Interview with Valentin Erfurt – measurement technician

When and why did you choose NETZSCH as your employer?

I’ve been with NETZSCH since August 2013, when I completed an apprenticeship as an industrial mechanic after gaining my qualifications. During my apprenticeship, I completed my secondary school leaving certificate. I can simply identify very well with the company. I am fascinated by NETZSCH’s expertise and success. This know-how is also communicated to the employees in an excellent way.

You no longer work as an industrial mechanic.
Tell us about your career at NETZSCH.

I started in production after my apprenticeship. Initially as a lathe operator. Along the way, I started my mechanical engineering technician. It was always my wish to continue my education. But just theory wouldn’t be for me, so I did it part-time and continued working the rest of the time. The whole thing took 3.5 years. I successfully completed my technician’s degree in 2018. I was then given the opportunity to develop internally and moved to the Operational Quality department. Here I was able to support and help develop the measurement technology division.

What was your first major project in your new area of responsibility?

That was the introduction of the 3D measuring machine. The device didn’t exist like this before. The measurement technology was brand new. That’s why it was particularly exciting for me to be able to gain experience in this area straight away and to be the first person in the company to work on it. I was able to acquire the complete know-how about construction, programming and measurement.

What is your specific area of responsibility today?

I am still working in operational quality. I take care of the programming and coordination of the measuring machine in the measuring laboratory. I also have some SAP-related tasks that I need to complete.

Is there a typical daily routine for you?

I usually arrive in the morning and check my e-mails and all SAP stock lists, which I then compare with our actual stock. I then orient myself to what is planned for the day: projects, meetings, discussions, as the case may be. Then I program the measuring machine and evaluate the measurements. Most of my days are like this or something similar.

What do you enjoy most?

I enjoy optimizing products the most. In our area, we provide very strong support for development – in terms of prototypes, process optimization and more. I think that’s great, because you can see that your work is actually making a difference.

If you had to describe NETZSCH as an employer in 3 words, what would they be?

Definitely innovative – of course, NETZSCH is always developing new solutions and technology. Diverse – NETZSCH has many different facets, most of which are positive. And most importantly: fair.

Do you have professional goals for the future?

My big goal is to really influence the quality of our products and raise it to the highest possible level.