Lady of the rings

Wherever Melanie goes, action is sure to follow. The space hums with the sound of very heavy motors being revved up. The smell of oil and cooling fluid hangs in the air. Warning lights flash while screens cast a blue hue over everything. The control panel shows that X = 50,000, Y = 63,735 and Z = 00.

"I've always been fascinated by machines," gushes Melanie. "Technology has intrigued me since I was a kid, and at age 17 I was delighted to get to work on my first car. A technical career was the only thing I could really imagine doing." An automotive mechatronics engineer? A car mechanic? An army maintenance engineer? "After leaving school I applied for many different things – and that's what led me to ZEISS. I guess it impressed my interviewer that I was able to take apart a metal puzzle and put it all back together. By the time the final piece clicked into place, I knew I had the job," she smiles. You can tell she loves what she does. "I really enjoy my work. Working with people, machines, and metal is very much my thing, it's my calling."

Each and every order is a complex process, and they all begin with a written description of the task at hand. Melanie uses this as a basis to gather raw parts from the warehouse. She then selects her tools, configures the controls, monitors the production and concludes the process with a quality inspection. Her checklist includes key criteria such as surfaces, dimensions, coatings and threads. Once the measurements have been taken, the part is normally returned to the CNC center for the finishing touches. So where does all this precision come from? Melanie has a theory: "It's a combination of practice, experience and expertise. We receive the support and the training we need. For example, when we receive a new machine, we spend a week at the manufacturer's learning how to use it. And we spend another week being trained as soon as the machine is up and running."

So what does the future hold? Will machines still need teams to operate them? "Of course," says Melanie with confidence. "A person's hands and eyes, and knowledge and experience, are simply irreplaceable – at least in the leagues we're playing in."