The 54-year-old was not born into his current role. Before his professional career took him to thyssenkrupp in Beckum, Thomas Holtmann was able to gain experience in various industries. Whether in an engineering office, the development department of an automotive supplier, in the timber industry, the food industry, in the field of ultra-high pressure pumps or as a project engineer for high-bay warehouse technology - for Thomas Holtmann it was always a matter of optimizing project management processes as much as possible.
Completing a project in the required time requires strict standardization. Every machine is unique; only very rarely are systems absolutely identical in design and therefore "in the drawer". Thomas Holtmann: "Every project follows a very tight schedule; our department creates the circuit diagrams and programs via various intermediate steps, such as FAT, and approves the machine parts in advance before they are merged into a production system on the construction site."
We don't have the time to keep reinventing the wheel.
Thomas Holtmann Software Engineer thyssenkrupp Polysius
For Thomas Holtmann, collaboration with colleagues and specialist departments is essential. "I have to understand how to read the hydraulic diagram so that I can bring the hydraulics to life in my PLC program. I rely on the experience of my colleagues who have been doing this for years. We don't have the time to keep reinventing the wheel."
Many parameters have to be checked for plausibility. Holtmann has only done his job when every input is linked to the corresponding output and every machine function is fulfilled. Last but not least, testing and simulation are also part of his job. "The earlier an error is discovered, the less effort is required to rectify it."
Thomas Holtmann has not regretted his move to the long-established company thyssenkrupp Polysius. "I found a team here that made it easy for me to get started in the cement industry. I'm looking forward to making a contribution to the sustainable transformation of cement production together with my colleagues."