On 26 and 27 March 2026, Prof. Dr. Goedeke welcomed the VDI Technical Committee FA 304 "Cranes" at the Department of Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering to its biannual meeting. In addition to the university, the meeting was also hosted by Kranbau Köthen as a regional industry partner.
Insights at Kranbau Köthen
The event kicked off with a guided tour of Kranbau Köthen. The company is a global manufacturer of crane systems and specializes in large cranes such as casting and charging cranes. One of Kranbau Köthen's distinguishing features is that it manufactures the entire steel construction in its own halls. Kranbau Köthen is also an active cooperation partner for the EMW Department as part of the dual study program. After a brief introduction to the company, the participants toured the production facilities. The tour provided insights into the manufacturing processes and assembly procedures along the production chain.
City tour
On the afternoon of March 26, the event participants explored the host city of Campus Köthen on a guided tour of the historic old town and the campus. A joint dinner at Brauhaus Köthen provided a good and pleasant opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss current topics.
Mechanical Engineering at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences
On March 27, the event continued at the Hubertus Campus at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. During a guided tour of the mechanical engineering hall of the EMW Department, the group was able to view laboratory facilities, test stands and production equipment and talk to colleagues on site. There were lively discussions, particularly in the vehicle technology area in the intermediate building. The technical committee then met in Building 73, where the topics discussed included the VDI 2687 guideline on load handling equipment for containers, swap bodies and semi-trailers, VDI 5588 on rope end connections for wire ropes and VDI 3650 on securing cranes against drifting.
"In my opinion, the event was an exciting and successful meeting," sums up Prof. Dr. Goedeke. "In addition to the actual agenda and the technical discussion, I was very pleased with the positive feedback and technical suggestions regarding our equipment and our activities in teaching and research."
More information on the FA 304 "Cranes" technical committee
The FA 304 technical committee is anchored in the VDI Society for Production and Logistics and deals with issues relating to crane technology within materials handling technology. The focus is on the development of guidelines that summarize the state of the art and the basic principles for the design and use of crane systems. The members come from industrial companies, engineering offices and universities and work together on a voluntary basis. The meetings usually take place twice a year, once at the end of the year in Düsseldorf and once at different locations with a technical focus.
We would like to thank the Technical Committee for visiting our Department and Anhalt University of Applied Sciences!
