Four years ago, contagious laughter started echoing through Probot. The kind you instantly recognize – bubbly, genuine, and guaranteed to lift your mood. Along with that laughter came a man. A new teammate named Ville, who, despite his background in mechanical design, wanted to grow into an automation specialist. Ville’s own enthusiasm and thirst for learning had already carried him forward throughout his career.
“Oh right, Probot, the propeller-head crowd,” someone once laughed when Ville told them where he worked. And that’s exactly what we are. Now, as Ville once again sets his sights on new challenges, it’s time to bottle up his career story in a blog post. Read on to discover what it’s like to grow into a real-life Gyro Gearloose, and how a positive attitude and genuine curiosity can take you far.
A mouse chewing a shoelace sparked a new direction
Originally from Kemijärvi, Ville Iivari trained as a sheet metal worker and welder, and there was no shortage of work.
– I’ve always learned the most by doing the job itself. My own curiosity and willingness to learn have really pushed me forward, Ville says.
Age and experience help clarify what you’re truly interested in. Ville didn’t arrive at Probot in a straight line. His engineering studies at a university of applied sciences were set in motion one day when he was welding in pouring rain and noticed a mouse chewing on his shoelace.
– That was the moment I thought, yeah… this really isn’t that fun, Ville recalls with a laugh.
After graduating, this cheerful soul headed straight into working life and landed a position as a mechanical engineer.
– At some point, though, I felt like I wanted more. I wanted to learn how to build machines that actually move.
Not long after that, Ville’s laughter started echoing through Probot’s office.
From Mechanical Designer to Automation Specialist
Although Ville was already a skilled mechanical designer when he joined Probot, his goal was to develop into an automation specialist. His ability to learn on the job is well illustrated by the fact that, when he arrived, the last time he had done any coding was during his studies. Persistence and humor, however, have always carried him forward.
– I’m quite critical of my own work and I always want to be sure the machine works exactly as it should. That’s when I’m satisfied. But you shouldn’t take everything too seriously either. Sometimes you just have to laugh so things stay in perspective, Ville advises.
Ville’s professional goals at Probot have been met, and he has built particularly strong expertise in PLC programming. One of the most memorable projects for him was an RFID handling cell, where the entire control logic was designed and programmed by Ville himself. You can still check out this robotic cell here in our references.
– The PLC programming for a bagging and sewing cell was also very educational. In another project, implementing a robotic screwdriving cycle really boosted my confidence. I’ve also learned a lot more about how machines communicate with each other, and how electrical components and sensors actually work.
Ville has worked in a team led by Jani Juntikka since last summer. According to Jani, Ville’s skill set is exceptionally broad, including machine vision, robot programming, PLC programming, system design, mechanical design, and machine building. Alongside other projects, they’ve struggled through and successfully delivered at least 18 robotic cells to customers around the world.
– Ville is kind of like a Swiss Army knife: a complete solution that can do pretty much anything. Maybe it’s that healthy Laplandish self-confidence: you think you can do everything, and if you can’t yet, you don’t tell anyone, you just go ahead and make it happen, Jani says with a grin.
A True Propeller-Head Company
According to Ville, one of the best things about working at Probot has been being involved in projects from start to finish, which he says is actually quite rare. He’s been able to build machines from scratch all the way to the point where they start to move and do productive work. The projects have also been highly diverse.
– This is where you get to do real mad-inventor stuff, where you constantly have to come up with something new. We develop solutions for extremely complex challenges that not everyone can handle. Easy projects don’t usually come along, Ville says with a smile.
At Probot, Ville has been able to do the same kinds of things he enjoys as hobbies in his free time.
– Work hasn’t even felt like work, because I’ve been doing the same kind of tinkering I enjoy at home.
Ville emphasizes the high level of expertise across the entire Probot team.
– There’s an incredible amount of know-how here across different technologies, and the team can build some really unusual stuff. That’s the team’s real strength. If I had a question about anything, machine vision, mechanical design, electrical systems, or KUKA robots, I immediately knew exactly who to ask.
The secret of happiness
More than anything else, Ville will miss his coworkers at Probot – and the feeling is mutual. When reminiscing about shared moments with Ville, nearly everyone mentioned the same thing as their favorite memory: Ville’s laughter. According to the team, he’s the guy who laughs so hard he cries, and whose positivity spreads to everyone around him. Apparently, even subcontractors can recognize Ville just by his laugh.
– Ville is almost suspiciously cheerful. He’s always ready to help others, and somehow helping never seems to slow down his own work. A truly remarkable fellow, Jani sums up.
Probot’s marketing team will also miss Ville’s cheerful smile, which doesn’t melt even in front of a camera. Hopefully this almost Elastinen-level skill will be appreciated in his future workplace as well.
When asked about the secret behind his constant smile and happiness, Ville starts grinning and wondering if it’s because he always ate an egg with his morning porridge. Apparently, he rarely eats porridge these days, so we assume that when the exposure has lasted long enough, the effect has become permanent.
Mush on the Walls
Probot’s robotics projects have taken Ville all around Finland and even abroad, all the way to the Americas. One long-distance trip in particular has stayed vividly in his memory, when on the second-to-last day of the trip, every single robot in a ten-robot herd suddenly started doing its own thing.
– There was nothing else to do but stay calm and fix the issues. In the end, all the machines were up and running, and I still made my original flight, Ville says.
Another, slightly funnier incident happened at Probot’s own workshop, when a customer’s robot had thrown food mush on the walls.
– All sorts of things have happened over the years, when you get to be involved in so many challenging projects, Ville grins.
Drop By for a Coffee
Now, however, Ville is hanging his Probot hoodie on the hook and moving on to new challenges next week.
– I happened to find a role that suited me so well that I decided to spread my wings and give it a try. In life, you have to take risks sometimes and dare to grab new opportunities. But I live close enough that I’ll definitely stop by for a coffee someday, Ville smiles.
Learning new things is a passion for Ville. In addition to his new job, learning may also continue back in the classroom. Not long ago, Ville completed university bridge studies in computer science, and now he’s waiting to see whether the doors to a Master of Science in Engineering program will open later this year.
– Ville has developed tremendously over the years we’ve worked together! It’s no surprise he’s become such a sought-after guy around here. It’s always bittersweet to let a great talent go, but that’s part of growth. Ville was offered a fantastic opportunity to expand his expertise even further. We’re still hoping to oneday hear Ville’s laughter coming from the direction of our coffee machine, our CEO Matti says wistfully.
The Probot team is now left with a Ville-sized hole full of laughter. But Ville told us to keep the flag up flying and the humor alive.
– It’s not that serious, Ville reminds us.
Probot Oy – Specialist in Robotics.
