Summer flew by, and so did our first time as trainees. Can you believe it’s been a year since we started at GKN Aerospace? I certainly can’t! Looking back over the past year, we’ve accomplished quite a bit. We’ve had everything from trips, site visits, training sessions, and various rotations. The year has been incredibly educational and fun, and we will look back on this time with warmth.
Right now, we are all in our final rotations, and if we look ahead a few months, we’ll be heading abroad for an international rotation, which promises to be a lot of fun! Speaking of international rotations, we want to extend a big thank you to the 2021 group for their delightful posts about their international experiences. We’re even more excited about what’s to come now… 🙂
Yesterday, we welcomed the new group of trainees to GKN and the trainee program with a round of adventure golf in sunny Trollhättan. And you, our loyal readers, know that when a new group of trainees arrives, the old one says goodbye! It’s simply time to let them continue where we left off and for us to turn the page and welcome the upcoming chapters in our trainee lives. Who knows, there may be exciting adventures just around the corner for us as well…?
A big thank you to everyone who has read our posts!
Elias here, during the last six months, I have been in Germany working as a quality engineer at our Munich factory. In Munich, we mainly manufacture composite parts, such as, landing gear doors, rudders, and more.
In my role as a quality engineer, my job was largely administrative, mapping and seeing trends to see the occurrence of certain types of recurring problems, but there was also a lot of problem solving out on the factory floor together with operators, team leads and ME. Perhaps the biggest challenge in all of this was that all the work was perfomed in German!
As Merim has largely described what we did during our free time, I thought I could write a few words about our last work trip together as graduates, namely to Paris Air Show!
Similar to Farnborough, which we went to last year, the Paris Air Show is one of the largest air shows in the world. There are approximately 2500 exhibitors from 46 different countries that get together for one week to market their new products, meet suppliers and customers, and to sign new contracts. Moa, Merim and I had the opportunity to participate during the Friday of the show and see our chalét and all the performances of the different types of aircraft.
As I write this, I am back in Sweden and have started my first day in my new job as a Project Support Officer. With that said, our time has graduates has come to an end and we will be welcoming a new group of graduates in the fall. From the 21 grads, thank you, and like we say in Germany, auf Wiedersehen!
Alex here, just like Merim and Moa have told, the beginning of 2023 meant it was time to pack my bags and head on a 6 month adventure. I have been working on the US rollout of our in-house developed machine visualization software, and therefore my international placement has been in Newington, CT. The tool extracts real-time data from the machines without user interaction and helps operators by visualizing if the machine is running and predicts how long it is until next time it will need help from a human. The rollout also included visits to our sites in North Charlestown and El Cajon, helping them set the system up. It’s been a lot of fun working with people from all parts of the business while developing new functionalities for the software and it feels great to say that it is now live on all US Engines sites.
While the project was a big part of deciding where to go, the US have always been the goal for my international placement. I visited Newington during 2022 as part of my rotation in Supply Chain and really enjoyed the area and the site. Climate wise it is pretty close to Trollhättan but the seasons have more distinct roles and avoid taking each other’s jobs (looking at you +10 midsummer and Christmas eve). The site is only ~100 people, compared to the ~2000 in Sweden, which calls for a lot more cross-functional work and it is easier to understand the big picture, which I enjoy.
Work aside, I have spent my weekends exploring the area and trying the maxed out US experience with things like getting your own sofa at the cinema and 24/7 shooting ranges. There has also been a lot of bucket list hunting with New York City, Boston, Niagara Falls and Toronto ticked off the list.
A large benefit from the global graduate program is the network we build from day one. During my site visit to El Cajon I met up with the 2022 graduates for lunch and share experiences and I have spent a lot of time with the Newington graduate Jerin during the spring. Having someone on site to share experiences with and to hang out with after work have really enhanced the time in the US and I really appreciate everyone in Newington that helped out
As Merim described in his post, I am also on my last rotation of the graduate program, my abroad assignment. I am on a site located in Papendrecht, a small town in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, the products GKN manufacture are categorized into three different segments; Lightweight Aerostructures, Electrical Wiring Interconnections and Landing Gear Systems. These capabilities are distributed over four different sites, but there is currently a project of moving operations from two sites to Papendrecht to create a multi-technology center.
I am at the quality department in Papendrecht, working as the project lead for implementing new production requirements. These requirements are usually called SMS-requirements, where SMS is short for Safety Management System, and are a part of the regulation to obtain a Production of Approval (POA) certificate. To obtain a POA certificate means that the products produced are “approved of airworthiness” and the requirements are focused on introducing a proactive way of working to increase safety of products produced. The period for implementing these requirements is two years and my goal has thus been to gain momentum in the project.
In Papendrecht I am not the only graduate from our cohort, Amy and Erica from USA are doing their abroad assignment here as well. I have really appreciated them being here and it has been a lot of fun getting to know them better. About a month ago, we gave a presentation about the opportunities at GKN Aerospace and our experience of the graduate program to students from the university TU Delft during an on-site visit. Erica and I also went to TU Delft for a career event the other week where we had speed dating with several students and got to review their CVs. It is great fun to mix such activities into your work schedule.
A lot of fun happens outside of work as well. Since the flight from Sweden only takes about an hour, I have had the luxury of friends and family visiting regularly during the spring. Together with them, I have visited several different parts of the Netherlands, and of course seen TULIPS in abundance. Now there are only a few weeks left and even though it has been a lot of fun to experience all this, I am excited to go home to Sweden.
The time came for the year 21 to go on their abroad rotation. It was a while ago I wrote a blog post here, and I assume that you may be wondering what has happened since last time? Well, we have managed to do our last domestic rotation in Trollhättan, we’ve had our last development week which was in the US, we’ve managed to visit quite some sites around the world, examples such as US, UK and the Netherlands, but we’ve also got the chance to visit Farnborough Air show last year. When I think about it, quite a lot has actually happened during the two years at GKN, and after our abroad rotations which ends end of June, we return to Sweden and begin our post-graduate positions.
For my abroad rotation, my bags were packed onboard a direct flight to Münich where I’m to work six months with/at our customer ArianeGroup in Ottobrunn. If you read previous posts from last year, you would know that Jens, a graduate before me, went to Vernon in France on his abroad trip, and when I heard about it I just knew I wanted to go there. So when I got the chance, I gladly took it.
GKN has been a partner with ArianeGroup since the dawn of time (the 80s) and we have been part of every major launcher since then. The last renowned launch you might have heard about was the James Webb Telescope, launched by an Ariane 5. The successor for A5 is the Ariane 6, which is still in development, and for the future, we have the Prometheus project.
So for my abroad rotation, I’ve been involved in precisely that, the Prometheus project, where I’ve had to work with conceptual design on parts of the engine, which has meant a lot of CFD and design iterations. The people here at Ottobrunn are experts within the field of combustion chambers so I’ve situated myself pretty well here. It is a very exiting assignment, and being a space nerd, I feel that I have found the correct spot to be.
Ariane 6 – Where GKN are to manufacture nozzles and turbinesDepiction of the Prometheus launcher engine being developed.
Except for working, I am also accompanied here by Elias, who is doing his abroad assignment at GKN Aerospace in Münich, where we are experiencing Bavaria. I really do enjoy hiking so I have forced Elias with me on some trips, pictures are below. To be in Münich is golden, you are very close to some pretty nice destinations. You have Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France and so on very close by but you also have the Alps very near, and of course the food here is not so bad. Golden to say the least.
The lake Eibsee with Zugspitze behind (The higest peak in Germany).
I could talk longer about my experiences here, but I think this sums it up pretty well. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
Linköping is a picturesque city located in the south of Sweden. It is known for its beautiful parks, museums, and historical landmarks. However, one of the most fascinating places to visit in Linköping is SAAB, the world-renowned aerospace and defense company.
Recently, we had the pleasure of visiting SAAB in Linköping, where we had the opportunity to witness firsthand the construction of the Gripen fighter jet. It was an unforgettable experience that we would like to share with you in this blog post.
As we entered SAAB’s facility, we were immediately struck by the level of security measures in place. The staff checked my identification and escorted me to a waiting area where we were given a safety briefing. Once the safety briefing was completed, we were allowed to proceed to the factory floor where we saw the impressive assembly line of the Gripen fighter jets.
The assembly line was a marvel of engineering, with machines and tools working in perfect harmony to build these impressive fighter jets. We were amazed to see how the different parts of the jet were put together to form the final product. The workers were all highly skilled, and it was clear that they took great pride in their work.
We were fortunate enough to have a guided tour of the facility by one of SAAB’s engineers, who patiently explained to us the different stages of the production process. From the design and construction of the cockpit to the installation of the engines and weapons systems, every stage of the production process was carefully planned and executed.
One of the most impressive aspects of the Gripen fighter jet is its maneuverability. The jet is designed to be highly agile, making it an ideal aircraft for aerial combat.
Aside from the impressive engineering, the atmosphere at SAAB was friendly and welcoming. The staff was always eager to answer my questions and explain the work they were doing. It was clear that they were passionate about their work and were dedicated to producing high-quality products.
In conclusion, our trip to Linköping and visit to SAAB was a memorable and pleasant experience. Seeing the Gripen fighter jet being built was a fascinating insight into the world of aerospace and defense engineering. We highly recommend a visit to SAAB’s facility for anyone interested in engineering or aviation. Since SAAB is a protected object, we couldn’t take any pictures so here is a nice picture of Arvid and Rasmus enjoying the lovely weather Linköping offered us.
Since the last time we last wrote, a lot has happened. Last week, us trainees organized a small christmas get-together for the previous trainees with lots of saffron bun (lussekatter), gingerbread cookies and mulled wine. Apart from this, we also took a road trip to our site in Kongsberg, Norway where we got to learn more about the organization, the products they work with, along with the future outlooks. Of course we got a tour of their workshop which was super interesting.
In Norway we also had time for a visit to the Armed Forces Museum where we got to see and read more about the role the armed forces of Norway had ni different historical events. The trip to Norway offered very nice (but freezing cold) weather, pretty scenaries with snow covered nature and the perfect opportunity to bond as a group. Because, what else screams “bonding” more than us 5 living together in a room with five beds and one bathroom?
You can really sense that christmas and a new year is approaching. A lot of the snow we had last week has already melted but I’m crossing all my fingers and toes that it will come back before christmas eve. And speaking of the year ending… We’re leaving the office for some well deserved break and therefore the blog will take a small break as well (so sad, I know…). But worry not, after the winter holidays we’ll be back, bigger, better, and improved I promise! 🙂
Until then, us trainees wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! <3
As Christmas and winter holidays are approaching, so is the end of our first rotations. Some might wonder what I have been up to on my first rotation? Well, my first rotation is in the materials lab, where you work to support production and development programs (among others) with various analyzes to evaluate whether or not the details meet all the safety requirements. As the safety aspect pervades everything that is done at the company, it naturally places high demands on the analysis methods used in the lab. Therefore, I have worked a lot on reviewing the routines that exist for method validation in the lab to ensure that there should uncertainties how, when and why method validation is done.
Another part of the safety aspect is being able to identify which substances the products we deliver consist of, as the EU has a list of various chemicals that are harmful to humans and/or the environment. And if the companies still want to supply products that contain more than 0.1% by weight of the listed substances, the company is obliged to report this to the customer. This is also something I have been involved in where I’m in the process of mapping out how such processes work. A lot of what I do in this project is talking to different people to get knowledge from different departments of the company.
If you have followed Aerobloggen for a while, you probably know by now that as a trainee you do other things than just rotations. For example, we participated as judges at the FIRST Lego League here in Trollhättan. FIRST Lego League is a knowledge and technology competition for children and young people aged 10-16 where the aim is to inspire them to become tomorrow’s engineers, researchers and problem solvers by doing a project. The project mainly consists of two parts; programming of a robot that should be able to perform various tasks on a track, as well as presentation of an innovative project linked to this year’s theme, which were Superpowered. It was a lot of fun and we were impressed by how creative and determined they were. In addition to participating as judges, us trainees awarded the winning team with a scholarship of 20,000 SEK. We wish the winning team the best of luck in the regional finals in Oslo next year 🙂
Like Arvid, I, visited the university where I’m an alumnus, namely KTH, to represent GKN together with 6 other colleagues at the career fair THS Armada. Even though I haven’t been away from KTH and Stockholm for too long, it was very fun to be back, even if it was only for a short while. I, myself remember a couple of years ago when I walked around as student and talked to different companies and how it felt like a life after school felt so far away. So it was very fun to be able to experience what it feels like to stand on the other side of the fair. The days at the fair offered pleasant conversations about GKN, career opportunities at the company and lots of other fun. If you are interested in writing your thesis, you can check out the possibilities here. And if you are interested in applying for the global graduate program, keep an eye on the blog!
It is now less than a month left until Christmas, but that doesn’t stop us from having some fun until then. Soon we’re going on a study visit, but where we’re going and who we’re visiting you’ll see (read) in future posts 😀
Come hang at THS Armada today Tuesday and tomorrow Wednesday (22-23 November) and talk master thesis, global graduate programme and other interesting things with us. See you there!
On Tuesday and Wednesday this week it was time for Arkad, which is the career fair in Lund. This was the first time GKN Aerospace visited Lund and as an LTH alumni it felt extra fun to be there. We who went to Lund were 2 managers, 2 from HR, Hampus (trainee from 2019) and me (Arvid). During the two days we had many interesting conversations where we talked about what GKN does, about which parts we produce in an engine, about the SWAN nozzle and what we are doing to reduce the aviation industry’s climate footprint.
Career fairs are an important base for recruitment and since we had never been in Lund before, few people knew who we are. Therefore, it was an important step to go down to Lund, which has many engineering students and it seemed that many people were interested in our business. We also had a very advantageous position as we were placed opposite Koenigsegg who had placed their new model Jesko opposite us.
As Lund alumni, Hampus and I also went to the banquet in the evening, which was in the AF castle. There we got to eat duck, see excellent shows and have interesting conversations with other company representatives and students.
