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This was one of our research projects.
where we worked with an industrial partner from the region.
They make manufacturing facilities for the production of tins.
And I have always been fascinated by the fact that these plants
can produce 1200 tin cans at such an incredible speed.
They consist of several carousel machines that interlock
and the main body of the tin cans are processed accordingly.
Later on the filling is added and then they are sealed.
Here we were looking at which technologies can be used
to produce a certain shape, a striking shape, on the body of the tin can.
And that was just one shape to begin with, in order to examine the proportions of width.
Just from a forming process perspective; so this is a purely fictitious can.
That was pretty much at the beginning of my time at the Fraunhofer Institute
where I started off developing tool solutions
together with my colleagues.
And then we put them into practice and it was a great success
when we finally managed to create the component successfully.
And then we were able to take out a patent on the solution
and that was my first patent, so of course I was pretty proud of it.
That was the first ‘baby’ so to speak, and that’s why it's nice to look back on.
An important part of my job is teaching.
That means I am responsible for the lecture series
‘Conversion Technology in Automotive Engineering’.
And beyond that we also try to acquire external funding
and we usually do that via research projects.
In those cases you get to work directly
with industrial partners for example.
This is nice because it involves a lot of the practical aspects
and also offers the staff here an opportunity to apply their theoretical knowledge.
They also carry out simulations
to observe how a certain component reacts under certain conditions.
Sheet metal isn't just present in the field of automotive engineering.
It’s present in almost all industries.
After all, every machine is encased, a sheet metal covering.
In the household industry you have washing machine drums
that are also made of sheet metal.
Nevertheless, the automobile industry is a powerful impetus;
ultimately the driving force for new developments.
That means, when demands on vehicles grow,
when we have to be lighter or reduce the production of C02,
then of course we have to think about what we can do with the powertrain
or on the exterior panels, the car body itself.
This in turn leads to the steel industry developing high-strength grades
of steel sheeting, for example, or hot forging is introduced
and then it is our job to ensure that the accompanying technologies are suitable
because if the sheet metal is high-strength,
then most of the tools used for conventional steel will not be adequate.
So we have to take a look at what we can do differently in the process
and also in the construction of the tools in order to be able to deal
with these high-strength metal sheets.
So it’s always a two-way thing.
So in that respect there is still a lot of research to be done.
No, you always take a look, for example at the gap on the doors,
when comparing different cars with each other;
you develop an eye for it and make the comparison each time.
Or, for example, if you have a sheet of metal in your hand,
because I’ve also spent a lot of time looking into the cutting,
you always look to see if a burr is visible,
or what does the blade looks like.
That's just in your blood.
The fact that you always manage to find a technical solution is actually what fascinates me.
You tend to think there can’t possibly be anything else to research
when it comes to cutting for example,
but there is always a way to optimise the process even further.
Or finding a solution for a tool, even though you were just about to give up in despair.
And that is what makes everything so varied, and I think that's what
you should transport when teaching, to always give an incentive for
the students to take a technical direction.
There is always something new; it’s never boring.
We supervise lots of student project work, where you come into direct
contact with the students, not just at lectures or in tutorials.
Yes, it is a kind of balancing act
and you do have to cultivate that, the ability to explain something well.
Because you might be deeply involved in a project yourself,
but you have to present it in such a way that the students can understand it.
Basically, you have to be convinced of something yourself,
and if I am excited about a topic then I can pass on my enthusiasm to the students.
But if it’s a topic that I myself don't find very interesting,
then that does of course affect the teaching...
I originally wanted to be a journalist.
When I was still at school I worked at the Sächsische Zeitung (Saxonian Newspaper)
in the youth editorial department and wanted to be a journalist.
But you had to apply for a traineeship before starting your studies
and there were lots of students who had applied
for these two placements so it didn't work out.
And then I was faced with the question of what to do instead.
My father was a building engineer
and so we got the course guide and had a look at the options.
And that's how I came to study the development of manufacturing equipment.
Because I could really imagine creating tools in order to make a product.
And so I applied to the uni in Chemnitz, which was still called Karl-Marx Stadt back then,
and I got a letter telling me that there was a new subject being offered:
It was a course of technology with an emphasis on computer sciences.
And I thought there has to be a future in these computer-supported working methods
and so I decided to enrol on the course, which was six months longer than my first option
and started studying ‘Manufacturing Process Design with Information Technology’.
The decision to study engineering wasn't so absurd, for women either,
and especially not in my seminar group, which actually consisted of
50% men and 50% women.
So it was certainly mixed, which was often the case,
especially in these technological subjects.
There were definitely fewer female design engineers, and naturally
there were more females amongst the measurement technicians, simply because
this filigree and meticulous searching, testing, and measuring,
is something that women are naturally good at.
But specifically in this technological field my class consisted of half boys
and half girls, so there wasn't really anything unusual about studying it.
You just have to be familiar with the procedures:
you have to be able to organise so the tool is there and ready at the
time you want to start production, and the materials too,
and that was the main focus of my first job.
The fact that you can follow through from the drawing to
the NC programme, organising the data right up until the production,
to ensure the tools are there on time.
Making sure the material has been ordered and that the working procedures,
for example within a construction department, are coordinated
and that a drawing isn’t approved before it’s been inspected.
In our teaching and research department there are two female engineers.
And a new colleague, who is doing her PhD here.
So I am certainly not alone.
But before the fall of the Berlin Wall,
the proportion of women was substantially higher, that has to be said.
Nowadays there are two or three female students studying production technology in the seminars,
and that was substantially higher before the fall of the Wall. That has to be said.
This technological approach and way of thinking certainly comes naturally to women.
Whilst men are more abstract, at least in the field of construction,
where the approach is incredibly male-dominated,
but I think the technological field is more, well it just comes more naturally to us.
And I think women tend to be very hard working and good organisers,
which is often a boon for the departments because you always know where to find things.
Although I don't want to deny men that trait,
but they do tend to rely on that fact, that we know where to find things
and that one can complete a job very quickly and satisfactorally.
Because you invest a lot of hard work into it.
You don't want to be seen as inferior to anyone.
Well, at the end of the day I just want to do my work and to do it well.
And I have always had the support whenever I needed it, I have to say.
But of course women possibly do a bit more than the men,
for whom these things almost seem to happen automatically.
And yes, I am pleased if I see a woman in the seminar room or several even.
That it’s not just men, because women are just as good in this field.
It’s just a question of how much commitment you can put in.
And of course you are perfectly capable of completing tasks
that men think only men can do.
That is the most important thing.