Please introduce yourself briefly.
My name is Raphael Mieske. I joined BYTEC in 2021 and, as a development engineer in design, I accompany projects from the initial idea to series production.
This involves creating new innovative concepts for customers' products and ideas. These are then further developed and designed to series production readiness.
The product range is wide, ranging from plastic housing construction to welding, bending, and sheet metal constructions. Our 3D printers support us as a central medium in development by incorporating them into idea and concept development as early as possible.
How/why did you get into medical technology?
The desire to create new things led me to product development, where I also studied for my bachelor's and master's degrees. In both courses, I was able to learn about both sides of the field, mechanical engineering and design. I always wanted to work in the automotive industry, but the coronavirus pandemic showed me that in times of crisis, no one needs beautiful cars anymore, but medical technology will always be a necessary industry. As a freelancer and master's student, I was able to gain experience in medical technology during my studies, and through my former fellow student and now colleague Marcel Kaltenberg, I ended up at BYTEC.
What is the biggest challenge in your work?
The biggest challenge in my work is balancing creativity and producibility. Even the most amazing ideas still need to be sustainable, affordable in a certain way, and feasible.
What is your favorite tool?
My favorite tool is our 3D printer, which allows us to produce and test our CAD-developed ideas in-house at lightning speed. Of course, the parts are not yet ready for series production, but this development loop provides a tremendous amount of input for further development.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
It wouldn't exactly be a superpower, but Iron Man has always been my favorite superhero, so a suit like that would be great. If you really had to translate it into a superpower, it would probably be flying.
What do you like most about your job?
The versatility. As a design engineer, you often spend 24/7 at the computer and lose yourself in your CAD program.
Here (at BYTEC), you are involved in the brainstorming process early on and develop concepts independently. We set up test rigs ourselves and carry out the tests ourselves.
Of course, documentation is extremely important in medical technology, and this field is naturally also part of the job.
What makes BYTEC a great place to work?
I enjoy working in interdisciplinary teams. You can learn so much from other disciplines.
My learning curve rose very quickly, especially at the beginning, and I was able to incorporate the knowledge I gained into later designs.
I particularly liked the fact that, as the first employee in the design department, I was able to have a say in processes and workflows. In general, a lot of importance is attached to participation here.
How would you describe our team in three words?
Only in relation to the design department: creative, agile, ambitious
In relation to the entire team: innovative, diverse, friendly
