Lars Gehrke

In a three-year research project of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), he worked on the laser-based housing production for electric vehicle batteries. In his Master's degree courses he was able to pursue his professional goals to deepen his knowledge in laser welding, laser marking and process monitoring perfectly.

Why did you apply to Leister as an application engineer for laser welding?

Because Leister offers a wide range of product variants for laser plastic welding. I am particularly interested in pyrometry for the determination of thermal radiation. This is a widely used method to monitor processes.

What is one of your most important tasks?

Developing and setting up laser welding processes for our worldwide customers is, among many others, my main task. This is because our customers also need very different solutions due to different product requirements. For example, choosing the right laser, the optical components and the process.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

The craftsmanship and daily challenges related to customer needs. It gives me great pleasure to work together with customers to develop a solution that is tailored to their needs.

How would you describe your teammates in three words?

Doer personalities, solution-oriented, team players. My boss always says: "He that hath two left hands and all thumbs..."

What makes your team stand out?

Our team consists of 4 people and in some respects we tick very similarly. We all have a certain amount of manual skill and are not afraid to get down to work. Among other things, we are help each other out and work well together.

Would you recommend working at Leister to your friends? If so, why?

Yes, for professional reasons, definitely. Since the majority of my friends live in Germany, a job at Leister Technologies AG in Switzerland would involve them moving abroad. You have to be ready for that.

If someone is interested in a job with Leister, what would you advise them to do or tell them about Leister?

So in my field, working with new people every day brings me happiness since our customers visit us directly on-site at our laser laboratory. When we work together with our customers, we’re able to develop the right solutions for their products. It helps a lot if you have good communication skills because you have to exactly identify the customer needs. In addition, one should have a basic understanding of the laser welding process, both practically and theoretically.

Do you have the opportunity to grow professionally at Leister? What are you striving for?

My current goal is to bring my know-how from my time as a research assistant in the Laser Technology Laboratory (LLT) at the Rheinische Fachhochschule Köln to the industrial environment in the best possible way. At Leister I am currently being trained on the robot and how to handle it properly. This will certainly not be the last thing that I’m professionally trained on.

Has Leister supported you professionally, recommended further training and supported you financially, for example?

Yes, I have already attended various internal training courses, for example to get to know the Leister product portfolio better. By the way, next to me on the photo you can see a robot with the Globo-Optic from Leister. The "Globo head" was developed by Leister and is used for contour welding on large components. For example, the globe head is used to weld tail lights for cars.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Here in Switzerland you have many opportunities to do exciting activities. Since I love the mountains, I like to go hiking, for example. My personal highlight is always the beautiful Swiss cows. I also like sports, especially running. Besides the mountains with its great views, Switzerland also has wonderful lakes to offer. As a former city-dweller I enjoy this relaxing contrast.

Thanks for the interesting conversation. I'm glad you chose to work at Leister. We wish you continued success with your exciting tasks and look forward to working with you in the future.