Hi, I'm Iraido, a service technician at Robatech, and I love my job. There are six of us technicians at Robatech Germany who look after the customers all over the country. While other colleagues work from the branch in Bad Camberg, I drive to our customers from home as a so-called satellite. More or less long car journeys are therefore part of my job. But the interesting parts are the different customers and the technical challenges that await me there every day. There's plenty of variety in my job, and I like that.
Today, I have an appointment with a customer in the beverage industry. "The adhesive application system is down," she said on the phone. "A heating zone plug has been damaged and now the melter is displaying a heating zone error." I conclude that there is a short circuit on the main circuit board. I have one of these with me as standard, as well as many other spare parts that I need on a regular basis. It's important to me that I can also react to unforeseen circumstances on site, because for me, good service is when I can solve customers' problems as quickly as possible. As we service technicians don't travel to the company every day, we have set up our own mobile spare parts store in the trunk of our car. Today, I also have a complete set of spare parts for the broken heating zone plug in my luggage.
I have a 4-5 hour drive ahead of me. I often talk to my work colleagues on the phone during the journey if they are also on the road. We exchange ideas and support each other. Even if I can't get on with a job on my own, I call a colleague and continue with their support.
So now we've arrived at the customer's premises. Fortunately, the machine is well cleaned, so I can get straight to work. It has also happened that I had to clean for 3-4 hours first to even get to the equipment. Then everything is getting delayed because it was not planned. And that's expensive for the customer.
On the other hand, if the machines are hosed down all too generously with water – which does happen – water damage and short circuits can occur. That's not good either.
Did you know that something as small as a defective heating zone plug can paralyze an entire adhesive application system? I take a look at the situation on site. The adhesive melter is facing a passageway with its back to it, leaving the heated hoses and heating zone plugs exposed in the passageway. Trolleys are pushed through and one of them has caught the plug. However, I have also seen machine operators climbing onto the plug or hose connections, to open the tank cover, for example. Or that instead of using a ladder, they stood on the melter to get something down from higher up. A tricky business that I strongly advise against! Apart from the fact that mechanical and electronic parts of the system can be damaged, there is also the risk of the melter tipping over and causing dangerous burns to the careless employee.
Speaking of burns: I quickly learned that it is better to always wear long-sleeved clothing when working with adhesive application systems, even in summer – a small burn from a hot application head on my arm was enough. I also always wear safety goggles, a protective cap, safety shoes and, if necessary, protective gloves when working on the system.
Back to my task: It quickly becomes clear that both sockets of the heating zone plugs are broken. Both housings are damaged and the sockets inside are broken, stuck together with adhesive tape and scorched. A clear sign of a short circuit. This means that I have to replace the motherboard. As I said, I have it with me, but I didn't expect to have to replace both plugs completely. Now my spare parts plug set isn't much use to me – I have to order a second one. I call the company that can deliver the spare part to me by the next morning. That means I'll have to spend the night here. Tomorrow I'll take the melter apart so that I can get to the main circuit board and replace it together with the two heating zone plugs.
In the meantime, I won't be idle. I will use the downtime to carry out the maintenance that would have been due in a few weeks. The customer has a maintenance contract with Robatech, which means that we plan and carry out the preventive maintenance. Yes, we service technicians have to be flexible. Days are never the same, and many things don't go as planned. While on some days, everything runs very smoothly and we can go home early or drive to the next customer, there are days when nothing works as planned. Then creativity and flexibility are required. So, let's get to work!
Every repair includes a detailed service report on the work carried out. This starts with an evaluation of the situation, where I note down the initial situation and which components are involved. I then record the work steps so that everyone concerned can see what I did. This helps us both internally, for example with follow-up assignments, or when other colleagues take over. The service report, that customers sign, is also intended for them. If necessary, they can, for example, fall back on the same settings that we made after a service or repair.
In the service report, we also include recommendations regarding maintenance intervals, cleaning and spare parts inventory. So it contains everything you need to know about the assignment. In this case, I note that the heating zone plugs are delicate components that need to be protected from impacts. Or if, for example, adhesive melters are placed high up on wobbly structures, I point out the safety risk. Sometimes such external advice helps to ensure that problems are actually fixed. After all, it is in every operator's interest to ensure that their systems are safe.
My job is to make customers happy. And when an assignment is successfully completed and all systems are up and running again, everyone is happy. And I enjoy the variety in my job. I get to see so much of Germany – sometimes I work where others go on vacation. And I can visit customers that others only know from their products. That's what makes our job so exciting. Even though I'm spending an unplanned night here today, I'm optimistic that I'll be able to carry out the repair tomorrow and drive home. The job I would have had tomorrow will be taken over by another colleague, so that I can finish the job here. That's how it works. And now it's time for pizza and then I’m off!