A strong history of building world-class operating tables

In Getinge’s factory in Rastatt, Germany, employees have been building operating tables for decades. Let’s meet a few of them to find out what it’s like to create one of the centerpieces of the operating room.

Getinge’s operating tables assembled in the Rastatt factory in Germany are modular, ergonomic and can be used across multiple surgical disciplines such as general surgery, orthopedics surgery, traumatology surgery as well as image-guided surgery. There is also a wide range of accessories allowing optimal patient positioning.

“We have a large, passionate team working with these products. Team work, constant development and reaching common targets is important to us,” says Benedikt Wisser, who has been with Getinge for eight years and is today Head of Assembly.

He explains that especially the last years have been extra challenging for the team, working in a strange and limiting situation due to the ongoing pandemic.

“Even though times have been hard and we haven’t had the possibility to work from home, we have kept on going, to make sure we can continue deliver highly needed world-class solutions to medical teams around the world.”

Sebastian Huegli, Director of Surgical Workflows Operations in Rastatt agrees:

“When needed, we have even managed to increase production also during this time. We operate across the entire value stream and avoid working in silos. Serving our customers is top priority and at the same time maintaining quality and looking for continuous ways to improve. Everyone is doing a great job; we have many talents who are supporting the needs together.”

Two of them are Julian Enderle and Sebastian Falk. Julian joined Getinge already in 2009 as a trainee and is today a Team Speaker for one of the work groups in the assembly line.

“My dad works here and even my grandpa did, so I am the third generation in my family building Getinge’s operating tables. I am proud to be part of the company. For me it feels like a family tradition,” Julian says and smiles.

In his role as a Team Speaker he is driving initiatives to improve teamwork in the group even more. While assembling the operating tables, he is especially passionate about finding new solutions to any obstacles that might occur.

“I always want to improve. We have tight cooperation with the R&D team and whenever we have ideas for improvements seen on the factory floor we bring them forward for discussion.”

Sebastian Falk started out as an engineer in the assembly line, and is today Team Lead for Supply Planning.

“The career opportunities at Getinge are great. If you have ambitions you are definitely in the right place to get the chance to develop yourself.”

His position is central as he collaborates with many teams to make sure all supplies are at hands when needed, which has clearly been a challenge during the pandemic.

“What we do has strong impact on serving our customers. Working with supply planning means constant learning and I never have a dull moment at work,” he says.

They all agree it’s rewarding to work with products that play such an important role in saving lives of people all over the world:

“Top quality operating tables such as Alphamaquet 1150, Alphamaxx and Otesus have been produced here for decades, so we have a strong history. They are well-known at hospitals all over the world, but also very familiar to people here in Rastatt where we are a major employer.”

Learn more about Getinge's operating tables

This text is intended for an audience outside of the US.