Meet Sydney’s top Engineering Technologist Wednesday, 16 November 2016

Johannes Swanepoel TMIEAust was announced Engineering Technologist of the Year at the recent Australian Engineering Excellence Awards Sydney 2016. Johannes discusses the important contribution made by our Technologists and tells us why he enjoys his work.

What inspired you to become an engineer?

When I was a child I came across a smashed up radio and saw the weird and funny looking components and wondered what they were, what they did and how they worked.

It triggered in me a curiosity about how things work. Whenever I had an opportunity to take something apart and see how the insides fit together and worked, I did it. From a broken windmill gearbox, the lawnmower that did not want to start, the washing machine that did not want to work to mum’s electric mixer (which was broken before I took it apart).

From there, I started to fix things and implement small modifications and became the neighbourhood’s on call person if something needed fixing. 

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I now get paid to fix things!

I work as an Automation Electrical Technician / Engineer with Omya Australia Pty Ltd and am responsible for executing automation/instrumentation/electrical projects throughout Australasia.

There are always challenges in automation. Finding solutions and solving problems makes it interesting and rewarding. I now specialise in control system automation and engineering, which provide me with a balance of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, electronics, robotics, software and programming engineering.

My work is seldom repetitive. There is always something new to learn and do.     

What has been your career highlight to date?

Designing and implementing a profibus over radio communication solution for an aluminium product manufacturing company in South Africa.

I was working on an aluminium hot mill rolling line and the furnace ingot shoe return crane, which was using copper slip brushes for power and communication, was plagued by profibus communication faults because of an ageing communication system.

I redesigned the shoe return crane communication system to communicate with profibus over radio between the shoe return crane and the furnace control system. I managed to achieve a communications turnaround time of about 25ms.

What is the oddest experience of your career?

Nominating myself for this award. I find it difficult and weird to write about my achievements.

I received encouragement from a previous year’s winner to nominate myself and decided to do it because not many Australians know what an Engineering Technologist is and it is a way to make more people aware.

What does it mean to you to win the Engineering Technologist of the Year award?

To win an award by a respected professional association like Engineers Australia is very humbling.

This award brings to a climax the Technologist chapter of my engineering career and serves as motivation to continue in providing excellent, safe and sustainable engineering solutions for the future.

I also hope that my story will encourage other Technologists to submit entries for next year’s individual awards.

Image: Johannes Swanepoel TMIEAust (left) receiving the Engineering Technologist of the year award from Jim Modrouvanos, Executive Director, Asset Standards Authority, Transport for NSW.