A Generous Dose of Inventive Spirit: From the Stone-Crushing Machine to the Cheese Press
In the 1970s and 1980s, WINTERSTEIGER’s inventive spirit produced some impressive—though rarely profitable—results. Unique inventions or small production runs included, among others, a cheese-pressing plant for the Seifried dairy in Aspach, machines for manufacturing sail battens for former Olympic Tornado sailor Hubert Porkert, machines for stringing tennis rackets in the Division Sports, machines for producing industrial loom tools for the Swiss company Grob, a rock-crushing machine for the gravel plant in the Mining Division, welding equipment for roof tarps and steel-frame buildings, and much more.
A One-of-a-Kind Invention: Chromosome Preparation Device
Commissioned by Professor Stranzinger, a biologist at ETH Zurich, Johann Wintersteiger developed a blood centrifuge for chromosome preparation in 1972. At the time, Johann Wintersteiger was the managing director and chief designer and gladly accepted this technical challenge. The “Bluatschleida” was built and put to use at the institute. Financially, the project was not successful and was therefore discontinued.
On the Road to Mass Production: The Tree-Planting Machine
In 1975, the client, Opitz Großbaumverpflanzung, ordered a tree-planting machine larger than any already available on the market. Franz Spießberger designed a digging and planting machine that dug a hole 2 meters in diameter, used the same tips to grasp the tree, and replanted it. Originally, the tips were angled and did not adapt well to the roots. WINTERSTEIGER therefore switched to round tips. Approximately 15 machines were built for Opitz; WINTERSTEIGER did not pursue further marketing of the machine.
A Frequent Request: Articulated Lifts
Between 1970 and 1985, WINTERSTEIGER built several articulated lifts, including some for the BMW plant in Steyr. The lifts were used there for maintenance work in the factory hall. WINTERSTEIGER was able to build the articulated lifts in a more compact design than its competitors.