From midnight scramble to a premier experience – the Ammortal Chamber load-in fix

As Reported In

We’re often asked about our experience with this product or that technology but our greatest skill is solving unsolved problems under tight constraints, not in replicating solutions many times over.

If you’re working with a specific technology, and a specialist exists, use them – they may be the best choice for you. When timelines compress, requirements conflict, and integration stalls, call us. We coordinate specialists and solve unsolved problems under real-world constraints.

The Ammortal Chamber Trade Show Deadline

The Ammortal Chamber is an immersive experience that guides the user through physical, mental, and spiritual rejuvenation. It blends sound, light, vibration, an electrical field, meditation, molecular hydrogen, and breath work. The team at Ammortal had developed an initial prototype of the Chamber but had not yet achieved their vision for the fully integrated product.

We performed the detailed engineering to turn the Conceptual Design into a manufactured product. As with any development project, there were various integration and manufacturing issues that popped up. These are typical, but what sticks in my mind was the time, late on a Friday night, we needed to get the 800lb Chamber loaded into a van to travel to a Trade Show without a forklift.

When Plans Go Awry – An 800lb Problem

Our generous neighbors allow us to borrow their forklift from time to time in exchange for use of a few tools in our Workshop. We’d loaded the unit before and it went pretty smoothly with the forklift. We were all set to load the Chamber into the back of the van on Friday afternoon, but the van was stuck in traffic and didn’t arrive until after 10pm. Not only did our team have to stay late, but we’d had to return their forklift before they closed for the weekend. It could have been so easy.

Late on a Friday night, our ability to solve problems is limited by what we have in the Workshop. Luckily, we’re stuck in a pretty sweet Workshop with lots of options. After a bit of brainstorming, we decided to put a bunch of 2×4 boards to use and let a hydraulic pallet jack do the work. Lifting 4 inches at a time, we were able to craft a load-bearing support to get the Chamber high-enough. For the upper-most supports, we used 2-inch square steel tubing so the Chamber could slide into the van with limited friction.

Taking care of the problem for good

Loading the Chamber was only half of the problem. To get into the Trade Show, Ammortal had to arrange for a forklift on-site to unload it and transport it to the location of their booth. They were going to multiple shows per month, so this wasn’t a small effort or expense. In addition, the first Chamber had been setup in our Conference Room for customers to experience the Chamber’s effect which is best done with as little clothing as you’re comfortable. Privacy is as much a part of the experience as the Chamber’s therapeutic effects.

As a long-term solution, we proposed installing the Chamber in a Rock-Star Tour Bus so they could control the look and feel of the experience, offer a private space for customers, and never have to load & unload again. They liked the idea and found a great option – a beautiful silver Airstream with minimal windows, heat and air-conditioning, and a large sitting area. It turned out better than imagined, matched the aesthetic of the Chamber, and it fit perfectly in the Workshop for the installation.

Specialist or general problem solver? When plans go sideways, you need systems thinkers who ship.

We didn’t solve this problem because we’re particularly good at stacking wood, and we’ve never installed a  project into an Airstream to tour the country. We’re just great at solving problems with practical solutions that meet the requirements in front of us. There were probably other ways we could have wrestled the Chamber into the van that night, but we only needed one.

If you find yourself looking for help stacking wood, setting up a Tour Bus, or you’re working on an unsolved problem and you’re not sure where to turn, we’re your team.