Development and production of aluminium tail lifts for commercial vehicles since 1981
Gerd Bär GmbH
Heilbronn, Germany · Šiauliai, LithuaniaNew on Amplifa
About BÄR Cargolift
Gerd Bär GmbH, based in Heilbronn, has been developing and producing tail lifts (Bär Cargolift) for commercial vehicles since 1981. The traditional Heilbronn site focuses on the core competence of aluminium processing as well as assembly and logistics; there, extruded aluminium profiles are machined into BAplan platforms on a modern machining centre with automatic profile extraction and sensor technology. Two welding robots join the profiles into platforms. In 2021, a second plant, Bär Baltic Production, was established in Šiauliai, Lithuania, which produces sheet metal parts and welded assemblies from steel; highly dynamic 7-axis welding robots work there in synchronisation with real-time machine data acquisition. In addition to its hardware products, the family-owned company offers digital solutions such as the MyCargolift product configurator, the HowToCargoLift online driver training and the Bär CargoTracking RFID system. Production in Lithuania is CO2-neutral, and since 2023 the roof of the Heilbronn production hall has been home to a photovoltaic system with 749 kW peak output.
- Site
- Heilbronn
- Processes
- Aluminium processing (machining of aluminium profiles), Welding (welded steel assemblies, 7-axis welding robots), Sheet metal part manufacturing, Assembly and logistics, Development and production of tail lifts (Cargolift), Aluminium processing, Welded assemblies, HowToCargoLift online driver training
- Materials
- Aluminium, Aluminium extruded profile, Stainless steel (SteelTop), Steel (sheet metal parts, welded assemblies), Steel, Stainless steel
- Certificates
- Energy audit, 100% electricity from renewable energies
- Founded
- 1981
- Industries
- Commercial vehicles/body building, Transport and logistics, Automotive supply industry
- 01
Aluminium profile extraction and machining (Heilbronn)
- 02
Welding of the platforms (welding robots)
- 03
Sheet metal part and welded assembly production (Šiauliai)
- 04
Assembly
- 05
Logistics and spare parts shipping
Materials and Processes
Aluminium
Extruded aluminium profiles form the basis of the BAplan platforms of the Bär Cargolifts.
Steel
Processed at the Šiauliai site into sheet metal parts and welded assemblies.
Stainless steel
Used for the SteelTop product variant.
Production Sites
Heilbronn
DEProduction (aluminium processing, assembly, logistics), administration
- Materials
- Aluminium
- Machining centre for aluminium profiles with automatic profile extraction and sensor technology
- 2 welding robots
- Photovoltaic system (749 kW)
Šiauliai (Bär Baltic Production)
LTProduction of sheet metal parts and welded assemblies
- Materials
- Steel
- Highly dynamic 7-axis welding robots with synchronised operation and real-time machine data acquisition
Components and Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium processing (machining of aluminium profiles)Machining | – | – | – | – | Aluminium |
| Welding (welded steel assemblies, 7-axis welding robots)Joining | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Sheet metal part manufacturingForming | – | – | – | – | Steel |
| Assembly and logisticsAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machining centre for aluminium profiles (automatic profile extraction, sensor technology) | – | 1 | – | 2019 | Heilbronn, Germany |
| Welding robots (7-axis, highly dynamic, synchronised, real-time machine data acquisition) | – | – | – | 2021 | Šiauliai, Lithuania (Bär Baltic Production) |
| Welding robots | – | 2 | – | 2019 | Heilbronn, Germany |
Additional services
Quality and Sustainability
BÄR manufactures at both sites with modern, partially automated production technology; the welding robots in Šiauliai record all machine data in real time. Energy audits at both production sites (2022/2023) and CO2-neutral production of the welded assemblies in Lithuania are part of the sustainability management.
| Evidence | Heilbronn | Šiauliai (Bär Baltic Production) |
|---|---|---|
| Energy audit | ||
| 100% electricity from renewable energies |
Company History
- 1981
Company founded by Gerd Bär
- 2014
Bär SmartControl remote control; new BAplan aluminium platform with 45 mm profiles
- 2016
BC 750 S2L weighing only 160 kg at the IAA; SteelTop; MyCargolift
- 2017
Bär Control EVO; eBC Controller PRO with CAN bus data interface
- 2018
Bär NightGuide; Bär CargoTracking
- 2019
EUR 3.5 million investment in the Heilbronn site (aluminium processing, welding robots)
- 2020
Bär SmartControl CabControl
- 2021
Bär Baltic Production in Šiauliai, Lithuania; CO2-neutral production; DIN 4630; EasyFold; HowToCargoLift
- 2023
VisionAssist assistance system; photovoltaic system in Heilbronn (749 kW peak output); energy audits at both production sites
- 2024
IAA 2024: NightGuide as a study device for direction indicators; continuously variable speed control
- 2025
Death of founder Gerd Bär in February