Today’s activities were exciting and tiring at the same time. We headed off to Hoerbiger for our first company tour. Hoerbiger had two plants that we walked through: the first was for the production of the valve that they have and the second was more for the automobile industry with synchronized rings and gears. The first plant was very interesting as we were showed around how the valves were made which are very energy efficient and powerful. They are used in keeping premature babies alive and breathing, laser-cutting, and more. They are a highly valued product that only take 3 days to make, but 21 days to fully process. They had specific standards while we were touring that we had to partake in such as covering our shoes in plastic or shoe caps on the toe of our shoes. Overall, the valve branch was small, but very detailed.

The other branch we went to for the automotive division was the opposite from the first. The warehouse where they produce automobile parts was so much bigger than the first. It was a huge plant where small parts went through big machines. It was surprising how much precision and accuracy goes into making the parts. The part I found interesting was the cameras built into the machines that takes a picture of each part that sees if it is a defect. It takes seconds and helps filters out bad parts which then can be reused and melted.

Overall, I would work in the first plant more than the second one. The first one was very friendly and had open spaces to have. It also had a nice exercise room and amenities that attracted me. The second one was too chaotic for me and did not really grab my attention as much.

To end our trip we went to see the Laber Mountains near the Alps. We went on a gondola up the mountain and took over 10 minutes. While we could not see much, it was such a good experience.