Carbon-based ladder makes saving lives easier

(CONNECT) Researchers from OST - Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences and the company Carrosserie Rusterholz, which is based in Richterswil in the Swiss canton of Zurich, have developed a new ladder made from carbon. This new rescue ladder is easy to handle and reduces response times in emergency situations, as detailed in a statement issued by the university.

At present, 150 of these ladders are already being used in 16 cantons of Switzerland. The canton of Zurich’s Protection & Rescue Service has equipped nearly all of its emergency response vehicles with the new ladder, including those used at the airport. In addition to improved operational capabilities, the production process has also been optimized. While Carrosserie Rusterholz was previously able to produce 20 rescue ladders per year, a new process now allows for the production of 200 ladders across the same time frame.

The carbon ladder, which is known as the Carbon Rescue Tool, was further developed for series production by a team under the leadership of Gion Barandun from OST in collaboration with Carrosserie Rusterholz. This ladder weighs just 50 kilograms, as against previous versions made from wood or aluminum that could weigh up to 120 kilograms. “The difference is stark: it is simply far lighter. In an emergency, we can now set up a ladder with just two people, instead of the four to six people we would have needed in the past”, as Clot Müller, deputy commander and instructor of the Rapperswil-Jona fire department comments in the statement. Aside from being faster to set up, the new ladder also offers significant advantages in terms of stability and enhanced safety.

Series production has been significantly improved by a new milling machine developed by Marcel Jucker at Carrosserie Rusterholz. The series version of the new ladder was subsequently tested by Dominik Stapf, Head of Testing Technology at the Institute for Materials Engineering and Plastics Processing (IWK). ce/ww