Brady

A future-proof working environment for Brady’s new site in Zele

For its brand-new facility in Zele, Brady—a supplier of safety signage and industrial identification—made a deliberate choice for quality, comfort, sustainability, and spatial efficiency. The building is not only a showcase of Brady’s own signage products, but also a prime example of smart behind-the-scenes technologies. Imtech was responsible for the complete package of electrical systems, from lighting to security and neatly concealed connections.

One building, three functions, countless technologies

The 10,000 m² site houses Brady’s production hall, warehouse, and offices—three spaces with their own specific electrical engineering requirements.

“The complexity mainly lay in the fact that you have three departments, each with its own deadlines and needs. By working in three shifts and coordinating everything well, the project progressed smoothly.” – Gino Van den Bossche, Assistant Project Manager at Imtech

Smart lighting with a focus on energy efficiency

Energy efficiency was a top priority throughout the entire building. Imtech installed custom DALI-controlled lighting featuring:

Presence detection in all offices: lights only turn on when someone is present and switch off automatically when the space is empty.
Light intensity control that adjusts brightness based on the amount of natural daylight.
Time-controlled zones: lighting is only active in areas where work is actually happening (e.g., in the morning on the receiving side of the warehouse and in the afternoon in the picking area). This prevents the entire 10,000 m² site from being illuminated continuously.

The lighting was also seamlessly integrated into the interior design, with round spotlights in the corridors, smart ceiling tiles in the offices, and warm ambient lighting in the stairwells. Imtech also installed the LED strips in the built-in cabinets.

Safety first

Safety is a crucial priority at Brady. Imtech handled all cabling, connections, and infrastructure for:

Intrusion detection and camera surveillance
Fire detection and aspirating units
Access control and videophony

All of this was carried out in collaboration with C-guard.

Technologies perfected down to the smallest detail

Throughout the entire building and surrounding areas, Imtech provided various connections—among others for the screens in the entrance hall and the displays in the stairwells, with all cabling neatly concealed behind a false wall. Imtech also handled the connections, cabling, and inverters for the rooftop PV installation, the distribution board controlling the electric vehicle chargers in the parking lot, and the charging points in the bicycle shed. The data cabling in the warehouse—at a height of 13–14 meters—added an extra challenge. The offices were equipped with underfloor cable ducts, ensuring that no cables remain visible.

“When it comes to finishing, nothing was left to chance. As always, we worked with high-quality materials and meticulously concealed connections.” – Gino Van den Bossche, Assistant Project Manager at Imtech

Spatial efficiency

Not only the technical aspects but also the spatial layout of the building is carefully considered and forward-thinking. The warehouse was constructed with significant height, creating vast storage capacity equipped with an automated Vertical Lift Movement (VLM) system that enables efficient storage and picking. Imtech provided the necessary power cables for this innovative system.

Smart control for guaranteed charged equipment

Brady’s warehouse includes a dedicated battery room where scissor lifts and other electrical equipment can be charged. To prevent operational issues, Imtech installed an additional smart control system. In the event of a power interruption and automatic reactivation, charging resumes without any manual intervention. This prevents situations where warehouse staff encounter delays in the morning because equipment was unexpectedly not charged.

Flexible infrastructure

Flexibility was the common thread throughout this project. In the production hall, Imtech installed detachable tap-off boxes, enabling machines to be moved easily. Each machine was given its own fuse, and the existing columns—with integrated cabling and compressed air—were used to add additional work sockets.

“This keeps the infrastructure flexible. When a machine is moved, everything can be adjusted quickly and safely. And thanks to the individual fuses, you avoid shutting down the entire production line if one machine encounters an issue.” – Gino Van den Bossche, Assistant Project Manager at Imtech

Energy needs were also planned with the future in mind:

An extra heavy-duty transformer and adapted inverters for the solar panels were installed to comply with the 2035 regulations.
A backup generator was added to ensure the continuity of essential processes.

The result: a future-proof working environment

The new Brady site is a proud showpiece for the company. Not only is the building a live showcase where Brady’s signage is consistently demonstrated (including signs, labels, lettering, and pictograms), but the technologies installed by Imtech also contribute—both visibly and invisibly—to the site’s comfort, safety, sustainability, and flexibility.

“With Imtech, everything went smoothly. If something came up, it was handled and resolved immediately. I rarely experience that.” – Katrien, Engineering & Industrialisation Manager EMEA, Brady

“The Imtech project managers have extensive technical knowledge, allowing them to respond quickly to new requests from our side.” – Inge, Strategic Sourcing and Real Estate Manager EMEA, Brady