【技術開発Gr】AM・塗装Sec.　Wesley　(English Interview)

Why did you decide to work in Japan? What made you choose Japan in the first place?

Since Japan is known for being one of the most advanced countries in terms of technological advances, I thought it would be beneficial for my career as a mechanical engineer to work here so that I might gain such advanced skills and knowledge. However, it is not like I had been actively looking for a position in Japan while I was studying at university because I initially thought I would find a job in Philippines where I am from.

Why did you choose Yamaichi?

One day I received an email from a recruitment company about a position in Japan which caught my attention. The position was about additive manufacturing and 3D printers and I got really interested.

When I had my first interview with Henri and Yuta (Kobayashi) from Yamaichi, I was very touched by Henri's passion for additive manufacturing. His passion was so contagious that it spread onto me as well. Then I felt I would not need to check other positions or companies in Japan anymore because I strongly felt the great passion for work of the people working at Yamaichi already.

I also found the vision of the section was in accord with mine; our section aims to optimise parts for customers, which was what I really wanted to do.

What have been your major tasks since joining Yamaichi and what is the current project that you have been working on?

Most of my major tasks are confidential as they are still under development, but my tasks usually involve designing conveyor systems. I'm also currently developing a new machine. I have been developing this machine for about eight months now. I believe that this new machine will bring the company new business opportunities. Although I cannot disclose much, I can say it is a machine that automates feeding and counting parts. This development should be completed in a few months time but even after the development phase is complete, further improvement and minor changes will be required before we get a viable product.

Which tasks have been challenging but worthwhile or/and enjoyable?

The new machine development project is really challenging because the goal is to apply this machine to wide scenarios and many different cases. Once we get a completed prototype, that is when a process of making minor changes and improvements starts. The thing is that one solution often becomes a different problem to another case. That means you have to predict whether a certain solution would be applicable to a lot of different scenarios.

So the whole process is hard and challenging but it has helped me grow as an engineer so far because now that I have gained enough experiences to grasp what could go wrong, I can foresee what may work or not more precisely than before. I also find this learning process enjoyable and worthwhile though there is always a lot of pressure that I do not enjoy.

In what areas of work do you think you have improved or made progress so far?

I started to work here last April. Since then, I am confident that my skills in machine design and robotics have much improved. I have also gained a good deal of knowledge and experiences in electronics during the course of developing the new machine.

Aside from those technical skills, I think the way how I communicate with my colleagues and convey my ideas to them have also improved even though I only speak English here and my Japanese is very limited.

Please tell us how it is like working in your section and also at Yamaichi?

I would describe the work environment in my section as a sandbox because we are free to play, try out our ideas using 3D printers and make mistakes in the course just like kids playing in the sandbox as long as we can learn from the mistakes and deliver the results from those activities. It is now easy to turn ideas into reality and it is faster to test ideas using 3D printers. That is the reason why I call it a sandbox as well.

Yamaichi has an open and collaborative work environment. If you run into a stone wall, people are willing to help you by sharing their expertise with you. Since I am still somewhat new in the team, it is reassuring to know that there are experts in our section whom I can consult with.

People in Yamaichi are generally very friendly. Everyone is easy to talk to. Even though I cannot speak Japanese much, people here would not make me feel I am a problem because of that. They make me feel welcome and I can rest assured that it is OK even though I have a language barrier.

Career wise, where do you see yourself in future?

It is hard to tell because things change so fast nowadays. However, my immediate future plan is to complete the development of this new machine that I have been working on for the last 8 months and further improve it thereafter so it may become more competitive in the market.

I would also like to get involved with improving the existing 3D printers as well as developing new ones. I believe that 3D printing or additive manufacturing will be the future of manufacturing. It will play an essential part in many industries in the near future. Even though 3D printing technology in the world is still in its early stages, it is already revolutionising the world. I would be very happy and also proud to play a small role to contribute to the development of 3D printing.

For the near future, I would like to continue to work in Japan as long as my skills are needed here!

If you are asked to advise non-Japanese graduates who would like to work at Yamaichi, what your advice would be?

My advice will be "Don't hesitate to ask people for help". Some people are sometimes too proud or ashamed to ask for help but if you ask for help not only will they help you solve a problem, but they will also tell you the best practices to solve it. So I think it's the most efficient way to learn.

It's also about interacting with people when you ask for help because it is a way of communication, which helps you bond with the people in the company.

How do you spend your day off?

I usually cycle around Nagoya area on my day off. I sometimes go as far as to Mie Prefecture by bicycle at weekend. Cycling is my favourite sport. There are also several Filipino communities in Nagoya. Our church alone has a community of about 40 people. I sometimes go hiking or do running with them.

There is also an international English speaking community where foreigners and Japanese people who want to communicate in English get together. I occasionally join them, too. That is generally how I spend my days off.

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