We take on even the craziest of projects!
For “Project Juist”, the sky was the limit!
A newly developed drive system was to be introduced to the world public in a spectacular way. The location chosen for the event was the landmark of the East Frisian island of Juist — its water tower. "Straight up the water tower" was the challenge. WEBER's team was tasked with realizing this spectacular project for the marketing department.
Challenging Conditions
The forklift, weighing 2.5 tons, was to climb a vertical height difference of 12 meters under its own power. The setup had to be freestanding, since it was prohibited to attach mounts or supports to the water tower. No modifications affecting the vehicle's characteristics were permitted on the forklift (such as a winch or similar). Since there is no motor vehicle traffic on the island of Juist (with the exception of fire trucks and ambulances), the structure had to be designed so that transport could be carried out easily using the local horse-drawn carts.
A Well-Thought-Out Solution
WEBER's team designed and built a 3.5-ton, 15-meter-high, foldable steel drive ramp. For power transmission and safety, two chains were laid in the drive channel, and two sprockets were fitted to the forklift's drive axle. To prevent the battery from leaking (an environmental protection measure), it was removed and reconnected to the forklift using long guide cables. Then came the day of the presentation — would the undertaking succeed? A professional stunt performer climbed onto the forklift and pressed the pedal. Without difficulty, he moved the heavy vehicle 12 meters upward. Mission accomplished!
A Shared Success
With this successfully completed project, WEBER and its customer achieved a win-win outcome: the customer was able to promote the quality of its vehicles through an attention-grabbing, spectacular campaign — while WEBER's team demonstrated its well-coordinated cross-departmental collaboration. Teamwork that brings even unconventional ideas and experiments to life in record time.
