006 the German government passed legislation for all drivers and motorcyclists to use EL lamps on their number plates to improve visibility in the dark.
Trucks and large freight lorry companies in Germany began using them in Q1 2007. He adds: 'This could have excellent
commercial opportunities for Orgacon. Over the next five years we expect most number plates on German roads to use
our technology.'
Interior car lighting is another new area for Orgacon as leading car designers are taking lighting design far more seriously.
Luxury car brand Jaguar is the first to use EL in this way. In 2006, Jaguar integrated thin strips of flexible blue light into its CXF concept car.
Orgacon is also launching new EL materials with higher transparency, meaning the lamps will be able to emit more light. Bollens says the screen printable materials can also be used to produce other flexible displays apart from EL. 'We
are moving into more optical applications such as flexible displays and more advanced signage modules,' he says.

The battle to build for the best

The race is on to find the right construction team to transform ambitious plans into an inspiring reality

Along with the Olympic Village and Stadium, the Aquatic Centre is a cornerstone venue of any Olympic Games.
It is also a chance for a host nation to showcase its architectural talent. Rising to this opportunity, British architectural firm Zaha Hadid Architects is in the final stages of creating blueprints for a technological masterpiece that will make London the world’s most advanced centre for sports.
The Aquatics Centre will mark the entrance to the Olympic Park from Stratford. The design includes two 50m competition pools, plus a diving pool. The centre will host swimming, diving, synchronised swimming, water polo finals and pentathlon, with 20,000 spectator seats all housed under a sweeping roof design.
During the Olympics and Paralympics, the Aquatic Centre will host all the swimming and diving events, and after the Games will be converted into a 2,500-seat complex with the potential to add in a further 1,000 temporary seats for European events.
Zaha Hadid is not a company to shy away from designing Olympic structures. The firm also drew up designs for the Olympic Village for New York City’s bid for the 2012 Olympics. By winning the bid, London thwarted this plan – but created an opportunity for Zaha Hadid to design on home turf.
Architect Zaha Hadid says: "The architectural concept of the London Aquatic Centre is inspired by the fluid geometry of water in motion, creating spaces and a surrounding environment in sympathy with the river landscape.”
Now the plans have been finalised, the battle has begun for three companies bidding to win the contract to build the Aquatic Centre. The construction companies bidding for the contract are UK-owned Balfour Beatty, German company Hochtief, and French firm Eiffel.

Infrastructure to sports structures
As the only UK entrant for the battle to win the construction contract for the Aquatic Centre, Balfour Beatty is a top competitor with experience in large-scale projects.
The company is contributing much more than the Aquatic Centre to London in the run-up to the Games. The company is at the heart of major infrastructural developments that will play important functions in controlling the flow of traffic into the capital for the visitors.
In 2002, the company was awarded the contract to develop Heathrow airport’s terminal five complex, which is due to open in March 2008.
And at King’s Cross St. Pancras Underground station, Balfour Beatty is building the new northern ticket hall of as part of the phased development of the station. By 2011, King’s Cross Underground station will be able to handle an anticipated 92,000 passengers during the daily morning peak.
According to Ian Tyler, Balfour Beatty’s chief executive, the combined impact of the developments at King’s Cross and Heathrow will contribute as much to the Olympics in 2012 as the Aquatic Centre. “We are very pleased to have been awarded the contract for delivery of these key London and Olympic infrastructures. Three Balfour Beatty Group companies will be involved in providing an integrated solution to London Underground’s needs,” he says.

Towering opposition
Another contender to construct the Aquatic Centre, the French building titan Eiffel, has had prior experience with UK architects. Eiffel was involved with the building of the British-designed Millau Viaduct that spans the valley of the River Tarn near Millau in southern France. The viaduct was designed by UK-based Norman Foster Architects, famous for designing the distinctive City Hall and the Swiss Re Headquarters in London, along with French bridge engineer Michel Virlogeux. The bridge stands at 343 metres above sea level.
The gently rising floodplain of the Lea Valley – the site of the Olympic Village – is not comparable in scale to the dramatic Tarn Valley traversed at Millau. However, Zaha Hadid’s structure is likely to include a bridge as a major aspect of its design.
Also to its credit, Eiffel has experience of constructing large-scale aquatic sports facilities. Along with its parent company Eiffage, the company was commissioned to build the Nemo-Wodnyswiat sports complex in Poland, which features a large aqua park and a range of sports facilities.
This wealth of relevant experience means Eiffel could present itself as a strong contender in the bid to construct the 2012 Olympic Aquatic Centre.

Sporting specialists
The third contender, the German construction company Hochtief, is no stranger to building sports facilities. It was contracted to build the stadium in Mönchengladbach, inaugurated in 2004, which features seating for over 53,000 spectators. As well as acting as a home ground for the German football team Borussia Mönchengladbach, the development also plays host to a number of other sporting events.
This stadium is not the only leisure project on a large scale that Hochtief has put into practice. The company built the basic structure of the Sport and Culture Centre in Luxembourg, constructed its underground garage and completed the link to the Olympic indoor swimming pool. The curved domes are made of laminated wood, glass and copper to produce one of the world’s biggest free-span buildings, giving a futuristic look to the Sport and Culture Centre.

Choosing from the best
All three companies vying for the contract to build the 2012 Aquatic Centre are all experienced in the field, and each of the companies has unique strengths. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) has a big decision on its hands before announcing the final decision on who will build the Aquatic Centre at the end of 2007.
ODA chief executive David Higgins says: “We are pleased to have such a high-quality shortlist competing to build the Aquatics Centre which will form a spectacular gateway to the Olympic Park from Stratford. It is a challenging programme but we are on track to deliver.”