The idea behind RelaxSensation
Klaus Rixner, the company owner, is a qualified osteopath. 'During my time as a practitioner, for a long time I searched in vain for treatment couches. None on the market met my demands in terms of function and design', he says. In 2008, together with his father-in-law, a trained carpenter, he decided to build the perfect wooden couch himself. Initially to use it in his practice. The response was overwhelming: patients and colleagues were enthusiastic and would also like such couches. The first step towards becoming a treatment couch manufacturer.
The first couches were still produced outside the company, but quickly attracted a lot of attention in specialist circles. 'The demand was so high that I founded RelaxSensation in 2011', Rixner says. In 2017, Klaus Rixner gave up his practice to devote himself entirely to the new company. Today, the team consists of 12 dedicated employees who put their love for craftsmanship and manual labour into every product.
Areas of application and product diversity
RelaxSensation couches are used in physiotherapy, osteopathy and hospitals. The company also supplies wellness centres and the hotel industry. The range includes various types of couches, including scissor lift and lifting column versions. The scissor lift couches are equipped with the LINAK® LA40 actuator with integrated ratchet spline (IRS), while the column systems work with the LINAK LC1 in parallel operation.
'The LINAK LA40 IRS actuator in the scissor lift system stops movement if an obstacle is detected. The only forces acting on the obstacle are the weight of the couch and, if there is a patient on it, the weight of the patient as well. If the obstacle is removed, the actuator maintains its position', says LINAK Sales Representative Matthias Müller, explaining the technology behind it.
Customised controls and flexibility
A particular challenge in the collaboration with RelaxSensation was that Klaus Rixner wanted to integrate his own operating elements. 'It is particularly important to me that a couch can be operated intuitively. You should be able to find the button and press it without looking and without having to pick up a control panel. I have exactly these possibilities with LINAK', he explains. Control units developed in-house can be integrated and attached. This was solved with the Modular Junction Box, a transmitter box, which translates control commands from the RelaxSensation control unit into the bus system of the LINAK control unit.
At RelaxSensation, no two couches are the same – everything is customised. Maria Seehuber, responsible for tailoring and upholstery, lovingly handcrafts all the upholstered elements for the customers, and every wooden part is sanded by hand in the workshop. 'The LINAK components are easy to adapt and combine and allows us to be very flexible when it comes to meeting our customer's requests, says Production Manager Sebastian Knapik.
Logistical advantages and cooperation
RelaxSensation uses only one type of control unit, the CO61, for all couch variants. By installing different software versions, the control unit can be used in all couch types, both in scissor lift and lifting column systems. LINAK makes the software available for download via the OneConnect™ software centre. 'One box – many possibilities', Matthias Müller sums up. This means that only one product needs to be kept in stock, which is a major logistical advantage.
Nina Fink, responsible for purchasing and order processing at RelaxSensation, praises the good cooperation with LINAK: 'We really appreciate the high level of reliability, the uncomplicated order processing and the high product quality. LINAK also has the necessary certifications for medical product approvals.' This visit to RelaxSensation impressively demonstrates how important and valuable close cooperation with specialised partners is. The combination of precision craftsmanship and modern technology results in products that are impressive in terms of both functionality and design.
