Testimonial: Arthur Van Damme

Arthur graduated as a master in industrial product design in Antwerp in 2020. Since April 2021 he has worked as a Moebius consultant at Premium Sound Solutions (PSS), a manufacturer of speakers for the automotive and consumer industry.

Could you tell us about your job as product design engineer at Premium Sound Solutions?

“At PSS I work in 2 teams: one part of the week I am part of the team which handles the BMW account. This involves 3D-modelling in Creo Parametric, making and updating 3D-drawings, talking with suppliers and the customer (BMW acoustics team), brainstorming on new projects and product ideas and many more things related to mechanical engineering.

The remainder of the week I spend on a project within the Innovation team. This is probably my favourite part of the week, as I can learn from colleagues with over 20 years of experience and can ask for direct input for my own project.”

Which skills and competences are important in your job?

“Teamwork: In PSS we have at least one mechanical, acoustical, material and quality engineer in each team. All with their own expertise and knowledge. To ensure a smooth and effective development, we often gather and align ideas and challenges.

Practical approach: PSS is very open to new ideas. We are very much encouraged to validate these new ideas or innovations, to assess its feasibility and potential impact very quickly. ‘Learning-by-doing, no PowerPoint engineering’ is a motto that is internally used. There is a dedicated tool shop with knowledgeable people to help with a test setup, plenty of 3D-printers and one of Europe’s best acoustical test labs.

Professional curiosity: Before I started, I did not even properly understand how a speaker worked or was built. Today, I can proudly say I know a lot more. It’s a strange phenomenon where the more answers you get, the more questions arise and the better your ideas become.”

Can you tell us about your onboarding process?

“I started in April 2021, in the middle of a lockdown, so I joined the onboarding later that year. It was very insightful to finally meet my fellow colleagues of the Verhaert Masters in Innovation group and hear about all the different industries we are active in. During the onboarding sessions we did not only get to know Verhaert Group, but we also got to know each other and ourselves. We had multiple training sessions regarding communication, presenting and innovative thinking. I’m looking forward to events and activities together when the pandemic allows for it.”