Third-generation aerospace technician

Both his father and grandfather worked at voestalpine BÖHLER Aerospace in Kapfenberg. Today, Sebastian N. works as a machining technician, giving highly complex aircraft parts their final form.

“I was always clear that I didn’t want a job just working at a computer. I wanted to work in a technical field, using my hands and moving around, dealing with people, and having a varied work life.” Sebastian always knew what he wanted. When he began as an apprentice machining technician at voestalpine BÖHLER Aerospace in 2014, he had a clear goal.

Sebastian N. at voestalpine BÖHLER Aerospace

The right setting

As an adjuster, today he sets up state-of-the-art machinery, brings workpieces, tools, rigs, and settings precisely into place to ensure the part he is working on falls within the narrow tolerance limits exactly. These limits are measured in hundredths of millimeters, with even the smallest deviation potentially leading to severe consequences. Sebastian is not only aware of this responsibility, indeed, it is this extremely precise, complex work that makes his job fun. He says himself that he is a freak when it comes to accurate work and a love of order. It is these characteristics which serve him well for the complex tasks he faces in his daily work. The many and various drop forge parts in high-alloy steels, nickel-based alloys, and titanium which cross Sebastian’s workbench weigh up to 500 kilograms and can measure anything from 50 millimeters to 1.5 meters in length. Producing such a part can easily take up to 16 hours.

Machining technician Sebastian N.

But that’s not all

It is not just the technology and precision that Sebastian loves about his job. The varied range of tasks, plus the positive cooperation and the team spirit all ensure he looks forward to coming to work each day.

As finishing becomes a growing specialism at voestalpine BÖHLER Aerospace in Kapfenberg, he is now exploring this exciting and highly complex field in more depth.

Machining

With the wide range of applications for machining, Sebastian also sees his work skills applied in his leisure time. As a car enthusiast, who recently had his wheel rims repaired, he realized to his surprise that this was another field in which machining is required, encouraging him to take a good look at the process involved. Sebastian also has a good eye when it comes to another of his hobbies—photography. He loves to take shots of anything that passes his camera. His dog Haley is always at his side: Sebastian spends most of his free time with the Pitbull-AmStaff crossbreed.

#voestalpineanbord—about the Group’s focus on aerospace

voestalpine has been an established supplier to the aerospace industry for around 100 years. The Group manufactures extremely complex, highly stressed, safety-critical components for renowned customers worldwide so that virtually every aircraft flies with a piece of voestalpine. After the severe turbulence during the COVID-19 pandemic, the company with its focus on aerospace is providing insights into the very special (aero)dynamics of this business area.