Development and manufacture of customised ambulances and special-purpose vehicles, from one-offs to large-scale series.
Wietmarscher Ambulanz- und Sonderfahrzeug GmbH
Emsbüren · Ostaszewo · Burton upon TrentNew on Amplifa
About WAS
Wietmarscher Ambulanz- und Sonderfahrzeug GmbH (WAS) has been developing and manufacturing customised ambulances and special-purpose vehicles since 1987 for emergency medical services, patient transport, disaster control, authorities and the military. The portfolio includes emergency and patient transport vehicles with box bodies, off-road 4x4 special-purpose vehicles, neonatal transport vehicles and battery-electric e-ambulances. At the core of production is the in-house developed WAS VacuTherm® box body, a process based on technologies from aircraft construction; around 90% of vehicle conversion work is done by hand. WAS produces one-off vehicles, small series and large series and supports customers from development through delivery to maintenance, repair and spare parts service, with operational readiness within 48 hours in the event of a service case. More than 450 employees work at the headquarters in Emsbüren, and worldwide the number exceeds 800; another production plant is located in Ostaszewo (Poland), complemented by WAS UK in Burton upon Trent for sales and service in Great Britain. The vehicles are in operation via a worldwide network of representatives and service partners in more than 40 countries.
- Site
- Emsbüren
- Processes
- Individual vehicle development and manufacturing (single-unit and series production), Repair service / accident repair within 48 hours, Spare parts service, Technical support, Mobile workshops / service fleet, Training videos and customer magazine Safety First
- Materials
- WAS VacuTherm® box body
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, DIN EN ISO 14001:2015, ISO 9001, ISO 14001
- Founded
- 1987
- Industries
- Emergency medical services, Patient transport, Authorities and organisations with security tasks, Military/medical vehicles, Civil and disaster protection, Ambulance service providers (NHS trusts, private ambulance services)
- 01
Consulting and individual vehicle conception
- 02
Development and engineering
- 03
Box body construction using the WAS VacuTherm® process
- 04
Vehicle conversion and electrics (approx. 90% handcraft)
- 05
Quality inspection and type approval
- 06
Delivery
- 07
Maintenance, repair and spare parts service
Manufacturing processes
WAS VacuTherm® box body
In-house developed process based on aircraft construction technologies for lightweight, stable box bodies, certified according to DIN 13500/ECE R66.
Locations
Emsbüren
DEHeadquarters and parent plant: production, administration, service
- Lot size
- One-off vehicle to large series
- Materials
- Steel, plastics, composite materials (box body)
- Vehicle conversion and box body manufacturing (WAS VacuTherm®)
- Service headquarters with mobile workshops
Ostaszewo
PLProduction plant for expanding production capacities
Burton upon Trent
GBIndustries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assembly | – | – | – | One-off vehicle – Large series | – |
| Assembly | – | – | – | One-off vehicle – Large series | – |
| Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
WAS has been working with a quality management system according to DIN EN ISO 9001 since 1997 and subjects its entire vehicle range to crash tests according to DIN EN 1789 as well as rollover tests according to DIN 13500/ECE R66. The vehicles are recognised by independent institutes such as VCA England, UTAC France and TÜV Rheinland; in 2010, WAS received the first nationwide type approval for ambulance vehicles under EU Directive 2007/46/EC.
| Evidence | Emsbüren | Ostaszewo | Burton upon Trent |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |||
| ISO 14001 |