"Form follows Function"

A simple bucket with holes, as you may find it on some camping sites, will do for a quick shower – a classy water dispenser, however, will increase your sense of well-being tremendously. A new world was opened up by the Stuttgart fittings ­specialist Hansa with the introduction of the Hansacanyon range. Here the Element Water is included in the design as a unique "subassembly". In order to implement this special design the manufacturer is cooperating with the German small motor ­specialist FAULHABER from Schönaich. Their drives are concealed in the background and ensure the required precisely regulated current of water through the "canyon".

Design follows function

Water is in constant motion, it flows at high or slow speed, forms waves even in lakes – it is "alive". While the design of previous fittings tended to conceal the water dispensing function in a more or less artistic manner and largely ignored the main component, water, the Stuttgart ­specialists went their own way. The ­Canyon range for vanity basin, shower and bathtub visibly incorporate the water which creates an additional emotional effect. This new course of action has been acknowledged with awards, like the "design plus" award and the "red dot", among others.

The trademark Hansacanyon reflects the design of the fitting. Water flows and wants to expand, so it must be carefully guided. An open "water channel" at the bottom forms the water-guiding canyon. The water becomes visible to users straight after its exit from the wall and gushes over the end of the Canyon into the deep in a wide arc. Only with the water itself does the overall effect of the static fitting and the dynamically flowing water come into its own. Whilst the "water experience" is to the fore, Hansacanyon helps conserving the precious resource thanks to its water volume restriction.

Mind you, water can do a lot more, and therefore the developers entrusted water with another task. While commonly the water temperature is indicated more or less accurately by the position of the ­regulator, Canyon delegates this function to the water itself. Depending on the measured temperature of the water, ­light-emitting diodes combine blue (cold) or red (warm) light with the flowing water while still in the wall. The water functions as an optical conductor, similar to glass fibers, and makes sure that the information about the temperature is carried to the outside. The color effect is reinforced by a glass panel at the bottom of the ­canyon. In order to incorporate this function without interfering "superstructures" for control purposes in the bathroom wall, the fitting is regulated by key control. The required cold/warm mixing function is ­reliably performed by a miniature drive concealed in the wall or under the vanity.

Small, quiet, durable

For universal applicability and convenient installation the visible water dispenser component is separated from the temperature regulation. Bulky mechanical mixer components could not be concealed underneath the fitting; a miniature motor with attached transmissions regulates the cold/warm distribution of the water ­current according to the key input of the operator. For this purpose electronic components analyze the key input and in turn issue electric commands to the control motor of the mixer. Although it is important for user convenience that the driving mechanism works very quietly, it should deliver a high torque already during startup and respond immediately even after prolonged standstill. It goes without ­saying that the driving mechanism is absolutely maintenance-free and has a long life. The motto is "install and forget it", after all the Canyon has to deliver water reliably for years. With a diameter of only 22 mm and a power output of approx. 4W the precious-metal commutated DC motor delivers a torque of up to 1Nm at the output shaft depending on the attached transmission, more than sufficient to ­operate the mixer. The wide gear ­reduction range of 19:1 to 23014:1 for 22 mm motors allows the fine tuning of the ­output speed for all applications and ­purposes.

Today’s state-of-the-art miniature drives allow practical solutions that noone could imagine a short while ago. The great ­variety of available miniature motors with their accessories corresponds to the bandwidth of potential applications.

Even the most difficult drive demands can be reliably implemented with today’s motors. From slightly modified standard models to application-specific drive motor constructions, the minimotor specialist will always find a suitable and cost ­effective solution.