Oct 6, 2020

#1 From student to student - insights into the world of Baumer
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From creativity to R&D measurements in the field 

Interview with Johannes Faller, student of industrial engineering and management, electrical engineering and information technology at the University of Applied Sciences of the city of Constance:

What is your experience gained at Baumer? 

After a voluntary internship at the Berlin location during the semester break, I completed my practical semester at the new Stockach location. Since then I have been supporting the R&D department as a student trainee.
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Just lately I took the chance to take part in the development of new dynamic inclination and acceleration sensors. It was particularly exciting to play a part in the entire product development cycle, from predevelopment on to series production – and from electronics to software and mechanical design. Diverse activities under multifaceted aspects and the chance to bring in my personal interest and skills, particularly in electronics development, was brilliant. 

For example, I was given the opportunity of layouting electrical circuits all by myself, of populating PCBs in our R&D lab and of soldering functional samples. In the predevelopment stage, I assembled and calibrated devices from the pre-series, elaborated on measuring equipment with corresponding test setups on which I performed tests of sensors and initial samples.

To me, identification of physical discrepancies in tests, seeking own ways for optimum trouble shooting and exploring solutions for error correction was particularly exciting. Creativity was indispensable in revealing sensor errors, limits and weak points in tests by the help of targeted interference pulses. It was great and a personal success to be an active part in the further product development, to have my share in a project and to contribute to a brand-new product being launched onto the market.

What will be your benefit from these experiences when starting your career? 

I realized that there is much more to R&D projects than the basics I learned at university. Yet, these basics were useful knowledge in many tasks like electrical engineering, and helped to consolidate theory and practice. And it became clear to me that innovation means much more than that: besides high technical requirements, innovative products call for efficient, economically viable solutions and a feeling for compromising between technical precision and cost efficiency. This is exactly the point of my studies and I became aware of the relevance of technical requirements interacting with economic aspects.

Dealing with technical problems in practical life taught me mastering their complexity, which in my opinion is a decisive factor in the successful start of my later career. 

Another lesson learned was the interplay of individual and team performance. Thanks to being given the freedom to work myself but yet being continuously backed by the team by regular exchange of ideas, I rather felt like a full-fledged team asset than a student trainee. I did benefit from the know-how of my experienced colleagues, but also my input was some brain food to them. I did not realize the significance of proactive, open communication and close cooperation unless working together in a team.

What was a very special highlight?

A customer visit together with one of my R&D colleagues and a sales engineer to elaborate on a Baumer sensor solution for the customer's application - that was really a unique experience to me. 

Our acceleration and inclination sensors were to be deployed in a manned crane to measure inclination angle and crane vibration. The aim was to identify disruptive factors and calculation errors in real parameters caused for example by engine vibration. We tested different load situations by the help of simulations in the real application environment at the customer's in order to find out their influence on the measured result. My part was preparing the measuring equipment and different measuring scenarios, defining the implementation of the measurement cycles as well as data evaluation in close cooperation with my R&D colleague.

Being a student trainee but allowed to represent Baumer at the customer's in a face-to-face dialog at eye level with the customer showed me the trust placed in me and also the potential seen in me. In my perception this was high esteem. 

You are a student or graduate and the story of Johannes has made you curious? Then experience for yourself what it's like to work at Baumer and start your career with us - whether in an internship, for a thesis, as a student trainee or starting your career. 
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Check out our job portal Stellenportal or contact Mrs. Selina Gehringer, University Talent Manager (0777164741301) to find a matching activity for you at the Baumer Group.

 
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