"The choice of my course of studies had already been my decision when I was able to look into the field of drilling engineering as a school intern at the company of STREICHER during my 10th year of secondary school."

In the previous two years you have done your Master’s in the field of Mechanical Engineering. When you look back at this time period, which would you say were the greatest challenges? Why did you choose the field of Mechanical Engineering?
The choice of my course of studies – mechanical engineering – had already been my decision when I was able to look into the field of drilling engineering as a school intern at the company of STREICHER during my 10th year of secondary school. It was particularly the division of R&D in the discipline of mechanical engineering that was always my interest. That also was the main focus of my Master’s degree. One of the most interesting topics in research and development is the technical activity of simulation – as here you have the possibility to already check at an early stage on how a given component will react during its operation at a later point in time.
However, this field of study for a researcher also has a few demands in store – it is an essential prerequisite that one is able to understand the working processes of the pertinent emulation programs, such as FEM, CFD or MKS* in order to apply these programs correctly and thus also arrive at solutions with one’s work.

You have written your Master’s thesis from the results of your collaborative work with Kolb Design Technology GmbH & Co. KG – one of our subsidiaries. Which of the contents were you in charge for?
It was my assignment to develop a new system as a supplementary equipment to the milling machines that were already installed in the production facilities. My work comprised a detailed pre-analysis of the device, the writing of a specification sheet, a development and elaboration of concepts, which included an integration of supply products in their scope, and a strength analysis of the steelwork by use of the said FEM-method (Finite-Element Method).

To which extent are the results of your Master’s thesis integrable with the existing working processes at the company of Kolb?
The contents of my Master’s thesis deal with an independent system that has the purpose of enhancing Kolb’s portfolio of products in future. With the completion and full elaboration of the details of this work, my project shall allow for a more flexible working process at Kolb’s designed construction studios.

Which is your current field of assignment at STREICHER Drilling Technology since the completion of your studies?
As a final instance, I have returned since my studies to the same field of work from the time of my school internship that had long set the further course for my field of profession, which is drilling technology. Here, I am currently being trained in the company’s routine of daily working processes and I’m supporting the department of construction with its numerous tasks. Furthermore, within the framework of a bidding process, I have also been charged with the task of working on a calculation and concept design for a new R&D and production assignment.

Aside from a most compelling field of work, what do you like most about your daily assignments?
I’m very happy about working in my final field practice and gaining practical experience particularly from the variety of assignments and tasks in the construction division. And the daily work here is a lot of fun when you have a friendly working environment, such as here, of colleagues and superiors, who are always ready to support and encourage you.

*
FEM: Finite-Element-Method (strength analysis of components)
CFD: Computational Fluid Dynamics (simulation of liquid streams)
MKS: Multiple bodies simulation (simulation of moving bodies)