“We keep production moving.”

Systematically detecting and eliminating plant malfunctions

What do plant maintenance technicians at Infineon do?

They maintain and repair – maintenance technicians ensure that plants run smoothly and that they can be used to their full capacity at any time. In doing so, they take a thorough and systematic approach. When it comes to preventive service and maintenance, they clean highly sensitive systems, exchange parts, and repair them. In the case of disturbances, they are inventive troubleshooters.

Interview

When a standstill happens, I’m the person you need

This job is perfect for someone who is excited by the complex interplay of very different machines in a plant. You need a great deal of detailed knowledge and you have to be able to work quickly, precisely and, especially, meticulously. The intuition and creativity of a puzzle solver are helpful. Taking care of faults – that’s something I really like doing!

Thomas Wrzesinsky Maintenance technician wet chemistry, Infineon in Dresden, Germany

What are your tasks, Thomas?

I work closely with the specialists who monitor and drive processes as an extension of our process engineering. At the beginning and end of every shift, my colleagues and I have very exact handovers. Even the smallest details are decisive for smooth operations – particularly in the clean rooms in wet chemistry. This is where wafers are cleaned and etched with nano-scale structures. Because these steps are so delicate, they are carried out in extremely clean rooms – comparable with an operating room. I look after up to 14 different machine platforms from nine manufacturers.

We maintenance technicians work with the highest level of precision, and under a good deal of time pressure. Calm hands and a sharp focus are very important, because our plants are equipped with the most modern, high-performance machines, which have to operate with absolute precision at high speeds.

Are there challenges that you face again and again?

For us the excitement starts when technical faults are reported or when a machine shuts down unexpectedly. Every minute of downtime in a clean room is a race against time. The top priority is to get everything back up and running as quickly as possible. We have to methodically search for the exact fault and then quickly find a precise solution. Very often, that requires creativity. For example, when a hard-to-reach part has to be replaced. There is no room for error: the equipment is highly sensitive and the clock is ticking. A lot depends on my work. If one of the machines I look after stands still, production in other areas has to be stopped too. Instinct and intuition help to recognize the causes of errors. Equally important are expertise, good nerves, caution, and decision-making skills.

What motivates you? Is there anything in particular?

I like the mix of unexpected troubleshooting and the routine preventive maintenance work on the machines. I love the tricky tasks and visible successes. Working in a team is also great, especially with the different specialists. It’s exciting when everyone pulls together to find the error and to get the equipment running again. All the while, you wouldn’t believe what you can learn as a maintenance technician – and a lot of which helps you in day-to-day activities.

Requirements at a glance

Personality

You like to work in a team. Together with other experts you look for the optimal solution and if necessary you can improvise well.

Making decisions

You work structured and efficient. Even with an increased volume of work, you know what is important and are able to make decisions.

Work environment

Every day at work can be different. It is important that you are willing to learn new things with patience and persistence.

Requirements at a glance

As a maintenance engineer, you are a technology generalist. You are enthusiastic about complex machines and electronics. New challenges and complex problems push you into top form. Starting with a basis in electrotechnical training, for example as an electronics technician or a mechatronics technician, this job is ideal for people with the following skills:

Willingness to learn new things with patience and perseverance
Competence to solve technical problems on a large range of equipment
Structured, efficient, and independent working style
Make decisions and prioritize reasonably
Very good communication skills for sharing and discussing relevant information in teams

Work in a special setting

The majority of production at Infineon takes place in shift work in clean rooms. The clean room overalls – the special workwear worn here – is a bit unusual in the beginning. But after a few days, the clean room overalls start to feel like a second skin.

A typical workday begins with putting on the clean room overalls, followed by exchange with the people from the previous shift on the status quo.

During the shift, it’s all about preventive maintenance and rectifying any plant malfunctions. Solutions are discussed and decided upon in teams.

Among the activities to maintain equipment are exchanging parts and cleaning highly sensitive machine components.

At the end of the shift, you inform your colleagues in the next shift on the status, progress, and challenges.

Maintenance technician at Infineon

What makes this a dream job?

As a maintenance technician at Infineon, you play a key role in our highly modern production environment and work in a highly automated Internet of Things setting.

Your work helps ensure dependable production. When a machine is back up and running after a disruption, you enjoy the visible outcome of your efforts.

With a large variety of equipment, varied tasks, and fascinating problems, maintenance technician is a dream job for people who are excited about technology and like to solve puzzles and work with their hands.

In addition, there is a possibility to always learn something new and to further develop your skills. For example, onboarding includes the internal mentoring program and external training with manufacturers.

Joint work and responsibility for smooth operations in clean rooms depend on strong cohesion in the shift teams.