Why Textile Sun Protection is Becoming an Increasingly Important Business Area for SELVE

Textile sun protection systems come with specific requirements depending on the application. SELVE has developed a range of innovative product solutions precisely tailored to each system. “All of them reflect our high level of innovation,” says Andreas Böck. “They are based on customer needs, which we have incorporated in order to overcome existing challenges.” As a “relatively new player” in the competitive awning market, the company from Lüdenscheid sees strong potential for growth. “We have powerful door-openers in our portfolio,” explains the SELVE Managing Director. One such innovation is the SE Breeze-com, which won the gold award at last year’s R+T trade fair. “We are still very proud of the innovation award,” Böck emphasises. The SELVE-developed motor features a unique wind protection function that combines two products in one. Whether for high-end articulated arm awnings or other textile applications, the Breeze motor ensures optimal protection and smooth operation thanks to its integrated automatic wind detection.

New Solutions, New Functions
The unique drive system makes traditional wind sensors entirely redundant – saving both time and money. “This product also demonstrates what SELVE has always stood for: we develop tailored products that offer customers new technical solutions,” says Andreas Böck. “We have the core competencies in-house, enabling us to develop both the hardware and software ourselves.” To further complement the sun protection range, SELVE now offers a new outdoor light sensor for convenient awning control: the commeo Light Send Outdoor enables automatic operation based on sunlight levels. In addition, customer-specific adaptations for textile sun protection are also available. “We offer our specialist partners a unique opportunity to use a test motor to determine the torque curve for their specific awning and sun protection systems – and then to tailor the drive software precisely to those requirements,” explains the Managing Director. This is now further enhanced by a new generation of round motor heads. SELVE has developed two versions – compatible with the most common motor brackets and suitable for use up to 50 Nm. These new overwindable round heads can be used with all drive types for awnings and zip screen applications

Problem-Solving Solutions for Zip Screen Customers
Close collaboration with customers is also essential when it comes to the motorisation of zip screens. “We recognised early on that this is an extremely important growth market requiring specialised solutions,” explains Andreas Böck. SELVE was the first to introduce a zip screen motor to the market – the SEZ Antrieb – that automatically sets itself and includes advanced protection features such as sensitive obstacle detection. “Anyone who has set up a sun protection system using our drive with the simple ‘up – down – done’ principle is immediately impressed – and fully convinced after testing the obstacle detection,” Böck adds. The SEZ, which has long proven itself in practice, was developed based on detailed customer input: SELVE conducted surveys with zip screen manufacturers and integrated the most requested functions and smart features into the product. “Our drive even served as a benchmark for many competitors – and has been copied often,” notes Böck. The sustained market success of the SEZ speaks for itself: every year, tens of thousands of units are delivered to a leading European zip screen manufacturer. And its relevance continues to grow, especially in Germany. Thanks to the newly developed SEZ-NHK, zip screens can now be used for the first time in second escape and rescue routes. This innovative emergency exit drive is, as Böck puts it, a “real problem-solver and a world first” – and represents another strong door-opener: “We’re already in promising talks with several German manufacturers for the 2026 season,” says the SELVE Managing Director.

Closing a Market Gap
As a “prime example” of how customer requirements are implemented, the SEZ-NHK effectively closes a gap in the market. “Every construction project should include an emergency operation option – until now, this wasn’t available for zip screens,” says Andreas Böck. “We had extensive discussions with industry professionals beforehand and developed a simple yet brilliantly effective solution.” With the SEZ-NHK, the fabric can be manually opened via hand crank in the event of a power failure. A mechanical freewheel ensures complete operating safety – the zip screen can only be cranked in the correct upward direction. This innovation also earned recognition at the R+T trade fair: the freewheel mechanism received the Silver Innovation Award. “We are the only provider offering such an emergency opening solution,” emphasises the SELVE Managing Director. “Our goal is to develop products that offer real, practical benefits to our customers.”

Additional Focus on Solar Solutions
This applies to all SELVE solutions – including solar technology, as emphasised by Andreas Böck. Following the successful market launch of a solar set for autonomous and sustainable roller shutter operation, SELVE is now targeting additional applications in textile sun protection. “We already offer a 10-newton-metre version and are currently back in discussions with customers to assess market needs – such as solar drives up to 50 newton metres,” says Böck. SELVE also aims to offer the full range of electronic drive shut-off types – including those with movable motor heads – as equivalent versions in the solar sector. “That means we are building a rounded, future-ready portfolio for this technology.” The foundation for this is SELVE’s proven modular system, which allows perfectly matched hardware configurations. By the end of the year, the company plans to launch a 20-newton-metre solar motor. These latest product developments confirm that tailored solutions for awnings and zip screens are becoming increasingly important for SELVE. “We have a clear strategy for where we want to go in this field. In future, we aim to generate ten percent of our revenue from it,” says Böck.

About Selve

SELVE is a global market leader in the field of roller shutter belt winders and a sought-after specialist for drives and controls in the areas of roller shutters and textile sun protection. Based in Lüdenscheid, Sauerland, SELVE represents a high level of expertise in the development and production of roller shutter components as well as innovative drives and controls for sun protection as a medium-sized family-owned company. Founded over 150 years ago in 1866 at its current location, SELVE remains under the ownership of the founding family to this day.