Product development at Gasmet — work that is both challenging and rewarding

When it comes to big projects like getting certifications for our devices, every member of our product development team brings their own set of expertise to the table and collaborates efficiently to do work that is both challenging and rewarding.

Picture this: A group of people huddled together in the lab calculating complex measurements, a lone employee busy crunching analytics data on a computer, someone on the phone troubleshooting a problem, others sharing candy and a laugh. This is not a scene from a geeky sitcom but could be a regular day in our product development team.

The Gasmet R&D team is made up of many working parts moving smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

Fitting individual pieces into the big puzzle

“We are quite a diverse team working in different areas such as mechanics, electronics, analytics, and certification. Based on the projects we are working on, relevant members come together to discuss and collaborate,” says technical team lead Lauri Nuuttila who overlooks all analytics related to FTIR analyzers.

When it comes to projects like getting certifications for our devices, it takes a whole lot of big-picture planning, continuous development and testing, and inputs from relevant experts.

R&D engineer Esko Lehtomäki, who primarily deals with certification and optics, gives us a behind-the-scenes look.

“Huge, long-term projects like certification involve everyone from the R&D team and can take a long time. We need to ensure our systems conform to the standards right from the design and development stage onwards, taking into account all limitations and requirements. Everything from software, hardware, and electronics need to fulfill emission standards,” Lehtomäki says.

Well-defined teams = smooth sailing projects

Along with management that trusts what you are doing, having a team that holds each other up can make you feel secure in your work. And with each member’s roles well-defined, the work can almost seem effortless.

When the projects are well-led and organized, everyone knows exactly what to do without any conflicts. – Lauri Nuuttila

Of course, it helps that everyone is super friendly. “You don’t need to be afraid of stepping on someone’s foot or crossing into someone else’s territory,” Lehtomäki jokes.

Meanwhile, project manager Seija Lappalainen oversees the big picture, tying in the individual work of the team leads into a bigger package.

“I work more on the upper level, coordinating the schedules, and facilitating knowledge sharing. I am also parallelly talking to suppliers and working closely with marketing and sales, who bring us messages from our end users. This way, we have a pretty wide picture of what’s happening even outside our lab and the requirements we need to meet,” Lappalainen says.

Tasks of the team could involve monitoring verification of components in production, analysing measurements, writing code, hashing out manufacturing issues, making ad hoc changes, arranging desks for certification, and performing rigorous testing to achieve the results they hope for — all this before getting to actual testing at the certification labs.

The rewarding aspects of working together

While the scope of the R&D work is massive and multi-faceted, the results are equally rewarding.

“It is always nice when you are working hard towards a goal for a long time and in the end, you accomplish something special — like when we achieved the lowest available measuring range in the world for mercury. When we got our latest certification, we had a party with cake and champagne,” says Lehtomäki who has worked with us for 10 years.

Being surrounded by top-class innovation also makes the work satisfying. You never really know what to expect when you step into the R&D lab — you may just witness basic materials magically turn into innovative devices!

At the heart of the work, however, is the people.

We enjoy a natural, easy, and open communication in our team. Everyone is always ready to help each other, think outside the box and find the fun in our daily work – Seija Lappalainen

Interested in a career at Gasmet?