Employee Spotlight: Beatriz

I work at Actemium Automation Nottingham. We design, build and test custom-made industrial control systems and then integrate these into our customers’ production lines. We offer control panel design and build, software development, safety system design, commissioning and start-up support as one end-to-end service.

As a Junior Systems Engineer, in my day-to-day activities I work alongside a small team of engineers to develop programs for specialised industrial computers called Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs). I spend a good deal of time interpreting technical project documentation in order to understand what the customer wants our control system to do, and then simulating and testing it against the specification. I also get involved with on-site work installing and commissioning the new/upgraded system, as well as the commercial element of quoting a job.

Finish this sentence: My business is an incredible company to work for because…

My business is an incredible company to work for because it always encourages open collaboration and knowledge sharing. Most of our projects don’t last longer than a few months but the control systems we’re tasked with designing are incredibly varied and their applications broad. We do everything from food manufacturing to automotive and pharmaceuticals, so the opportunity is always there for me to expand my knowledge in the world of control systems.

Whether it’s the particular automation provider (Rockwell, Siemens, Mitsubishi, etc.), customer-specific standards or niche legacy equipment, you’re always working and collaborating with different people in a cross-functional team in order to make the system work and the project a success.

Give us an example of a time where you have been supported to achieve your best in your career while with us…

Although a pivotal part of modern-day manufacturing, PLCs are surprisingly unknown outside the world of industrial control, even from within the field of engineering. It felt daunting jumping into a graduate programme with the sole purpose of training me into an industrial software engineer when I had never even heard of a PLC!

The program is heavily focused on hands-on learning, so I was put on real customer projects from the get-go – even during crunch time at the commissioning phase with tough startup deadlines. I definitely felt anxious for my first time on site to commission a project, but the trust and guidance I had from the team made it a much less formidable experience, and it ended up going really well. The exposure, alongside close mentorship and training helped me learn incredibly quickly and build confidence to become a newly fledged engineer.

Actemium UK is an organisation made up of incredible teams both large and small. Tell us about your incredible team and what it’s like to work with them.

Ever since joining the graduate program, I was told to ask lots of questions and be proactive. This was golden advice because, working for an industrial systems integrator, projects can quickly pick up the pace or require a significant change in scope. But despite all of this, someone is always willing to put time aside to help and let you learn from them, even if you’re just shadowing them on site for a day. There is always space to step in and question something or add to the brainstorm, no matter how junior you are. And, most importantly, learning from experience and asking for extra support is seen as part of the process.

At Actemium and our associated businesses, we are transforming our world through the ‘digital and energy revolutions’. Please tell us how your (or your teams) contribution is helping us to achieve that goal…

The future of automation is digital interconnectivity. A lot of our work involves stripping out obsolete equipment and replacing it with today’s state-of-the-art processors and I/O (input/output) systems, which are powerful collectors of industrial data. These modern control systems are able to deliver critical operational insights in real time, both onsite and remotely, in order to optimise production and improve quality to meet today’s rigorous manufacturing demands and best practices.

The control systems we design are also scalable and flexible, so that our customer’s automation systems can adapt and grow as their operational needs evolve. Essentially, we are helping to digitalise their operations whilst future-proofing their process control infrastructure.

Please tell us why you are proud to do what you do…

The companies we do work for are some of the most recognisable in their respective industries. They are each unique in the complexity of their processes, and therefore so are the solutions we provide for them. This means every day I encounter something I’ve never seen before – it’s an exceptionally multidisciplinary field that always stretches and rewards in equal measure.

I really feel the impact of my work watching something I have helped build begin to operate out in the world. A lot of things we take for granted are reliant on these control systems running accurately and safely. Helping deliver this expertise alongside such a great team of engineers makes what I do incredibly fulfilling.

Inspired by Beatriz’ story? Have a look at our Career Portal or get in touch with us today.