Digital Engineering Trainee Interview with Maximilian Winterstein

Please tell us about your professional background.

My passion for technology and aviation inspired me to study mechanical engineering. In view of the increasing importance of the energy transition, I decided to do a Master's degree in energy management and computer science. In addition to working as a student trainee in plant engineering, I was also able to work for a large German energy supplier in the field of battery usage optimization.

Following my studies, I started at Axpo as a digital engineering trainee in October 2023. What I particularly appreciated about the trainee programme was the opportunity to combine engineering and digitalization in exciting projects. 

What inspired you to complete a traineeship in the “Digital Transformation Nuclear” team?

I was impressed by the great willingness to innovate, the high quality standards and the motivation to create added value for colleagues at the power plant.

Model-based planning, construction and management, completely without 2D plans, has already been successfully implemented at Axpo Kernenergie. “Digital Transformation Nuclear” goes one step further and enables operations to navigate through the containment, similar to Google Maps, which in many cases saves time-consuming ‘set-up time’.

The opportunity to play an active role in shaping the future of Swiss nuclear energy and to be able to support the experts on site is extremely fulfilling work for me. In addition to mature projects, I am fascinated by new ideas and the development of proof of concepts (POCs).

What tasks did you take on during your traineeship?

The “Digital Transformation Nuclear” team is characterized by a high level of trust in the trainees and enables them to take on tasks and projects independently. The focus of my tasks lies in the IoT (Internet of Things) area, in the connection, transmission and evaluation of real-time sensor data. I am responsible for selecting suitable hardware and software, independently connecting to the network infrastructure and programming predictive monitoring algorithms. In a first step, the connected sensor data enables precise statements to be made about the current operating status of individual components or entire buildings. In the future, trend analyses could contribute to energy-saving building control and predict possible downtimes (time-to-failure), for example.

Another exciting project involves an attempt to further advance quality assurance in the area of final storage container production using state-of-the-art technology. The starting point is the high tolerance requirements of the subcomponents.

3D scanners enable a precise and fast comparison of the actual state with the target state. The target state is based on a CAD reference model of the subcomponent to be inspected, which is overlaid with the scanner's point cloud.

In addition to the technical challenge, the close contact and exchange 

How were you received by the team?

From day one, my colleagues made me feel like a fully-fledged member of the team. I particularly appreciate the respectful and professional way they treat each other. I can rely on my team to help me with any questions I have. At the same time, I am encouraged to contribute and pursue my own alternative solutions.

What did you enjoy most during the 6 months?

What I enjoy most is the opportunity to work close to the power plant and operations. The absolute highlight was the inspection of the containment at the heart of the plant during the annual overhaul. Seeing the reactor building from the inside is a unique experience that illustrates the dimensions and complexity of the power plant. In general, working at “Digital Transformation Nuclear” offers a lot of variety as well as a focus on technology and the future.