Around the world with Röchling Industrial
From Haren via Switzerland to the USA: Oliver Nögel has been travelling to various Röchling Industrial locations abroad in recent months
In 2021, Oliver completed his degree in industrial engineering in cooperation with Röchling Industrial Haren. Today, he works with colleagues around the world.
Rail transport gets millions of people and goods from A to B quickly and safely every day. Once on the rails, efficient and reliable technology is required. Röchling Industrial supports as a system supplier for components made of composite materials and thermoplastics.
Every project has different requirements in terms of design, geometry, material properties, specifications, standards and contractual conditions. Röchling Industrial offers its customers full-service: from engineering, through bonding, screwing, painting and assembly, right through to the complete tailoring of installation-ready components.
Oliver Nögel, Sales and Project management, is one of the people responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly in dialogue with the customer and that the design, qualification and production processes are aligned with the product.
In 2021, Oliver completed his degree in industrial engineering with a focus on sales management in cooperation with Röchling Industrial Haren. During his studies, he familiarized himself with the company and the various departments before starting his career in the Composites Sales Pultrusion division.
Initially, he provided support in the transportation division, but today he independently accompanies projects worldwide.
Cooperation on major project at cross-continental Röchling sites
“The project started in Europe. The sites in Haren, Nancy in France and espically Weinfelden in Switzerland were significant involved”, says Oliver Nögel. “The close cooperation between all locations is of crucial importance. Especially with regard to the planned project transfer to our sites in Mount Pleasant and Cleveland.”
Since last year, he has not only been in Haren for this purpose. In 2023, he worked with colleagues at the newly integrated site in Weinfelden, Switzerland, where he and the project team prepared everything for the First Article Inspection (FAI). The FAI offers the customer the opportunity to inspect the system components and their quality before series production begins. In addition, agreed parameters are tested in a comprehensive sampling process and documented in detail.
Since the beginning of this year, the 24-year-old has been in the USA at our site in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Here, he is supporting his colleagues on site with the preparations and implementation with the knowledge and experience he gained in Haren and Switzerland. The Emsland native also coordinates the exchange with the locations in Europe.
A challenging time
“I accompany the project phases from start to finish and follow the individual process steps. This is simply a great and at the same time challenging task. With Röchling as my employer, I have the opportunity to get to know and reflect on the working methods and processes at other locations. Travelling around the world and meeting new personalities is a nice side effect. The topic of transport is exciting, but it also varies from continent to continent – this makes me realise this even more”, explains Oliver Nögel.
“The FAIs during the two stays abroad are certainly among the most important milestone of this time, although they are associated with many challenges – in some cases also in terms of time. For example, I once travelled from Switzerland to Brussels, from Brussels to Orlando, from Orlando to Haren and then back to Switzerland within two weeks. The background to the visits was not exclusively to do with the major project. For example, I was in Brussels for a trade fair and in Haren to continue another project. But enjoying the sunset on Lake Constance with my colleagues after work or the view of Niagara Falls were a nice balance”, says Oliver Nögel.
Time to get to know the country and people
During his two stays abroad, Oliver Nögel always had time to get to know the country and its people: from joint squash sessions and visits to NBA and NHL stadiums to a gala evening organized by the German American Chamber of Commerce in Pittsburgh, followed by an after-party at the casino.
The helpfulness and hospitality of his colleagues in both countries made it easy for him to join the teams.
