Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa
Engineering changed the way I think How I look at things It changed me My whole life My whole being Through my childhood, I was always curious about how everything worked. Thinking back, I probably irritated my parents with all the questions. I grew up in a family of three sisters, and while the others were only interested in playing with Barbie Dolls, I wanted to build Legos and Meccano with my dad. I always had an interest in Physics and Mathematics, which at the time felt weird for a girl to have, because none of my friends could relate. I knew then that I had something different, and from a young age, I knew what the future would hold for me - Engineering. I chose to study Mechatronic Engineering because of the broad spectrum of topics it covers, and I never looked back. I am passionate about many things, and the more I know about different things, the more it stimulates me. That’s what I love about mechatronics. It is the future. During high school, I not only received eight A’s, but I also played hockey, golf (in the boys' league) and flute. I was also in the orchestra, flute ensemble and athletics team. I did public speaking and modeling as well. In the vacations, I helped out at a surf school, giving surf lessons to beginners. I always had a great love for music, and I also write poetry. In my matric year, I finished my Grade 8 flute exams. Through all my school activities and academics, I put myself under a lot of pressure to achieve all my goals. I got used to it, and now I flourish under pressure or in high-stress environments, which will help in the workspace one day.
I developed the front end of an application for RHINE Mechatronics using .NET MAUI, ensuring a smooth and responsive user experience. Additionally, I worked with RobotStudio to program a robot in a virtual environment. This tool is essential in robotics programming, as it allows for extensive testing and debugging before deploying the program to a physical robot. By simulating real-world scenarios, it helps eliminate errors, optimize performance, and enhance the overall reliability of robotic systems.
During my time at the Yanfeng plant, I learned about PLC programming and how robots can be programmed for a specific purpose. I experienced how software engineers at RHINE set up a new robot for the BMW X3 (G45) manufacturing. I also had to write a SOP (standard operating procedure) for the press machine of the X3’s car seats. I had the responsibility to evaluate another technician's SOP and make recommendations to improve it. I experienced how the press machine and a welding machine are tested and how errors were corrected during the set-up of the machines.