Coroplast Global | Insights Working in the Maintenance and Workshops Team at Coroplast Tape
Between emergency operation and careful maintenance of machines
The staff of the Maintenance and Workshops department are on duty seven days a week, around the clock and on emergency call-up if a system breaks down. The early shift is the busiest time of day. And – the worst-case scenario – if a pipe bursts, the “plumber” sometimes comes even if he’s off duty. Of course, the emergency call is legitimised by reporting it immediately the next working day. If there are technical problems in the plant, colleagues also help one another out after working hours – even if it’s only to exchange information on the phone. The Automation department can even access control systems in China, America and Poland. “If a colleague in the USA calls and says something isn’t working, one of our people in the control system can often quite easily determine what the problem is and give them a tip about a module that may need resetting, which is something like remote maintenance from the team in Wuppertal,” says Lohölter
Matthias Lohölter loves working at Coroplast Tape, because the company is extremely well positioned, “but continuous improvement is very important, as standstill means regression.” Lohölter must know, as despite only being with the company since May 2017, he can look back at an impressive professional career. During his apprenticeship as a tool mechanic he studied for his baccalaureate in his spare time and went on to graduate as a mechanical engineer with an A grade. This was followed by assignments as a CAD engineer in Meerbusch and production manager in Hemer. He then successfully completed a course in business administration with the Chamber of Industry and Commerce and worked as head of toolmaking and technical manager before doing a stint in the aerospace industry.
In the end, the systems have to keep running, that’s the most important thing, as downtime costs money!
Around 60 highly qualified specialists work in maintenance at Coroplast Tape
It is precisely this broad experience that stands him in good stead now, because the work of the Maintenance and Workshops department is highly varied, from planning support for new automation processes to organising relocations. The department has a total of 62 employees and consists of the following units: Automation, Electrical Workshop, Mechanical Workshops and Maintenance Planning as well as the courtyard and postal service. Despite internationalisation, the department employs practically no temporary staff: “The specialists we need first have to be trained. Our requirements are strict and training takes at least six months, so we prefer to employ our staff on a permanent basis,” says Lohölter.
Consulting in the field of automation: machine packaging of adhesive tapes
The Maintenance and Workshops department is not only the “paramedic” for the production systems, it also gives advice when buying new equipment. The field of automation processes is especially fascinating and growing rapidly worldwide. In the adhesive tapes section, the Maintenance and Workshops department helped set up an automated packaging line and the rolls of tape are now packaged automatically.
The maintenance and workshops department at a glance
- Areas of responsibility: Maintenance, Inspection and Repair
- Around 60 specialists: from locksmiths to plant mechanics
- The maintenance consists of the following units: automation, electrical workshop, mechanical workshops, maintenance planning
- Training occupations: Industrial mechanic, electronics technician for industrial engineering or automation technology
