Semcon StoriesProduction Development
The automation expert who loves bringing visuals to life
When companies are looking for the right solution to automate production they can count on Thomas Lydhig for help. What’s important to him is understanding customer needs and bringing together Semcon’s broad expertise to deliver the best results.
How I landed my role at Semcon
I’d worked at the same company for 21 years! It wasn’t my intention to stick around that long…but as I got new tasks and assignments, the desire and joy to stay increased. One day, however, ‘it was time’.
I knew about Semcon previously and found a job advert in automation. I can still recall the phrase that grabbed my interest: "Are you one of the best?" it said. Yep, that’s my ambition and the idea of working for a company with the best attracted me. If I get to work with the best, I'll be brilliant too!
An incredible opportunity for curious engineers
Although I’ve now been at the company for ten years, I can remember starting as if I was yesterday. Time really flies when you’re having fun and get to work on developing projects. I’m a Senior Automation Concept Developer, which means I help Semcon's customers with solutions in automation and production.
Since we deal with such wide-ranging projects, there’s so much knowledge and help to take advantage of across our fellow departments. We also have numerous local offices around Sweden, which support in terms of local presence and expertise. For me, Semcon is the ultimate smorgasbord of technology, basically across all technical areas. I can use this buffet of know-how to help our customers with the best possible technical solutions, individually adapted to their needs.
So, what does my job actually involve?
Primarily, my work involves listening to the customer’s requirements and wishes and, above all, communicating with a broad selection of their employees, other than the client alone. That ensures we get a solid grasp of the overall picture, which is vital in delivering a great automation concept.
My most important work task: 3D visualisation!
Regardless of having specialist expertise in automation, my most important task is probably to visualise and explain concepts?. How can we best translate the customer’s ideas and wishes? What ideas can my colleagues and I come up with? And how does this all weave together to create something even better?
My starting point is to make it easy for everyone to understand what I demonstrate, both to the customer and my own colleagues. To help me, I use a very simple but powerful 3D-modelling software called SketchUp, that include correct proportions of all components and machine systems. It allows me to quickly illustrate ideas and provides a good basis for the concept work. We've developed a streamlined workflow where my colleagues and I utilize basic 3D sketches from initial client engagement through collaborative workshops to a comprehensive concept presentation, all aimed at building client trust and help them to motivate the investment.
Simulation
When you then add production simulations using Visual Components, the automation concepts that are developed, are incredibly secure, well thought out and the customer can feel confident with. Simulation also adds another dimension since employees’ work, together with machines, robots and forklifts etc, provide a clear graphic presentation of the concept’s logistics as well as a good analysis of technical performance.
In summary
If you boil all this down to one sentence, my focus is on creating robust and secure automation concepts from the customer's ideas and requests - visualised, simulated and explained in a way that generates new know-how, creates trust and ensures customers feel confident.
About Thomas
Title: Senior Automation Concept Developer
Education: Automation and Mechatronics at Chalmers Institute of Technology
Worked at Semcon since: 2013
I have most fun at work when: I get to present a new concept proposal to a client!
