30 years of crane technology from Albaching: Altmann Fördertechnik celebrates company anniversary

(Foto: Altmann Fördertechnik) / (Photo: Altmann Fördertechnik)

Robert Altmann, Achim Altmann; Geschäftsführer der Altmann GmbH (Foto: Altmann Fördertechnik) / Robert Altmann, Achim Altmann; Management Team - Altmann GmbH (Photo: Altmann Fördertechnik)

Team Altmann (Foto: Altmann Fördertechnik) / Team Altmann (Photo: Altmann Fördertechnik)

Altmann Fördertechnik celebrates its 30th anniversary in June. The manufacturer of special and custom cranes has turned a small Upper Bavarian village near Lake Chiemsee into a technology centre. Cranes with a lifting capacity of up to 30 tonnes and a span of up to 30 metres that meet the highest clean room standards are manufactured here in the district of Rosenheim, around 45 km east of Munich. Founded 30 years ago by Josef and Robert Altmann, the family business with around 50 employees has developed into a crane specialist whose solutions are in demand worldwide. 

Transporting loads without dirt particles escaping into the air. This is the simple denominator of what is being worked on in Albaching. However, the amount of ‘brainpower’ behind the developments is not visible on the outside of the end product. The employees play a large part in the successful projects and the development of new innovations - such as the semi-automatic crane with pendulum damping. Robert and Achim Altmann, who run Altmann Fördertechnik in tandem, are proud of their employees, who always want to push the boundaries of what is technically feasible in their profession and thus set standards in the industry. Take the world's largest cleanroom crane, for example. This twin crane can lift 60 tonnes in synchronised operation - and with an accuracy of +/- 1 mm! It is used by a well-known optics company in Baden-Württemberg to lift vacuum chambers. Robert Altmann says:  ‘As far as I know, there are only two other companies in the world capable of manufacturing cleanroom cranes of this size.’

‘In contrast, the first cleanroom crane that I designed and manufactured together with my father had a lifting capacity of 500 kilograms,’ recalls Robert Altmann, adding with a grin: ‘However, the cleanrooms back then also had rather “cute” dimensions and the loads were manageable.’ The first crane was manufactured within three months. The special feature: the particle emissions were so low that they met the required cleanroom conditions.

Because every speck of dust counts

The trick is to combine the materials in such a way that abrasion and outgassing are minimised as far as possible. As a result, all cables, screw connections, electrical components, sensors, the hoist and the electric belt hoist are concealed ‘cleanly and safely’ under a housing. The load belts are also made of a special material that is maintenance-free and hardly expands at all. Interesting to know: The particle emissions of a standard hoist are around a hundred times higher than those of a cleanroom crane.

This first development of a cleanroom crane in 2008 laid the foundation for further specialisation in cleanroom cranes, and the company was able to win orders from four industries that were showing increasing demand: The semiconductor industry, the pharmaceutical and defence industries and aerospace technology. On average, around 100 cranes leave the production halls in Albaching every year.

A brief look back at the beginnings

The specialisation in cleanroom cranes was not a given from the outset. Josef and Robert Altmann had the company Altmann Fördertechnik entered in the commercial register in June 1995. Josef Altmann contributed his contacts and his incredible business acumen, Robert Altmann his sound business and technical knowledge. Two years later, son Achim also joined the company. The commercial specialist had completed a degree in industrial engineering. He has been a member of the management team since 2008. Before founding the company, father Josef worked as a sales representative for crane systems and was branch manager at Günter Stahl in Munich. Josef and Robert Altmann had recognised that companies had an increasing need for customised crane systems, so the idea was born to develop individual special cranes tailored to the needs of customers. Five years after the company was founded in Ebersberg in the east of Munich, the opportunity arose to move to Albaching. In 2000, the first factory building was constructed there, which still stands today. In 2012, a larger plot of land was acquired in the east of Albaching. Another production hall was put into operation in 2015. Today, two production halls and the administration building are located on 11,000 square metres, where the special cranes and special systems are designed and manufactured.

Today, Altmann Fördertechnik employs 53 people and is currently training eight young people. The foundations are laid here for five different professions: Mechatronics technician, industrial mechanic, cutting machine operator, construction mechanic and technical product designer.

Altmann Fördertechnik offers interested pupils the opportunity to ‘get a taste’ of the world of cranes during a one-week work placement. Young people can thus gain an insight into whether they would like to ‘tinker’ here at the Upper Bavarian pioneer in crane technology. Anyone interested in an apprenticeship also has a good chance of securing a training place this autumn. Apart from the technical product designer apprenticeship, there are still places available - and applicants are welcome.

A high level of vertical integration makes us independent

Altmann Fördertechnik has its own welding line in its production halls, where the box girders are manufactured in-house. "We build our crane systems completely in-house, draw and develop them and take care of all the structural calculations. The control systems are planned, built and programmed in-house," explains Robert Altmann. Only the powder coating is outsourced. Even gear wheels, gears and cable drums are manufactured by the company's own employees to ensure high quality. The centrepiece of production is the area where the so-called marriage takes place. This is where the supporting structures and box girders are ‘married’ to the control system, i.e. the electronic components are installed in the crane system. This is followed by the in-house test stand, where the crane systems are put through their paces before delivery.

The high level of vertical integration of well over 70 per cent paid off, especially during the coronavirus crisis and the start of the war in Ukraine. With the exception of the supply of electronic components and steel, the company was largely independent of suppliers.

International reputation increases

The fact that the company has gained a national and international reputation as a crane specialist is demonstrated by these special projects: the Movable Skylights in Mecca, numerous clean room projects in other European countries and the sliding wall for the Bundeswehr memorial in Berlin.

In 2009, the memorial for German soldiers was inaugurated on the grounds of the Bendlerblock in front of the Ministry of Defence in Berlin. Altmann was commissioned with the overall concept for the sliding wall to protect the memorial. "Thanks to our experience in special crane construction, we were able to impress with our concept. The complete realisation of the sliding wall, including the creation of a verifiable static calculation and the circuit diagrams, was carried out in-house," recalls Robert Altmann. Achim Altmann adds: "The particular challenges lay in the fact that the sliding wall had to be functional up to wind force 7 and, with a size of 18.25 x 8 metres, offered a large area exposed to the wind. We synchronised the drives electronically and integrated the entire technology into the frame of the sliding wall. Secondly, the wall had to be burglar-proof thanks to a hydraulic locking system that had to be invisible from the outside."

Altmann's concept and execution were also convincing for an unusual project in Mecca. Riva Engineering developed and installed a series of twelve roof structures for the Holy Mosque - the Movable Skylights. Altmann Fördertechnik was responsible for the drive and lifting system used to raise, open and close the twelve mosque roofs fully automatically. ‘The particular challenge here was the high safety requirements, as in the event of a fire, moving the roofs serves to extract smoke from the mosques,’ says Robert Altmann.

In recent years, Altmann Fördertechnik has increasingly handled international orders. Although the core business remains in Germany and Europe, cranes manufactured in Upper Bavaria have also been exported to Asia, South America and Africa. The management and employees see three recent awards as confirmation of their work to date and as an incentive for further innovations.

Award-winning innovations

In 2023, the crane specialist ‘bagged’ two awards. Altmann was one of eight companies to be honoured with the Bavarian SME Award 2023. The award recognises Bavarian companies that act as ‘pillars of society’ and act as role models in their region: because they develop innovative products, operate sustainably and are perceived as an attractive employer. In the same year, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) honoured an innovation from Altmann with third place in the ‘REINER’ cleanliness technology award at LOUNGES2023 in Karlsruhe. A year earlier, the semi-automatic crane with pendulum damping had been nominated for the Cleanzone innovation award. The specially developed cleanroom crane transports machine parts to the desired assembly or production location with millimetre precision. The pendulum damping integrated into the semi-automatic crane ensures that no vibrations occur and that the load does not swing up during the transport process. Managing Director Achim Altmann: "Without pendulum damping, the precise positioning of the object takes a lot of time and requires both calmness and skill. The electronic pendulum damping makes work easier for employees and reduces the risk of accidents." This innovation therefore helps to increase work safety in cleanrooms.

Sustainably into the future

Thanks to a PV system and connected cold-water heat pump, Altmann Fördertechnik is able to cover its own electricity requirements in production and administration. 200 KWp PV modules covering 1,400 m2 were installed on the roof of the production hall, generating significantly more electricity than Altmann needs itself. When selecting suppliers, the company takes care to work with regional companies: Machinists and aluminium foundries are located in the immediate vicinity.

In future, Altmann will increasingly focus on solutions that support the automation of material flow processes and increase productivity, which are increasingly in demand in view of the shortage of skilled labour. The order books are full. Thanks to the expertise and passion of its employees, Altmann believes it is ideally positioned to meet the challenges of the coming years. The employees identify strongly with the company - because above all they contribute to setting standards in cleanroom crane technology.