Andernach 1 jun. 2018 - Seven prospective industrial and machining mechanics at Masa GmbH have invested a great deal of time and energy in a somewhat unusual project over the past few months. The heart of the Masa block making plant, the Masa XL block making machine, was built by the trainees with great attention to detail on a scale of 1:10.

The young employees were supported by their experienced trainers.

On initiative of the production manager and the management the idea for the production was developed in the year 2016. The aim was to build a compact and mobile model that fulfils several purposes. On the one hand, it serves as an exhibition object in the entrance area of the company in Andernach. It will also be an attraction at trainee fairs at schools, recruiting events at universities and at trade fairs. This will enable potential future employees to familiarize themselves much better with how the Masa block making machine works.

Since the miniature machine was built parallel to the normal daily business as well as the trainee and school routine, the trainees could only work on their machine in phases. But good things take time and the end result is quite respectable. The true-to-original blue-yellow Mini-XL now adorns the Masa headquarters and is a real eye-catcher for visitors and employees alike.

Particularly impressive are the moving parts of the model machine: The main and face mix filling box can be moved forwards and backwards in the respective filling unit. Both filling units can be decoupled from the compaction unit and can be moved via guide rails. The filling box table of the filling unit for face mix concrete can be lifted. The compacting head can also move up and down in the compaction unit.

During the planning and construction phase, however, the young mechanics were also confronted with some hurdles. The scale of 1:10, often used in remote-controlled cars and museum models, caused the inventors headaches in some places. For example, the procurement of some of the required mini screws turned out to be very time-consuming and difficult. In the end, the trainees chose a practicable execution. Some parts were not bolted together, but joined together using the TIG welding process. Other parts were very filigree due to their size and could therefore only be clamped into the workshop's regular vices to a limited extent. The fine work on the shapes and slopes was therefore a serious test of patience.

A positive side effect of these challenges: The trainees worked intensively as a team and together with their trainers to find solutions that were appropriate from both a technical and financial point of view.

The final evaluation of the project was very positive. The planning and construction phase was seen by trainees and trainers alike as an interesting and challenging task, which was accepted and mastered by all those involved with correspondingly high motivation.

The Masa management appreciated the work with the words: "The model produced impressively demonstrates the ability of trainees to successfully apply their knowledge and skills in a team and to exceed their expectations. This deserves our thanks and recognition."