Employeneurs at TMC end up in very different places. As a Senior Mechanical Lead Engineer, Murat Kutluk has contributed to machine design in the steel industry, semiconductor industry, research, and many other environments. With the combination of entrepreneurship and a variety in work, he comes into his own just right. "Always doing the same thing doesn't appeal to me. I always look for a new challenge."

Developing concepts, optimizing processes and making them more efficient, working with different CAD applications, and motivating team members. As a Mechanical Engineer, Murat Kutluk has a lot of skills and knowledge. He is currently working on several projects at the same time. One of these involves the development of tools to prepare machine parts for assembly and/or test applications. "The nice thing about tooling work is that it is very technical and there is a challenge in making sure it meets all safety conditions and customer requirements."

He has previously worked on a wide variety of projects. For example, he worked for a manufacturer of chips - baked potato slices, not computer chips. Murat designed the cutter to cut them into a very specific shape. He also developed machines in the steel industry with a team to visualize the composition of materials. He was also involved in numerous projects in the semiconductor industry and in aerospace. In addition to experience in (very) fine mechanics, he has also worked for many years in coarser steel structures, for example, he worked at a company that produced and delivered slaughter lines all over the world.

Improving a spectrometer

"A project that I am very proud of is the development of a test module for the Kidney Foundation. It was intended to measure the amount of a certain substance in the blood. Something that is important to see if someone is susceptible in the future for kidney disease. A previously developed test tool had many challenges for the test engineers to calibrate before use. I was asked to develop a new spectrometer, for better reproducibility and to increase the measurability by a factor of 1 ,5 I carried out this project myself from A to Z and the results turned out to be beyond expectations. I was asked back a few times for a new challenge after working for that company for a couple of years and was also asked whether I wanted to make a bigger machine. That was a very tempting offer, but at the time I was already working on another interesting project."

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Employee and entrepreneur

That characterizes him quite well, says Murat. "I don't like to keep doing the same job often. I always like to look for a new challenge. In 2013, I planned to start my own business. Then TMC came my way and in fact you are an entrepreneur here as well." You also must show that entrepreneurship when you are working for a client, he believes. "It's important to make sure that the company you work for sees you as one of them. Then you have the best of both worlds. It's good for the company and you come out optimally." At some times it works better than at others. "No matter how much initiative you take, sometimes a customer still wants to offer its own people every opportunity. If you respect that and support those people as best as possible, the customer sees that you are not only working for yourself but want the best for the company. In short, there are several roads to Rome."

It could also be that a customer wants to do something their own way, while you may have a solution to improve lead times or quality and reduce costs. Communication is of great importance here. I always try to see if there are other options (zoom out) and make that known. If they don't opt ​​for it, at least you have stated your vision. This is appreciated at all times, before or after."

Communication is important

Communication is essential anyway, says Murat. "When you work in a smaller team, sometimes it is even more important than the work itself. You must deal with the people in your team, the management, the project management and sometimes also with suppliers and customers. Someone who is less good at communication, for example, will not step on the brakes so quickly if he cannot deliver something on time, if you indicate that late or not at all, your work can still be so perfect, if people don't understand why you deliver late, they can still work to your detriment."

Murat has the ambition to develop further as a senior lead engineer and to further explore the boundaries of mechanical engineering. "TMC certainly helps me with that. Every year you can follow all kinds of courses and other trajectories from TMC. That gives you a boost on a professional and personal level. I especially appreciate the transparency and reciprocity of TMC. Everyone is open to comments and improvements. "It is always a two-way street, also in performance and appraisal interviews. Especially if you have the mindset of an entrepreneur, there are plenty of opportunities and we always look at how they can continue to support you."