People at AMAG

«A mechatronics engineer needs to understand highly complex vehicle systems»

Mechatronics apprentice Beat Kleger explains why he opted for this rather than becoming a traditional car mechanic and what he finds most challenging about his current job.

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How long have you been at AMAG?

Beat Kleger: I have been working at AMAG since 1 August 2017 when I began my apprenticeship. I am now in my fourth year.

Was it clear to you that you wanted to become a mechatronics engineer rather than a traditional car mechanic?

At school, when I decided I wanted to complete an apprenticeship, I immediately knew that I wanted to do something to do with cars. As I looked at the options more closely, I discovered that there were two alternatives, a traditional ‘mechanic’ or a more challenging automotive mechatronics engineer. It very quickly became clear to me that I wanted to do the latter, as it is much more varied and involves a lot of electronics.

What are the major differences in terms of the training?

Firstly, it is the electronics side of things, with diagnostics and controllers. Secondly, a mechatronics engineer must be able to understand highly complex vehicle systems and diagnose and repair them.

What do you like most about your job?

I really enjoy using diagnostics on mechatronic systems. But I also love repairing very old cars. I think what I like most about the job is the variety. Sometimes, you are dealing with really modern cars like electric cars and sometimes you are working on classic cars.

Of course, the risk of parts going wrong is smaller.

Beat Kleger, Trainee Mechatronics Engineer at AMAG

What are the biggest challenges?

The biggest challenge in our job is definitely getting to grips with new systems and adapting to new situations in the workshop.

If somebody were to ask what could go wrong with an electric car, what would you tell them?

Of course, the risk of parts going wrong is smaller, but major repairs can still sometimes be required. The batteries that are installed have not got a long development curve behind them, so they are still a little prone to problems. Software updates can also be required in response to new findings.

What are the jobs you do most often?

As I mentioned earlier, the diagnostics takes the most time. But when you have identified the fault, it is a question of fixing the car and that can involve extensive repairs.

Do you drive an electric car yourself?

No, I haven’t got an electric car yet. I went for the other end of the scale and I have an old Audi 100 S4 V8. But I would loved to get an Audi RS e-tron GT at some point.