Szymon Smulski - Mechanical Engineer (Szymon holding Jiri's 3D printed rocket)

“Allow clients to create things that are beyond their imagination”

I already knew 3D printing and Ultimaker through my previous job. That is actually where my interest in this amazing technology started. Ultimaker always looked like a company with a lot of very passionate people working on a challenging product in the high-tech industry. And I could not wait to be part of that enthusiastic group.

Precise, fast and robust solutions

As a mechanical engineer, I design and develop parts of the printer together with the team in the hardware department. The parts I am responsible for right now are the horizontal movement of the printhead and the vertical movement of the print bit. On a day-to-day basis that involves working on new designs and firmware, discussing possible changes, and supporting the assembly production line.

Designing these solutions, and making them precise, fast, and robust is what it is all about. Being able to contribute to the overall machine and allowing customers to do things that are beyond their imagination, is the cool part of my work. There is always that proud moment when you see the part of the machine that you designed being assembled and performing well. All of that is thanks to the work of my colleagues, I am really proud of them.”

Crazy passionate people

Teamwork is very important, being able to brainstorm ideas and create great products together. Even though Ultimaker is growing rapidly, I always feel like everyone’s voice is heard. People listen to you and take your opinion into account, which creates that feeling of being able to influence the design of the printer and even the company itself. We have a unique mix of an informal way of working in a very professional manner. Oftentimes, it doesn’t even feel like I am working, it just feels like I am spending the day with people who have the same interests as me. All the people here have a lot of experience with 3D printing and are crazy passionate about it.

Freedom to share

Out of the Ultimaker values, openness and involvement resonate most with me. I like that everyone has the freedom to share their ideas and opinions. I also feel very responsible for my own designs and the outcome of my work. Of course, there is also the magic. For me, magic means that there is plenty of undiscovered engineering left for me to understand. Also, in my spare time, I like to design and create stuff with my own Ultimaker printer. I already used to build small tools or prototypes for products, but I never used a 3D printer myself. So when I joined Ultimaker, a new world opened up for me.