This article is written by our summer trainee, Maya Sopori. This is the fifth article in a series about Aeromon employee roles and their experiences.
Tuomas has been at Aeromon for five years, producing and overseeing the manufacture of the hardware we use to take measurements, ensuring the reliability and technological development of our BH-12 devices and sensors.
Maya: How has your job changed across your years here?
Tuomas: My job on a whole consists of many aspects. I order components which we need to produce our devices and sensors, I design and execute new features to any devices needing it. I do a lot of product design and planning too, mechanical engineering, as well as firmware coding. I also manage calibration gases, and verify we have the right components in stock. I’d say that the scale of my work has increased, we have much more demand for our hardware, which means more work for us. The business we do is much more international and large scale, which means there is consistent demand for the hardware – business used to slow in winter when our customer base was mostly in Finland. Nowadays I even have a co-worker who helps me with a lot of physical construction while I have a larger focus on design and product management. But overall, my work has remained quite similar, I’ve always done a wide variety of tasks as part of my job.
Maya: What do you enjoy about your role?
Tuomas: If I have to be specific, the problem solving theme is something I really enjoy. Fixing minor to major issues with the hardware requires concentration and these issues could take up to months, which is a challenge I like. When solving issues with the mechanics or technology I ensure that the reliability improves and that the device functions even better than it did prior. Furthermore, I enjoy developing the devices and sensors, if they need new modules or features, I have the freedom to design and manufacture them from scratch. I’ll design the module, order components then construct and test it until it is perfectly functioning. I really like that I am useful to others in my job, and seeing how my designs work in the field.
Maya: So you spend most of your working time at the office, given the manufacturing process?
Tuomas: Yes, I do. I don’t really work from home, because I need access to all the hardware components and tools constantly. Also, I am often doing inventory and ordering new components for new projects, which means I have to be at the office. Being at the office is very nice though. There are around 8-10 of us here in Turku, and my colleagues can always help me if I have a problem with a device. Coming to the office everyday is always pleasant, the company is very good at hiring people who fit in and are warm and helpful. Sometimes I travel to Helsinki, and I join the field team occasionally when travelling out of Finland, which is a good opportunity to explore offsite and see my work in action. It’s gratifying seeing how my careful manufacture and design applies itself, and I’m able to get good insight on how to further develop the hardware.