High-tech in a plastic box
Many people are familiar with the phrase from school: the aim is to prepare young professionals for “real life”. A phrase to which the trainers at MK Versuchsanlagen und Laborbedarf e.K. feel particularly committed. The goal of any training at the special plant manufacturer from Mücke is not only to teach the career starters how to handle machines, technology or administrative skills. “We are also concerned with creating an awareness of everything that needs to be considered in the development, project planning and implementation, right up to the sale of a product,” says MK owner Michael Keil, explaining his company’s training goals./span>
The apprentice project is relaunched every year
This is put into practice every year in the newly launched “MK Trainee Project”. Together with their trainers, the trainees from all departments of the company are involved in the implementation. And at MK Versuchsanlagen, there are quite a few:
- Technical:r product designer:in, field of mechanical and plant engineering
- Cutting machine operator, specialising in milling technology
- IT specialist, specialising in application development
- IT specialist, specialising in system integration
- Process mechanic, plastics and rubber technology
- Electronics technician, devices and systems (EGS)
- Electronics technician, industrial engineering
- Industrial clerks
The title of the current project was “Hau-den-Lukas”, following the classic fairground model. But since in the plastics processing company, sledgehammers in particular are only used once in a while to maintain the outdoor facilities, the idea was to make creative use of the expertise of the MK departments. “And our trainees have implemented this in an excellent way,” Michael Keil praises the team.
Sensitivity and acoustics instead of power
Omid Kamali, who is learning to be an electronics technician for devices and systems at MK Versuchsanlagen, explains the idea: “Instead of force, our “Hau-den-Lukas” is based on the components of sensitivity and acoustics. For this purpose, we installed a drum in a plastic box and an acoustic sensor underneath. Depending on how loud or soft the sound is played on the drum, the LED display coupled to the sensor moves up or down. The task now is to play the drum so softly that the LED display comes to a stop in a previously defined area.”
All MK trainees were involved
All departments were involved with their trainees. Omid Kamali, Simon Lerch, Hermann Miller, Richard Kruner, Jonas Peschka, Constantin Keil and Mark Miloszewski were responsible for the electronics. The software for implementing the acoustic signal was written by Mika Hormel, Malte Herzberger, Robin Gröblacher, Aiana Kurmanova and Valentin Gallen. In production, it was process engineer Lukas Hartmann and machinist Sarah Schnell-Kretschmer who first brought all the plastic parts and the LED column to the right size and then welded them together. Luis Lämmer and Fernando Dörr were responsible for recording the working hours and the cost plan for purchasing.
With the support of the training manager Elektro Vitaly Schwarz, the second and third year trainees developed, produced and presented a fascinating project. At the presentation, some former trainees were already no longer present, as they had already completed their training in the past months.
“I am really deeply impressed,” said company owner Michael Keil enthusiastically. “Once again, our apprentices have shown what it means when everything comes from a single source. I’m curious to see how our digital ‘Hau-den-Lukas’ is received at the training fairs.”