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" Without robots my job wouldn't even exist. "

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His closest colleagues are robots, and he can work well alongside them. Ronald Leijenhorst is a maintenance engineer at VDL Nedcar, which means it's his job to ensure that the robots continue to function properly and do what they're supposed to do. He tells about his work with the robots.

How did you end up at VDL Nedcar?
“When I graduated in 1988 I started in the production department at NedCar. After a brief stint working at another company, in 2013 I was asked to help build the new factory. The BMW project had just started, and I came back to an empty factory. The progressive plans that involved the use of many robots, together with the construction of the factory, provided a new challenge.” 

What do you like most about your work?
“Even though I always have a plan for the day, things usually turn out differently. When I joined NedCar in 1988, there were about 120 robots. Now the number has grown to 1300. This makes it challenging and ensures it will be for many years to come. Along with my colleagues I'm responsible for the technical maintenance of all 1300 robots, and that's quite a big task. Each day we look for creative new solutions. This year, for example, we are going to do a major oil change, in which around 24,000 litres of oil have to be replaced. The robots will be temporarily out of service, but this cannot have any impact on production, so it involves a lot of planning.”

How do you see the future of robots?
“The technology is advancing rapidly. What a difference there is between today's robots and those we had when I started my career! The robots we use now are much smarter and safer than those from just a few years back. Now, for example, the robots automatically switch off when they deviate from their programmed movements. That's a recent development. There are also far fewer malfunctions; in the past they would occasionally go completely haywire. I expect many more fantastic advances in the future.”

Will robots ever be able to replace people?
“I don't think robots will ever completely replace people, certainly not in the near future. At the moment the robots take over the physically demanding, monotonous work, but robots still lack the ‘feel’ and understanding required to do many tasks. But developers are hard at work to give robots more intelligence. What's great is that people are getting more education and robots generate work here. Without robots my job wouldn't even exist.” 

 
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