Hannu, Production Engineer: Vaisala Helsinki, Finland

Hannu began his employment at Vaisala in 2000 as an electronics assembler in the sounding systems team. His work with the assembly, final testing and maintenance of sounding equipment also included management of production materials, delivery of ground equipment systems, and cooperation with sales teams and product development. Hannu enjoyed this varied and fascinating work.

Hannu’s interest in electronics eventually led him to consider further training. Inspired by the encouragement of a fellow team member, Hannu decided to apply for continuing education. In 2002 he enrolled in the EVTEK University of Applied Sciences, studying nights and weekends. All the while he kept his full-time job in the sounding systems team at Vaisala: the skills he had learned at work supported and complemented the skills he acquired at university. Hannu wrote his thesis on improving the telemetry of the Vaisala RS92-SGP radiosonde and graduated as an electronics engineer in 2007.

New challenges

In 2005 Vaisala decided to develop a weather radar that could be used in meteorology to measure the strength of rainfall and to determine rain area movements. Among other equipment, this product category includes dual-polarization weather radar technology. Vaisala launched the weather radar in 2007, and production planning and actual production began in Vantaa that year. Hannu wanted to take part, and he was made production engineer responsible for test planning and final testing of weather radars. This work, with a challenging product and a technology that he finds fascinating, spurred Hannu to further develop his capabilities; he created a smooth and effective product process that also guarantees excellent product control and producibility, as well as easy maintenance.

The challenges and opportunities presented by RF radar technology inspire Hannu to further improve product processes and to envision even more efficient and reliable equipment in the field of radar technology. He is also motivated by the opportunities to collaborate with radar product development and with other groups in the organization.

Outside working hours

Hannu is married and has two sons at elementary school. He devotes his free time to his boys’ schoolwork and hobbies and family life—but his interests also include the family house, which was built a couple of years ago and requires regular care to stay as good as new. In the winter the family enjoy the great outdoors and ice sports; in the summer, their interests include Lapland and river fishing.