TCT’s ‘A Day within the Lifetime of…’ collection has been primarily launched for school and college alumni to raised perceive what profession alternatives in additive manufacturing (AM) can be found to them. All through the collection, TCT will spend time with a bunch of AM professionals to speak what their day-to-day duties are, what sorts of groups they work inside, what they’ve learnt on the job, and the way they received to the place they’re right this moment. On this instalment, Vasia Papadopoulou of additive manufacturing OEM Stratasys explains the position of an Additive Manufacturing Engineer.
Vasia Papadopoulou lives life on her personal phrases and stands by her selections.
Her quick profession to this point is punctuated by a collection of selections which have led her to an organization, a metropolis and a rustic that she didn’t count on to reach at.
And in her position as AM Engineer at Stratasys’ Additive Manufacturing Heart in Baden-Baden, Germany, every process is met with an inspiring perspective.
As you’ll be taught, Vasia will not be confronted with many assignments that don’t whet her urge for food, however even on the uncommon event she is, her customary response is likely one of the utmost professionalism.
“I discover one other means to consider it, I alter my mindset after which it will get which means,” she tells TCT.
She attracts the road on the time it takes for her pc to course of a very complicated software program process, however Vasia’s method to her work is an enlightening one.
A generic job title at in all probability the most important additive manufacturing firm on the planet, you’ll be forgiven for considering there isn’t an attention-grabbing story to inform about Vasia’s position. You’d be mistaken – an instance being Vasia thinks she could be the one worker at Stratasys with this job title – however forgiven all the identical.
“After we get the position, we begin to form it from the start,” she says. “We’ve the bottom, after which type it and form it to ourselves and the way we prefer it. My job will not be in all places, I create it as I prefer it and as I take pleasure in it. I want that extra folks would perceive that and make their job enjoyable. Put their hobbies into the job.”
Q. What sort of persons are good for a job like yours?
VP: Individuals who prefer to be technical but in addition have nice creativeness. I can’t put any limits right here. Being an additive manufacturing engineer can have the whole lot.
A TYPICAL DAY
So what has Vasia product of the AM Engineer position she began in January 2023?
Employed to primarily oversee high quality management in a Stratasys benchmarking centre, she shortly took it upon herself to assist efforts throughout the broader workflow. As a staff, these working on this facility are supporting clients in bringing their concepts to fruition, serving to with the design of elements which may be appropriate for additive manufacturing, and returning pattern prints primarily based on the parameter units they’re working with.
“I like being part of all phases by this workflow,” Vasia says. “From the conceptualisation with the shopper, the introduction to printing, the operation of the machines, 3D design and likewise high quality management. After which additionally serving to the shopper implement additive manufacturing to their very own manufacturing.”
It’s spectacular, then, that Vasia even has time to debate her position.
At this time, as she does day-after-day, she arrived on the facility earlier than 7am. Such is the amount of benchmarking requests acquired at this centre, a number of prints might be left to run over night time, and Vasia likes to reach as early as doable in order that she will promptly replace the shoppers of their progress after they go surfing.
“When the folks get up and begin asking, ‘The place’s my benchmark, how did it go?’ I’ve to make certain that the machine ran and continues to be working with none points.”
That is prime of the precedence checklist for the resident high quality management specialist. Second on that checklist is espresso – “It’s a should. With out espresso, the clocks don’t transfer.” – after which she will start to reply to these consumer emails. By now, her colleagues have arrived, had their morning espresso and cleared their respective inboxes too. Vasia will due to this fact begin a communication and alternate session with the remainder of the staff, permitting them to atone for the progress and standing of prints that have been underneath anyone else’s supervision.
Then, the clock will in all probability want some extra encouragement, so one other espresso it’s. Vasia will now start to liaise with colleagues internationally, connecting with clients through the gross sales staff, and likewise touching base with advertising employees forward of the following commerce present – Vasia is one among a number of Stratasys engineers who would possibly assist out with new designs for pattern elements. One other group of employees Vasia will be certain that to attach with regularly is the regional technical engineers. This, she sees, is a chance to supply her suggestions as a person of Stratasys machines to the individuals who want to deal with any bugs or glitches.
Since Stratasys likes to open its doorways to potential clients, Vasia may also discover herself internet hosting excursions of the ability every so often, whereas she is at all times keen to proceed conversations with clients at commerce reveals like Formnext.
“Most individuals that take part in these reveals attempt to discover new stuff, ‘What did this competitor do or what’s new relating to supplies?’ What I do is discuss to folks, clients, and see what the wants are within the business in the intervening time and check out to determine how additive manufacturing can provide options to these issues.”
Q. Why ought to anyone need to work within the 3D printing house?
VP: I feel it is the expertise of the longer term. Many corporations have realised that. In ten years, I feel that it will be carried out and built-in in each manufacturing [environment]. From this facet, it’s extremely significant to get into 3D printing.
THE ROLE BEYOND THE TITLE
“The primary idea, from how I see it, is bringing concepts to life,” Vasia says of her position.
That goes past simply getting a component to come back out of the opposite finish of the printer, however to make steps in the direction of the realisation of a enterprise case for additive manufacturing. It’s much less about what’s doable with 3D printing, and extra about what’s wise to 3D print.
Vasia is one among a staff of 5 on the Additive Manufacturing Heart in Baden-Baden, reporting as much as the Supervisor of your complete facility. Her designated position is to supervise high quality management, ensuring that every benchmark is able to be despatched on to clients.
This is a crucial step of the method since additive manufacturing is a comparatively new expertise and, chances are high, there isn’t a standardised course of for the half requests coming by to the Additive Manufacturing Heart. The method carried out at this facility is the work of Vasia.
“The entire system is one thing that I constructed up,” she tells TCT. “I created the entire course of and the pamphlets that we despatched to the shoppers with details about the printing parameters, together with a top quality management guidelines.”
To make sure these benchmarks will be as informative as doable to the shoppers, Vasia is in fixed contact with the appliance engineering and gross sales division. This course of, Vasia considers, is crucial. However she can also be keen to hold out work that’s not thought of important per the phrases of her employment.
One instance is Vasia’s completion of the Buyer Service Engineer coaching for PolyJet expertise that Stratasys gives to employees. It signifies that Vasia can now repair machines as much as a particular stage, calibrating methods and addressing minor issues that shouldn’t require the experience of a delegated upkeep engineer. It has proved a useful skillset to have when working on-site with machines on the Additive Manufacturing Heart and with clients who’re new to 3D printing.
When time opens up, Vasia can also be eager to maintain monitor of business information by the varied media shops serving the business, and she’s going to commonly return to a listing of concepts she has: engaged on the designs of elements and printing them to see how they prove.
Q. In case you might give your youthful self some profession recommendation?
VP: Attempt to convey your hobbies into your job as quickly as doable, and preserve them there, and at all times attempt to attain greater, as a result of something is feasible. I by no means imagined that I’d be employed by Stratasys, to be trustworthy. I did this on a whim and right here I’m.
THE PATHWAY
Vasia has at all times had a artistic thoughts, which is what set her on the trail in the direction of a job as an additive manufacturing engineer. She doesn’t suppose creativity is essential to this type of job, but it surely undoubtedly makes it extra enjoyable. The flexibility to have an thought in your head within the morning and a component in your hand by the top of the day by no means wears skinny, and in reality, solely serves to maintain the artistic juices flowing.
Communication has at all times been one other of Vasia’s strengths and one once more she will get to utilise commonly; with colleagues when engaged on the newest benchmark project, and with clients when articulating the findings.
Vasia takes communication one step additional as a multi-linguist. Her curiosity in languages is a key motive she’s now primarily based in Germany.
Over ten years in the past now, she commenced her research on the Aristotle College of Thessaloniki, choosing up a diploma in Mechanical Engineering in 2019. She then had a few freelance and internship mechanical design and engineering roles in Greece, earlier than discovering work on the Centre for Analysis & Know-how Hellas.
Having accomplished a 3D printing course at college and thru the small world of additive manufacturing in Greece, she was headhunted for a job on the Centre for Analysis & Know-how Hellas, who have been within the means of constructing out a 3D printing lab. As a Mechanical Design Engineer, her position right here was to check supplies and parameter units throughout a spread of 3D printing applied sciences as a part of a collection of analysis efforts.
What adopted was a brief stint at a Greek start-up earlier than the chance at Stratasys introduced itself. Whereas progressing steadily in her profession, Vasia had been studying Japanese and German in her spare time. She was not unaware of the job alternatives this might confide in her, however equally, it wasn’t at all times within the plan to maneuver her life to Germany.
Stratasys, although, was searching for anyone similar to Vasia. And Vasia thought, “Perhaps this works for me, let’s attempt it.”
