Energy and dynamics in Mechanical Engineering

If you need it – we can make it
Lasse Rasmussen from the Mechanical Engineering department is passionate about creating. Since 2006, he has been generating engineering solutions for MacArtney in a department that ripples with creative engineering energy. The lively work pace in the department suits Lasse, who enjoys the variation that his work brings him.

“I thrive on the dynamic energy in the department, where no two days are the same and where I can follow the process through the stages of idea, creative technical brainstorming, development, manufacture and to completion. My work also takes me out to visit customers, often to see systems installed.”

That’s the spirit
At MacArtney we often say “if you need it – we can make it” and in the Mechanical Engineering department, engineers turn thought into mechanical reality. Their task is to bring technical and engineering knowledge into a working design - and as every project is different, no two solutions are the same.

Lasse often enters a project at an early phase, providing advice at the quotation stage and giving new projects a sound yet broad thinking perspective. Throughout the project, he shares extensive engineering advice and provides qualified technical idea input with the customer and the project team.

“Often the systems that we design are entirely new. We are not afraid of taking on something that has never been tried before. This pioneering spirit is part of what makes MacArtney such an exciting place to be. Of course, the work is challenging and demands solid technical and mechanical knowledge combined with a good dose of hard work. But that is part of the joy of creating.

Now that I lead the mechanical engineering team, a large element of my work is to let others create. New projects are passed to me and I decide on the direction the development should take. But I merely set guidelines; the engineer who takes on the project has room for a great deal of free thinking. I am there to coach and to support them in their creativity.”

Keeping balance
Life can’t be all work and no play and Lasse balances his busy work life with healthy activities in his free time. Lasse’s next challenge is to cycle non-stop from Aarhus to Copenhagen, a breathtaking 375km. This would seem a daunting prospect to many, but Lasse loves a challenge and training is part of the fun.

“I make time to cycle when I can. I love the feeling of cycling in the fresh air and spending a couple of hours resetting and recharging.”

“One of the more striking aspects of the MacArtney spirit is the way that everybody supports each other and pulls in the same direction. The tone is friendly and professional and there is a healthy focus on spending quality time together as colleagues. This social and supportive spirit gives everyone here the room and the confidence to thinking openly and creatively.”

Some social aspects of working for MacArtney can also be habit-forming. Three years ago, Lasse went on a company social skiing trip to Austria and really caught the skiing bug and now returns every year for a week of Alpine skiing.

“Spending social time together is really important. When we listen to each other and understand each other, we gain a greater insight and a heightened sense of belonging. When we feel we belong somewhere, it becomes a place we enjoy being in, where we work hard to pull in the same direction. That is truly satisfying.”