FOCUS TOPIC
MOVING
HEAVY LOADS
WITH CARE
In hospitals and radiology practices, magnetic resonance scanners have long been more than just medical devices. Making sure an MRI arrives on time and safely where it is needed takes far more than a truck. This is exactly where the Road Services division comes in for its healthcare customers.
“When a project is completed, it marks the end of a process planned down to the last detail, in which technology, logistics, and responsibility work together perfectly.”
SEBASTIAN SEEHOFER
Branch Manager at Geis in Frauenaurach
“For us, it’s always a highlight when an MRI is installed on site and the entire project is completed,” says Sebastian Seehofer, Branch Manager in Frauenaurach and responsible for healthcare activities within the Road Services division. As a specialized division, he and his team serve as a strategic partner for Siemens Healthineers, handling the complete logistics of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners: from factory supply through storage and transport to installation, upgrades, service, relocation, cabin construction, and certified disposal – everything is handled under one roof.
Geis Healthcare’s installation teams install about 2,000 large medical devices each year – from New York to Tokyo, from São Paulo to Salzburg, and at countless other locations with less glamorous names. Everywhere, patients benefit from modern imaging technologies because the collaboration between Geis and Siemens Healthineers has been working perfectly for many years. “We don’t just deliver technology to our customers – we deliver trust – down to the smallest detail,” says Seehofer.
When Standard Technology Isn’t Enough
The reality behind this claim usually becomes apparent on-site at hospitals and radiology practices: hardly any two locations are alike. Narrow hallways, winding old buildings, steep ramps, long access routes – Geis’s installation teams have maneuvered magnets weighing up to seven metric tons through narrow entrances, transported them down 500-meter-long hallways, or flown them in through openings in the roof. In Munich, this required taking the tram schedule into account; in Salzburg’s old town and at Times Square in New York, entire blocks had to be closed off.
Special equipment is available for particularly challenging installation situations: Among other things, the team uses hydraulic trailers with height-adjustable loading platforms, crane trucks with box bodies and 9-metric-ton lifting platforms, as well as heavy-duty rollers, aluminum and steel bridges, custom metal plates, and mobile scaffolding. And where standard technology is insufficient, Geis develops customized solutions in collaboration with Siemens Healthineers and partners.
HEALTHCARE X LOGISTICS SERVICES
HEALTHCARE X AIR + SEA SERVICES
Full Support for Siemens Healthineers Across All Business Areas
Geis has a long-standing, deep partnership with Siemens Healthineers – one that extends far beyond a single business division.
Geis’s logistics division handles all factory deliveries for the Siemens Healthineers site in Forchheim, Germany. In Neu-Isenburg, Geis operates the World Distribution Center (WDC), managing global spare parts logistics – from warehousing and order fulfillment to air freight handling to destinations worldwide. ⟶ more under “What Drives Us” A modern warehouse automation system is currently being installed there.
Geis Air + Sea ensures that even time-critical spare parts reach their destination reliably and quickly – all around the globe.
Installing an MRI in Salzburg
In the middle of the narrow alleys of Mozart’s city, Geis installed an MRI at the Barmherzige Brueder hospital.
Perfect synergy
The Siemens production site is located just about six kilometers from the Geis warehouse in Frauenaurach. Components weighing up to 16 metric tons are stored there across 5,000 square meters. A heavy-duty floor supports the load, a 16-metric-ton crane moves it, and video surveillance and an air cargo security area ensure the highest safety standards. When needed, Geis delivers MRI systems from the warehouse to the Siemens plant just in time for final assembly. Finished systems either ship directly from there to their destination or are returned to the Geis warehouse until the shipping date.
COOLING THE MRI with liquid helium
Perhaps no other process exemplifies Geis’s customization to meet customer requirements as much as the cooling of the devices. “Sixty cooling stations maintain MRI systems at the optimal temperature,” says Seehofer. This is because an MRI requires liquid helium for cooling – and this noble gas is scarce and expensive worldwide. Geis therefore relies on intelligent solutions to conserve this valuable resource. At the warehouse, Geis handles the helium filling service, precisely according to the customer’s specifications. Cooling bridges for long-distance transport keep the system stable and significantly reduce helium losses. A mobile chiller enables flexible on-site cooling, for example during temporary storage or retrofitting phases.
OVER 60 IN-HOUSE COOLING SPOTS at the warehouse in Frauenaurach
Planning Begins Months in Advance
Planning for these complex projects begins long before a specialized truck pulls up in front of a hospital or medical practice. Before every installation, the Geis team works with the responsible project manager at Siemens to assess the on-site structural conditions: the path from the first curb to the building, access points, door dimensions, elevators, and load capacities. Whenever possible, a site visit takes place – the project managers prefer to plan for too much equipment rather than too little. After all, dismantling and restarting the process while the clinic is in operation is not an option. “We’ll know if everything goes according to plan as soon as the system is on its way,” says Seehofer.
The large medical devices are transported to their destination by truck, ship, or even airplane. Once there, the installation team takes over – using cranes, scaffolding, or special bridges as needed. Once the equipment is in place, precise alignment, cabling, and commissioning follow. Geis’s broad portfolio also includes the construction of electromagnetic shielding cabins, the upgrade of existing systems, and complete dismantling and disposal.
Team Spirit, Steady Nerves, and Improvisation
“Our keys to success are team spirit, a strong sense of responsibility, the ability to improvise, and the composure to stay calm when things get stressful,” says Sebastian Seehofer. “Projects almost never go exactly according to plan. That’s why you need partners who can find solutions.” Geis combines deep specialization in large-scale medical equipment with comprehensive, one-stop solutions. Ultimately, every single project is about ensuring that state-of-the-art medical technology reaches the places where it’s meant to improve and save lives – safely, reliably, and with a team that takes responsibility seriously. Or, to put it another way: we keep healthcare moving.
A STRONG TEAM IN FRAUENAURACH
(from left to right) Sebastian Seehofer, Matthias Donath, Diana Müller, Christian Tomalik, Stella Wild, Maximilian Burkel
“Our keys to success are team spirit, a strong sense of responsibility, the ability to improvise, and the composure to stay calm when things get stressful.”
SEBASTIAN SEEHOFER
Branch Manager at Geis in Frauenaurach
People Who Take Responsibility Seriously
Behind the projects are people who know their jobs inside and out. Well-coordinated logistics teams not only handle transportation, hotels, and flights for the installation teams, but also take care of work permits, registration requirements, and safety regulations in each country. They’re also responsible for close coordination with national subsidiaries, such as those in Turkey or Italy. This takes the pressure off manufacturers and hospitals – and minimizes risks. Once the project gets underway, the teams are often on the road for weeks, working at 20 degrees Celsius below in Norway or 40 degrees Celsius in Spain, in emergency tents in the midst of a pandemic, or in highly sensitive hospital areas.
Shielding Cabin and Equipment from a Single Source
An MRI machine only works reliably when the environment is right. The electromagnetic shielding cabin is a key element in this. What is less well known is that, within its Road Services division, Geis not only supplies and installs the equipment but also designs, delivers, and assembles cabins or upgrades existing rooms to meet technical and functional requirements. For clinics and operators, this means: a single point of contact, a single team, and a single project plan covering the cabin, delivery, installation, and final work. The coordination effort is reduced, travel time and costs are minimized, and many projects can be completed more quickly. Whether it’s a new construction, relocation, or upgrade – Geis combines shielding, soundproofing, and functional interior design with streamlined processes. This transforms many individual steps into a comprehensive package that integrates technology, construction, logistics, and scheduling.
IN A NUTSHELL
cooling spots
ensure the proper storage of large medical devices at the Geis site in Frauenaurach.
-metric-ton crane
moves even the heaviest MRI components safely through the warehouse, positioning them to the millimeter.
Helium
is an important noble gas for science and technology – and scarce worldwide. All the more reason to handle it carefully when cooling the devices.
about
large medical devices are installed by Geis for Siemens Healthineers every year. From New York to Tokyo, from São Paulo to Salzburg, the team is on the move worldwide.
since
Geis has been working with Siemens Healthineers. The distances are short: only about six kilometers lie between the Geis warehouse and the Siemens site.