Before Arkadiusz Adamczyk joined Fortaco in May 2023, he was responsible for the production of 10,000 buckles per week for the world’s largest automotive safety belt maker. When you buckle into your car, there’s a good chance it’s Adamczyk’s work that keeps you safe. Now he’s working with production in smaller quantities, but says big equipment has big stakes. “We’re making maybe 10 loader frames per week, but with big equipment you don’t want a single mistake.”

As part of Fortaco’s Operational Development (OD) team, Adamczyk works on the analog side. His job title is Lead Manufacturing Engineer, but Inventor might be more apt. “I make jigs to make machine operators’ lives easier and more efficient. I prepare a lot of small jigs with CAD software and make 3D models of them. I recently made a small jig with a special pocket to a machine operator work faster and more efficiently.” He says working with jigs keeps him happy. “I can invent something, and I love the challenge. It’s not like working for NASA where the sky is the limit in terms of budget. In at technical factory you need a good and cheap solution.” Adamczyk has also designed pallets to transport products more efficiently, and he’s part of the team developing production solutions for Fortaco’s new 34,000-square-meter production facility in Gliwice, Poland.

He frequently travels to Fortaco factories to solve problems in Poland, Finland, or wherever he’s needed. “I like that I get to experience the variety of cultures in the Fortaco world. It’s great for both professional and personal development, and it gives me energy for new solutions and inventions.”

Whether at home or at work, he’s tinkering with CAD software and 3D printers. At home, he may make a Fortaco-logoed cell phone cover. At work, he produces small-scale 3D models of design ideas which can be passed around a conference table and discussed. One idea he’s currently experimenting with is replacing welded objects with 3D printed versions to make them cheaper and more efficient. “Instead of welding a sleeve to a plate, I believe we might be able to 3D print the whole thing. But I haven’t reached the testing stage yet.”

He’s also tinkering with AI and playing with how he might use it in production. “I now prepare jigs using CAD software. If the next day I need something similar with different dimensions, I should be able to ask AI to do it. If I can connect AI with CAD, then I can modify the jig with a prompt.” He’s figured out how to connect CAD and AI, but he’s still gathering information before he puts it into practice. “It’s a big step. I’ll feel like Neil Armstrong on the moon when it happens.”