Visitors to Somfy’s stand at BBSA’s Showcase ‘08 declared themselves pleased with the show and even more impressed with Somfy’s demonstration of part of its Home Motion range of products.

Products attracting interest included the Dexxo Pro garage door opener, simple and user-friendly, compliant with relevant safety legislation, with a choice of belt and chain rail systems, Dexxo Pro is suitable for motorising most garage door types up to 15m2.

For awnings, new to Somfy’s offering is the Sunis WireFree RTS autonomous sun sensor.  With no wires and no batteries, it is powered by its internal rechargeable solar cell. Add this to your existing Eolis RTS wind sensor-enabled awning installation and hey presto, you have an awning that protects you, your furnishings and itself – and continues to operate safely even when you’re not at home.

Also on show was the Glystro 25 motorised curtain track, available now, for powering up to 25kg (total weight of paired curtains) on up to 12m of track, with the slimline motor discreetly hidden behind the curtain, providing smooth, quiet control. In mid 2008 the Glystro 50 for carrying up to 50kg curtains weight will also be available. A unique feature of these motors is that manual operation is still possible, without causing damage to the motor or track.

The stars of the Somfy stand however were undoubtedly the Sonesse quiet motors – the ST30 with its discreet white head for interior blinds and its larger brother, the ST50, for powering larger blinds and projection screens – and the range of WireFree products. The WireFree range are battery operated motors and provide a long-awaited solution to those occasions where a customer has already decorated their home and understandably does not wish to risk disruption to décor by installing electric wiring. They are also ideal for window treatments sited in locations to which it is too difficult to run electric wiring. 

The WireFree Roll-up LT30 is a battery-operated motor for roller blinds and solutions and is available to suit a number of popular tube sizes in the market today. There is also the Tilt Only motor for 50mm wooden Venetians also available now. Look out in mid 2008 for the enhanced version of the tilt only motor, with integrated RTS, and also later in 2008 for the new CT32 WireFree motor for cord lift applications. Somfy demonstrated its battery operated cord-lift motor in a Roman blind at the Showcase which created quite a stir.

Add to these exciting developments the Telis Modulis RTS remote control, demonstrated at the Showcase precisely controlling the tilt of Venetian slats, and the Composio RTS remote control handset for controlling up to 20 products or groups of products, and it is clear that Somfy’s ‘Home Motion’ vision of the fully automated home is really becoming evident.

The Home Motion vision holds that products in the home (be they blinds, awnings, curtains, gates, garage doors, projection screens) should operate to achieve maximum efficiency, comfort and security.  These aims have been key for some time in the commercial business sector, along with the need to reduce operational costs and energy consumption, and Somfy works with architects and specifiers in solutions for large commercial buildings to achieve savings and efficiencies.