Vammas

Vammas is a Finnish engineering brand whose name derives from the Vammaskoski works in Vammala, Finland. Its origins lie in a Finnish Ministry of Defence factory at Santahamina, where a prototype hydraulic tractor excavator called Hydro was built in 1954 — among the earliest hydraulic excavators in Europe. After the Santahamina factory burned down in 1957, production moved to Vammala, where the state defence works continued manufacturing tractor excavators under the Vammas name. Over the following decades Vammas became known for a series of hydraulic excavators (Riuku-Vammas, Kersantti, Korpraali, Major) and for road graders, initially built under Swedish licence and later developed in-house. In 1991 the Vammaskoski works and the defence equipment unit of Oy Tampella Ab were merged into Vammas Oy, which continued excavator production. The company later became part of the Finnish defence group Patria, operating as Patria Vammas Oy. At the end of 2004 Patria Vammas was split: the mobile business — focused on snow removal equipment, air cargo handling equipment and road graders — became Patria Vammas Mobile, while the original company was renamed Patria Weapon Systems, concentrating on weapon systems. The road grader business was sold to Veekmas Oy in 2007. Vammas airfield snow removal equipment has been used at major airports worldwide since 1982, with hundreds of machines delivered. The product rights for Vammas snow removal equipment were sold in March 2008 to the American Hagie Manufacturing Company. On 2 July 2010, Fortbrand Services Inc. of the United States acquired the Vammas airport snow removal machine product rights from Hagie Manufacturing Company. In September 2008 the airport equipment business operating under the Windhoff Vammas name was sold to the German company Laweco Maschinen- und Apparatebau GmbH. In 2021 the Vammas snow removal equipment product rights were sold to the Finnish engineering and machine shop Vitera Oy. Today the Vammas brand is presented through vammas.com as a leading range of airfield snow removal machinery for runways, taxiways and aprons, including models such as the Vammas PSB, SB, CSB, P, PS and B. The brand's heritage combines Finnish state defence manufacturing, heavy construction machinery and specialised airport winter maintenance equipment.

The Vammas story begins at a Finnish Ministry of Defence factory in Santahamina, where a prototype hydraulic tractor excavator was built in 1954. This machine, known as Hydro, was produced in nearly 200 units at Santahamina and was among the first hydraulic excavators in Europe. In 1957 the factory burned down, and production was moved to Vammala, where the Puolustuslaitoksen Vammaskosken Tehdas (Defence Establishment's Vammaskoski Works) continued manufacturing tractor excavators. The excavator was named Vammas after the rapids (koski) at Vammala. The first model was the Riuku-Vammas, named after the counterweight mounted above the cab on a long arm. The first series-produced machines were completed in 1955 at Santahamina, then known as Hydro. The Riuku-Vammas was based on a tractor, usually a Fordson Major or Nuffield, and was mainly used for digging forest ditches. Over 1,000 units were made. In the early 1960s, as the ageing Riuku-Vammas sales ended, a temporary solution mounted a new boom on the Riuku-Vammas frame, presented as models Vammas 5.0 and 6.5 (the number indicating boom reach in metres). The Riuku-Vammas was replaced by the Kersantti in 1967, a heavier machine capable of digging year-round, with a two-lever control and heated cab; nearly 1,000 Kersantti units were built. In the early 1970s a series of 10 Korpraali machines was made, the only Vammas with vertical, hinge-free stabiliser cylinders and the first combined machine with a front loader. In the late 1970s the Major was introduced as the Kersantti's successor, with a completely new boom and no exposed tractor panelling. A revised Major appeared in 1984 with a new ergonomic safety cab, updated panelling and a yellow-and-black colour scheme. In addition to excavators, Vammas manufactured road graders, initially under Swedish licence and from the 1960s with in-house development. In 1991 the Vammaskoski Works and the defence equipment unit of Oy Tampella Ab were merged into Vammas Oy, which continued excavator production. The current company, Patria's Vammala unit, manufactures defence technology products. The contract manufacturing business in Vammala was sold in 2004 to Komas Oy. At the end of 2004 it was announced that Patria Vammas Oy would split into two companies: Patria Vammas Mobile for the mobile business, focusing on snow removal equipment, air cargo handling equipment and road graders; and the old Patria Vammas company was renamed Patria Weapon Systems, focusing on the development, manufacture and support of weapon systems. The road grader business was sold in 2007 to Veekmas Oy. Patria developed and manufactured Vammas snow removal equipment and Windhoff-Vammas cargo handling equipment. The product rights for Vammas snow removal equipment were sold in March 2008 to the American Hagie Manufacturing Company. On 2 July 2010, the American Fortbrand Services Inc. bought the Vammas airport snow removal machine product rights from Hagie Manufacturing Company. At the same time, Fortbrand Services Inc. sold the product rights for Skiddometer BV11 friction measuring devices to Moventor Oy. In September 2008 the airport equipment business operating under the Windhoff Vammas name was sold to the German Laweco Maschinen- und Apparatebau GmbH. In 2021 the Vammas snow removal equipment product rights were sold to the Finnish engineering office and machine shop Vitera Oy. Today, Vammas airfield snow removal equipment is marketed through vammas.com as an innovative solution for clearing snow from runways, taxiways and aprons at major airports worldwide. Since 1982, hundreds of snow removal machines have been delivered globally, and the current range includes the Vammas PSB, SB, CSB, P, PS and B models.

• 2021

  Vammas snow removal equipment product rights sold to Vitera Oy.

• 2010

  Fortbrand Services Inc. acquired Vammas airport snow removal machine product rights from Hagie Manufacturing Company.

• 2008

  Vammas snow removal equipment product rights sold to Hagie Manufacturing Company; Windhoff Vammas airport equipment business sold to Laweco.

• 2007

  Road grader business sold to Veekmas Oy.

• 2004

  Patria Vammas Oy split into Patria Vammas Mobile and Patria Weapon Systems; contract manufacturing sold to Komas Oy.

• 1991

  Vammaskoski Works and Oy Tampella Ab's defence equipment unit merged into Vammas Oy.

• 1982

  Vammas began delivering airfield snow removal equipment; hundreds of machines delivered worldwide since.

• 1967

  Riuku-Vammas replaced by Kersantti.

• 1957

  Santahamina factory burned down; production moved to Vammala.

• 1955

  First series-produced Riuku-Vammas machines completed at Santahamina.

• 1954

  Prototype hydraulic tractor excavator Hydro built at Santahamina.

Leading provider of innovative airfield snow removal equipment for major airports worldwide.

• Riuku-Vammas

  First Vammas excavator model, based on a tractor, over 1,000 units made.

• Vammas 5.0 and 6.5

  Temporary models with new boom on Riuku-Vammas frame, number indicating boom reach in metres.

• Kersantti

  Heavier excavator introduced in 1967, nearly 1,000 units made.

• Korpraali

  Series of 10 machines in early 1970s, first combined machine with front loader.

• Major

  Introduced in late 1970s as Kersantti's successor; revised version in 1984.

• Vammas PSB

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

• Vammas SB

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

• Vammas CSB

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

• Vammas P

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

• Vammas PS

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

• Vammas B

  Airport snow removal equipment model.

1. 1Vammas – Snow clearing machines from Finlandvammas.com
2. 2Vammas - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Vammas - Wikipedia (Finnish)fi.wikipedia.org