Volker Roggenstein – BEC 300 trainer with an enormous wealth of experience
The BEC blister lines are not only Uhlmann's best-selling lines, but also popular with operators. Why? Because the compact unit consisting of blister machine and cartoner module is particularly easy to clean and convenient to operate. Volker Roggenstein gets this feedback almost every day. As a trainer for Uhlmann machinery, he is one of the people behind our BEC blister lines. In this part of our series, he talks about his day-to-day work.
Mr. Roggenstein, what is your job at Uhlmann?
Volker Roggenstein: As a trainer, I train our customers' technical and operating personnel almost every day - and it’s a job that I really enjoy. I give half of the approximately 180 training days at our headquarters in Laupheim (Germany), and the other half I train directly at the customer's site. I have already visited 40 countries - from Iceland to India! It's nice to find out about new countries and meet new people.
After my training as an industrial mechanic at Uhlmann, I first worked in production and then for ten years in final assembly. After that, I knew the machines inside out. I benefited from this when I moved on to a trainer role ten years ago. Now I train all topics, for example operation, format changeover, maintenance or trouble shooting along the entire line: from the infeed to the blister machine, cartoner, end-of-line packer and inspection systems.
As a trainer, you must receive direct feedback on the Uhlmann machines. How do operators and technicians rate the BEC lines?
Volker Roggenstein: Feedback on the BEC has been consistently positive. The personnel on site, for example, get along excellently with our SmartControl machine control system. The graphical interface, the visualization of the work steps, the touch screen - everything works like in a well-made smartphone app. This makes it easy for newcomers. In addition, the fast, tool-free format changeover with the few, lightweight format parts, simplifies work considerably. The distances are short, because the machine is very compact. Most of the participants in my trainings enjoy working with the BEC.
Is training worthwhile even for experienced operators?
Volker Roggenstein: Training is always worthwhile. We can significantly improve productivity, particularly if there haven’t been any training sessions for several years. I had a training session in Ireland a few months ago - now the OEE, or overall equipment effectiveness, is 12% higher! It is often only during training that it becomes apparent that something is wrong, for example because the settings are not correct. I can then discuss and remedy this together with the team.
In addition, training sessions often act as a motivational injection. For many operators, the opportunity to travel to Laupheim for a week is a recognition of their achievements. There are very few who sit out their training. Most of them are very committed and return home highly motivated. This is important for our customers, especially in times of staff shortages - and I'm happy if I can contribute to satisfied, well-trained employees.
