It has been great to have a bit of a change from my university studies, as the work is a little more physical. Having three years of mechanical engineering studies at Linköping University under my belt has proved really useful, as it gives me a little added insight into how the machines and systems work. But it has also been rewarding to work practically with the machines, rather than just studying the theory of how they “should” operate. You soon find out how much can still go wrong, no matter how well designed the machine is.
A working day
No two days are exactly the same, even when you’re sitting at the same station. This is mainly because the logs and planks are not always inclined to do what you want them to. My day begins with my arrival on site, where I have a laugh and a joke with the other employees in the break room before heading out to the sawmill. There’s a flexible rolling schedule for who works at which station, providing a bit of variety. The work itself basically involves turning large piles of logs on one side of the site into neatly stacked pallets of planks and boards – of the same size and type – on the other side of the site. A forklift can then stack them in the drying kiln.
What will you take away from your experience?
I’m starting my mechatronics Master’s in the autumn, and I feel that my time at Holmen has been incredibly useful in showing me how employees work with machines in practice, how much wear the machines are subjected to and the importance of being able to perform on-site repairs without needing to be a mechanic.
That’s all for now
Now that I’m back studying again, I feel it was really good to get to work with machinery, logs and planks. I’d like to thank Holmen for a fantastic job opportunity and good overtime pay.
Best wishes, Mats