29 February 2024
Niels' passion for technology began at a young age when, as a four-year-old, he became fascinated by watching his uncle weld in his garage. At that moment he realized his future would be in engineering. His journey eventually led him to AAE, partly due to his involvement with Team Rembrandts, a regional robotics student team active in the international FIRST Robotics Competition. AAE has been a proud partner of this team since its inception. That's when Niels put two and two together and knew he had a future at AAE.
The rest is history. Today, seven years later, Niels found his way as a mechanical engineer at AAE, where he lives his passion for technology every day.
Witnessing the design come to life
Although his childhood aspiration once revolved around more practical work as a welder. Niels has now predominantly invested his passion in engineering. Niels: "At AAE, everything and everyone is highly accessible. For instance, the manufacturing area directly adjoins the engineering department, separated merely by a glass partition. This fosters an open environment where I can easily transition to the shop floor - where the design comes alive - to occasionally contribute to the manufacturing process. This way, I remain engaged in the production process. What's remarkable about AAE is that you truly see your own design come to life. It's genuinely remarkable."
3D-printing guru on the side
Speaking of seeing your design come to life: Niels also takes pride in helping to introduce 3D printing for plastic components within AAE. Niels explains, "This project enables us to rapidly produce prototypes and assist colleagues on the shop floor when they urgently need spare parts. Sometimes we deal with long lead time for a certain component. When that's the case, 3D printing comes to the rescue and allows us to keep a steady pace."
Patented technologies
According to Niels the pinnacle of mechanical engineering at AAE is improving processes and developing automated production machines. Niels states, "Each project takes about a year, from design to delivery and final approval by the customer. Every machine is unique and brings new challenges. Where other companies shy away from some challenges, we embrace them at AAE. It could involve working with high speeds or implementing processes we developed at the spot. At AAE, we simply say, 'Let's just do it.' That’s why the machines we build are of top quality. This often goes hand in hand with the freedom to use the latest technologies. How cool is that?!" With great enthusiasm, Niels then discusses a special project where the team has developed patented technologies to integrate highly precise and complex systems into a small space.
Open culture
What Niels appreciates most about AAE is the abundance of knowledge and the opportunities for growth within the company. He praises the open culture where employees are encouraged to take responsibility and develop themselves.
Nowadays, Niels himself is a mentor at Team Rembrandts, where his own technological journey began. Niels says, "I hope to inspire others to discover the same passion for technology that led me to AAE."
And just as his uncle once taught him, Niels believes that enjoying your work is the key to satisfaction and success in your career. With AAE, he has found exactly that.
Would you like to read more about working at AAE? You can find the blogs here.
