Trainees from Omexom, MAKS and Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences (HSRW) as well as students from HSRW addressed the feasibility question in a so-called makeathon. For five days, they worked together until the last minute during the innovation and development workshop. On Friday afternoon, cheers erupted when a participant drove the hydrogen excavator out of the workshop hall at MAKS in Uedem.
The journey to the hydrogen excavator
Preparations for the Makeathon began several months ago during the 2025 summer semester. Without this groundwork, the Makeathon would not have been possible at this point in time. Under the guidance of Norbert Reintjes from our project, the trainees dismantled the excavator, collected data and used CAD software to construct a basic model. Then students from the faculties of Technology and Bionics as well as Communication and Environment took over: in guided small groups, they planned the conversion in theory. Based on this, components were procured or manufactured.
From 23 February, six different teams at MAKS put theory into practice – from installing a new electric motor and overhauling the hydraulic system to renewing the energy supply, including the buffer battery and hydrogen fuel cell. The first important lesson learned was that not everything that looks good in theory can be put into practice. So plans were revised and adjustments made, just like in real working life.
Integrating teaching and practice
For the teachers behind the project, the fact that the excavator could be moved with the new engine for demonstration purposes and that sand was busily dug on site is secondary. They praise the committed cooperation of the trainees and students. ‘We worked together towards a goal, and individual strengths and knowledge contributed to the success of the entire group,’ says Prof. Dr. Irmgard Buder, Professor of Renewable Energies and Electro Mobility at HSRW. Prof. Dr. Peter Kisters, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Product Design and Vice President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, adds:
‘It is formats such as the Makeathon that enable our students to receive practical training. Only when they work and create independently do they develop an understanding of practical applications, and that is our goal as a university of applied sciences.’
In this context, he also looks at the Engineering for Sustainability, B.Sc. degree programme launched last year: Here, students work on real-world challenges with a focus on mechanical engineering in a project-based manner right from the start. ‘By real-world challenges, we mean not only practical work on university projects, such as the hydrogen excavator in the future, but also explicitly addressing issues from the industry,’ says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters.
The Makeathon is a prime example of successful collaboration with companies from the Lower Rhine region. ‘In addition to the technical expertise of employees and trainees from the participating companies, our students benefited from the professional working environment at MAKS as well as from the supply of special materials by Hexagon Purus, among others,’ explains Norbert Reintjes.
‘In future, we would like to engage in even closer cooperation with companies in the field of education and training. This will enable us to respond better to new requirements in technical development and put new ideas into practice more quickly.’
Companies that would like to actively participate in the engineering education programme at the Faculty of Technology and Bionics in Kleve can contact Norbert Reintjes directly. Contact: norbert.reintjes@hochschule-rhein-waal.de
Now, the hydrogen excavator is set to become a teaching platform for further projects in engineering education at HSRW in Kleve, providing future engineers with practical learning experiences. Topics such as hydrogen and other options for CO2-neutral or low-carbon transport will also be explored further at the Kamp-Lintfort campus.
The Makeathon and the ‘Hydrogen Excavator’ project were made possible thanks to the following partners: ITQ GmbH, Omexom, Hexagon Purus, IHK Niederrhein, Förderverein Hochschule Rhein-Waal and MAKS GmbH. Scientific support from HSRW was provided by Prof. Dr. Irmgard Buder, Professor of Renewable Energies and Electro Mobility, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Product Design and Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer, Thomas Klimeck, Transformation Manager for Renewable Energies, Norbert Reintjes, Technical Staff Member at the Transfer-Oriented Faculty of the Future, and Dipl.-Ing. Daniel Neubauer, Lecturer at HSRW.