References

We have already been able to apply our know-how to more than 400 bells in Europe. In addition to a mere condition assessment of the ringing conditions with respect to the ringing loads and the sound quality of bells, damage to bells and clappers was examined and repair concepts are worked out. In vibration-dynamically loaded towers, adjusted ringing conditions were determined and the preservation of the building fabric was verified by measurement.

To improve the sound development or to reduce the noise emission of ringing bells, clapper forms are used, which, in conjunction with individually adapted ringing concepts, enable a targeted sound excitation of bells.

T_Gelaeute

Frauenkirche in Munich: 10 bells from different eras

Cologne Cathedral: 11 bells from different eras

Freiburg Minster: 18 bells from the 13th century and from 1959

Bern Cathedral: 7 bells from different eras

St. Ursen Cathedral Solothurn: 6 bells from 1766/67

Cathedral of St. Nicholas Friborg (CH): 8 bells from the 14th-16th c.

Brunswick Cathedral: 3 bells from 1502

G_Gelaute

T_Glocken

Campanone of 1785 (≈9000kg) - Rome St. Peter's Basilica

Savoyarde from 1895 (18835kg) - Paris Sacre Coeur

Pummerin from 1951 (20130kg) - Vienna St. Stephen's Cathedral

Schwörglocke from 14th century (3500kg) - Ulm Minster

Gloriosa from 1497 (11450kg) - Erfurt Cathedral

Hosanna from 1258 (3290kg) - Freiburg Minster

‘Dicker Pitter’ from 1923 (≈24000kg) - Cologne Cathedral

G_Glocken

G_Stahl

T_Stahl

In times of material shortage or to reduce costs, bells were made of substitute materials, especially between the end of the 19th century and the middle of the 20th century. The best known replacement materials are

Euphon and Brilon special bronze (copper based)
Iron hard casting and cast steel (iron based)

To analyze the durability and stress resistance of bells made of these substitute materials, the following peals of bells have been investigated and some of them have already been redeveloped to preserve and improve sound quality:

Auferstehungskirche Karlsruhe-Rüppurr: 4 cast steel bells (Bochumer Verein of 1921)
St. Georg in Ellingen: 4 cast steel bells (Bochumer Verein from 1922)
St. Nikolaus Hofstetten: 3 Euphonglocken (Erdinger bell foundry 1950)

T_Kloeppel

To extend the life and to improve the sound development of ringing bells, more than 100 clappers have been individually calculated and designed for bells.

Also for special ringing situations clappers were specially adapted: