Rosenbauer is the world’s leading manufacturer of fire fighting vehicles for defensive fire and disaster protection. The company’s product range includes municipal fire engines and hydraulic aerial appliances, fire-fighting vehicles for airports and industrial facilities, fire extinguishing systems and equipment specific to fire brigades.
Since 2003, Spirit Design has been responsible for the design of all vehicles of the Rosenbauer Group and most of the rest of its products. In the course of the development of the top model, Panther, Spirit Design has developed a Visual Product Language. In this way, the core brand values such as innovation, safety and performance are communicated across the entire product spectrum of the group in a visual way.
Rosenbauer CFT
Das elektrische Feuerwehr Fahrzeug der Zukunft
Der Concept Fire Truck (CFT) steht für das nachhaltige Feuerwehrfahrzeug der Zukunft. Technologische und gesellschaftliche Trends wurden konsequent angesprochen: Digitalisierung und Elektrifizierung, Ageing und Diversity. Die Entwicklungsingenieure legten in enger Zusammenarbeit mit Spirit Design ihr Augenmerk gezielt auf die Fahrzeugarchitektur, um zukünftige Anforderungen an die Feuerwehren konsequent zu berücksichtigen: neben Brandeinsätzen vermehrt Technik- und Rettungseinsätze.
Das optimierte, multifunktionale und modulare Raumkonzept bietet allem Equipment Platz, das Feuerwehren für unterschiedliche Einsätze benötigen. CFT ist Löschfahrzeug, Hilfeleistungsfahrzeug, Universalfahrzeug und Rettungsfahrzeug in einem, welches sich mit wenigen Handgriffen umgestalten lässt, sodass man darin ebenfalls Verletzte medizinisch erstbehandeln und liegend transportieren kann.
Panther 2015
The New PANTHER-Generation 6×6 und 4×4 versions
The time had finally come 10 years after the presentation of the first PANTHER in Spirit Design look: the new generation was officially presented to the global public at Interschutz 2015. The strictly confidential design development process lasted for three years. In close cooperation with Rosenbauer, Spirit Design was responsible for the PANTHER’s exterior look, interior design and cockpit display, developed the product logo and also managed the visual staging of this premium vehicle via trade fair labeling, product information and pictograms.
Striking design shows power
The styling of the new PANTHER generation was consistently developed based on the integrated design language defined for Rosenbauer. The striking design underlines the safety, operating comfort and performance of the Rosenbauer flagship. The vehicle design clearly conveys the strategic product message from the very first glance: the new PANTHER is the world’s most innovative, cutting-edge, powerful and reliable airport rescue and firefighting truck and thus a benchmark for the entire industry. The design of the new PANTHER was particularly optimized with regard to occupant safety, extinguishing performance and operating comfort. As the result of the successful collaboration between Rosenbauer and Spirit Design, the impressive flagship sets new benchmarks in aircraft fire protection.
Big cat ready to pounce in case of emergency
The Interschutz show model of the new PANTHER was as black as the big cat that shares its name. In addition, the trade fair labelling developed by Spirit Design supported the presentation with logo, product information and pictograms. Everything about the vehicle is redolent of power and elegance, from its main contours to the V-shape of the dramatic daytime driving lights. They are reminiscent of the eyes of the truck’s feline namesake and present the new generation in completely redesigned look. The revised cooling ribs accentuate the rear section and emphasize the vehicle’s powerful character. At the same time, the forward thrust of the silhouette and the lowered cab furnish the truck with a silhouette that indicates its readiness about to pounce in any emergency.
The various signature design elements do not leave a shadow of a doubt from any point of view – whether from the front, the side or behind – that the new PANTHER is the premium model of world market leader Rosenbauer. Moreover, the clear design language increases the functionality of the aircraft rescue and firefighting truck.
Highest safety with enhanced comfort
Crew safety was the top priority when designing the new PANTHER. Above all, the cabin now offers its occupants even greater protection. The new generation features an efficient and compact cabin with further enhanced ergonomics as well as operating comfort. The crew also has greater freedom of movement and the subjective sensation of increased space. The extinguishing technology is controlled from a central display at the center of the cockpit and ergonomically improved backlit joysticks or handles guide the monitors. The new X-frame in vehicle color forms a solid brace around the driver’s cab, while the slim line A-column and the removal of the C-column guarantee excellent all-round visibility. The crash-tested cabin with its many glass surfaces conveys the feeling of sitting in a helicopter cockpit.
The new PANTHER provides its driver with the latest assistance as well as special location and navigation systems. Even in darkness or poor visibility, the driver receives precise information regarding the route to the emergency scene. The new PANTHER also offers comfort of a standard previously unseen in a fire truck: electrically operated windows, electrically folding additional displays, rain sensor, automatic air conditioning, and an electrically darkened roof window are just some of the comfort features that the vehicle has to offer along with a separate document storage space for the co-driver, cup holders, etc.
Panther 8×8
Flagship: the PANTHER – Powerful language of forms
The Rosenbauer Panther airport fire engine has become a worldwide symbol of security and efficient fire protection at airports. In 2005, Spirit Design was commissioned with the design of the latest generation of the Panther. Our design was informed by technological and ergonometric factors, as well as by the enabling of the highest degree of cost-efficiency and of product-driven emotional impact.
The design emphasized the attributes of dynamics, performance, reliability and security. These stylistic elements operate in various directions: they have a positive impact on the persons responsible for investment decisions; they heighten the sense of security of airline passengers. The design imparted to PANTHER helped Rosenbauer achieve significant rates of revenue growth on international markets.
Visual Product Language
Unmistakable appearance
Our integrated approach permitted us to develop an end-to-end and unmistakable language of design (Visual Product Language) for the PANTHER. This comprised all vehicles and extinguishing systems from Rosenbauer. The VPL allows the group’s products to communicate its core strategic messages. The VPL has been used to configure the other new products developed since 2006. Its uniqueness imparts an optimal feeling of brand belonging to all products.
The powerful and puristic VPL visually expresses the brand’s core. It makes palatable Rosenbauer’s innovativeness, robustness and reliability. By doing such, the VPL plays a major role in convincing customers to buy the products. The language also augments the image of the Rosenbauer brand on international markets.
Compact Panther S 6×6
Ergonometric high-end extinguishing device
The PANTHER S 6×6 extended the successful range of products by offering vehicles of 2.5 width. These vehicles were also designed by Spirit Design. The PANTHER S 6X6 is precisely a half meter narrower that the extant icons of airports’ fleet of fire trucks. The new product is also lighter. This makes it ideal for use in small, regional airports. Its narrowness allows the vehicle to also be employed to deal with emergencies occurring off the airport’s premises. This is due to the vehicle’s being authorized for use on public thoroughfares. The design had to master the challenge of creating a product with its own identity, but one also showing its being part of Rosenbauer’s successful PANTHER range.
Spirit Design used the company’s flagship as the basis for its design of a new undercarriage superstructure and of a special-used vehicle featuring an evo- lutionary chassis. The vehicle has thus been repositioned on its market. As is the case with the entire PANTHER range, its design is characterized by the impressive frame sweeping back from the A column. The compact version of the PANTHER S 6×6 dispenses with the shrouding of the B column. This enabled the addition of large-sized expanses of glass. It also improves the 360° degree line of sight of the driver. The consistent application of the VPL (visual product language) developed by Spirit Design for Rosenbauer to give it an appearance-ramifying identity facilitated the creation of a strong link between the forms used in the new products and those found in the other members of the PANTHER line of products.
The RM 15 turret
Flexible and on target
In 2012, Spirit Design redesigned the RM 15 turret. Its integrated foam tube gives the water cannon a wide range of fire extinguishing applications. The turret also features electronic controls and an infrared camera providing an optimal view of the fire, even in cases of smoke. The RM 15 can be mounted on the fronts of vehicles – as is the case in the PANTHER models – and on roofs. This flexibility of use was taken into account –by allowing for a variety of rotations and thus of angles of training of extinguishing flows – in the design process.
Predecessor models were rather round and soft. The new RM 15 turret, however, features a clear-cut and robust VPL (visual product language) derived from the fire trucks and their add-ons. This enables the RM 15 to optimally set forth and ideally complement the VPL found in all other Rosenbauer products, thus giving rise to overall brand building, belonging and recognition. This striking turret has a symmetry signalizing dynamism and precision of spray. The separation into an upper and lower shell pares down the number of colors featured in the product. It also gives rise to a great deal of contrast. This emphasizes the above traits. The turret’s gray technical body is surrounded by two shells. Each is in the Rosenbauer red. This function-expressing design enabled Spirit Design to simplify production and to guarantee modularity of use.
AT
Strong Partner
Rosenbauer’s AT series consists of various fire trucks for use at a municipal level. Through the Visual Product Language, the AT models are clearly identifiable as members of the Rosenbauer product family. In addition to the stylistic featuring, it was of particular importance to focus on ergonomics. Pertaining to the task at hand, the challenge was to create a vehicle design that meets both functional and strategically communicative tasks optimally with limited creative leeway. Here, design proved its task at the interface of functionality, communication and aesthetics.
Metz swiveling ladder
Reaching high
Rosenbauer’s AT series consists of various fire trucks for use at a municipal level. Through the Visual Product Language, the AT models are clearly identifiable as members of the Rosenbauer product family. A particular focus of the stylistic featuring was ergonomics. Pertaining to the task at hand, the challenge was to create a vehicle design that meets both functional and strategically communicative tasks optimally with limited creative leeway. Here, design proved its task at the interface of functionality, communication and aesthetics.
Safety in Use
The tightly packed arrangement of the many functional components, instruments and equipment within the vehicles limited the creative freedom; everything had to be accommodated as logically and clearly as possible while saving on a maximum of space. Within these tight confines, Spirit Design managed to find a creative line that satisfies both key requirements: aesthetics and functionality.
Reaching Goals Efficiently
As part of the design development used, Spirit Design employs state of the art computer technology and highly efficient simulation methods. Using photo-realistic 3D images, Spirit Design is able to provide its customers with a very clear picture of the final product early on in the development stages. This allows us to make crucial decisions in the early stages and thereby shorten development processes. The time between design and market introduction (time-to-market) is reduced to a minimum.
