Five years ago, Matti Päivärinne came to Aurelia to work on his thesis.
‘I studied mechanical and energy engineering in Tampere. I also took a course on gas turbines and was inspired to do my thesis somewhere other than a traditional company. I applied to Aurelia, and it worked out’.
‘Together, we looked at what the topic and the work should be and what the result should be. But then you were given a pretty free hand for the final execution’.
The end result was Päivärinne's thesis, ‘Process Simulation Tool Development for a Small Gas Turbine’, which was accepted by Tampere University. In it, Päivärinne developed a process modelling tool to show customers the turbine's performance according to customer conditions and applications.
The work continued after the thesis
‘After six months of working on my thesis and getting to know the company better, I was ready to continue working here’.
What fascinated Päivärinne about Aurelia was the complexity of the product.
‘We're talking about high temperatures, high rotational speeds and high pressures. It was fascinating to get involved in this kind of design’.
Päivärinne's current title is Lead Engineer, Simulations and Process.
‘I do flow calculations and then go through the process with the process side’.
Päivärinne also supports testing and designs the turbine control and drive configuration. He has also been involved in commissioning.
The job description has evolved
The job description has changed over the years.
‘The big thing I've liked about being here is that there are more challenges all the time, and you get to develop’.
For the first three years, Päivärinne focused on flow and strength calculations for turbine components. Then, together with other team members, he started thinking about how to improve the product. Then he got involved in other projects.
‘I started doing this process engineering job with them. Even though I went into strength and flow calculation after my thesis, the time I spent studying for my thesis proved to be very useful in preparing me for a job as a process engineer’.
‘These have all been such that I have actually wanted to move on to something more varied, and then opportunities have always presented themselves. I've progressed in my career in pretty much the direction I've wanted to go’.
The atmosphere helps you to enjoy yourself
The workplace atmosphere has also been important for job satisfaction.
‘It's a good place to work, so people are happy to work here, and we younger people are also given a lot of responsibility’.
Relaxation has also been brought into the work day by organising it together.
‘A few summers ago, we built a basketball stand in the company's backyard. It's a great place to sunbathe during coffee hour until well into the autumn and to throw a ball around with colleagues’.
A graduate student at Aurelia?
Päivärinne was the first graduate employee at Aurelia, but others have followed. Päivärinne also recommends other students in the field ask Aurelia whether a thesis is in the cards.
‘At least there are a lot of opportunities here in terms of topics’.
Päivärinne advises students to consider their interests first and foremost.
‘You should start looking for a job you like. That's the first thing so that the job isn't a struggle’.
Employee benefits at work
Päivärinne is also taking advantage of the employment benefits.
‘At least the E-passi has always been used. I've used it to pay for my gym membership and to go to the cinema a few times’.
Päivärinne also thinks the situation with remote working is good. Remote work in an option, but employees are also welcome to work in the office.
‘If you need intense concentration, it's possible that it's better to work from home. But I appreciate that I can get into the office to work with a team’.