Iris Tijman op Smeijers: “A green mindset for packaging lines"
Iris Tijman op Smeijers has been an asset to our Dutch subsidiary for a couple of years now. As a Project Engineer Packaging she is putting her background and training in Industrial Design Engineering and interest in mechanical engineering to good use for several clients within the food industry. She is known for her ability to provide a complete perspective of their production challenges and her keen interest in sustainability.
‘Packaging Technologist is a great background for my role’
Since Iris’ degree and previous work experience was more focused on the design and material of packaging the switch to engineering seems like a big leap. Except Iris was drawn to engineering during her studies already. During her graduation project and as a junior engineer in the industry she noticed that the mechanical side of the food industry was extremely interesting. In NIRAS she has found an employer that combines knowledge regarding material and design with mechanical and automation expertise.
‘Coming up with the best solution demands a certain skill set,’ explains Iris. ‘Creativity is definitely a requirement in this job. You want to fit all the pieces of the puzzle and for that you sometimes have to think 'out of the box'’. Projects often contain a range of solutions that can be devised. A team has to make the right choices. Project teams have to look at the machines, control, logistics, operation, product, packaging, production area and so on. ‘Even a seemingly simple issue can be very complex. This means that we need to look beyond the issue alone. You can't just make changes. Every adjustment affects the entire process,’ Iris says.
Creativity is definitely a requirement in this job. You want to fit all the pieces of the puzzle and for that you sometimes have to think 'out of the box'.
Iris Tijman op Smeijers
Getting more confident
Working together on projects, with different disciplines, is a great way to develop and learn. ‘Sometimes you start on an assignment with the idea that you don't have enough knowledge to come up with a solution. But when you start and simply 'do' the projects, you find out that you and your team members are competent. You’ll find out which know-how and expertise each person has and detect possible missing skills,’ says Iris and adds: ‘Every discipline contributes to an end result, so you don't always have to know everything about every detail. You'll get there together. In addition, I noticed that my insight really counts and that my knowledge, also when I just started out as an engineer, is also appreciated.’
Developments for professionals
Iris has executed several interesting and challenging projects for NIRAS so far and has a great career ahead of her. She has already made great strides in the field of engineering and sees trends that she wants to increasingly respond to. One shift, pushed by huge staff shortages, is the automation of a lot of processes. ‘What I see up close is that a lot is being automated when manufacturers have not yet done so. In a sense this also means a change in the way we work,’ according to Iris.
NIRAS focuses on making production facilities more sustainable. An element that Iris likes to delve into within her department: Packaging Engineering. She explains: ‘When it comes to sustainability the focus in the packaging world lies a lot on the suppliers of the packaging. They are expected to come up with the sustainable solutions. But in my opinion a lot of sustainable choices can be made in the design of the packaging line itself. This will also lead to a more sustainable way of packaging.’ These are the current developments for which Iris and her colleagues have their work cut out for them in the upcoming years.
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