Juan Gerber

A day in the life of a Process Engineering Manager

Who am I?
I am the process engineering manager for Babcock Ntuthuko Generation. My team and I look after all thermal and hydraulic engineering problems for boiler systems and perform audits on operational data for our clients in the utility and industrial boiler industry in Southern Africa. After 5 years with Babcock, I registered as a professional engineer (Pr. Eng.) with ECSA in 2013. 

My favourite part of the job
My favourite part of the job is assembling thermal performance models of large boiler systems and having the model represent the actual site data. These models can then be used to establish shortcomings and assist in predicting remnant life of pressure parts.

Most challenging thing I’ve ever done
Consolidation of findings and subsequent costing of a life extension study performed for a utility power station in South Africa. Seven detailed reports from 4 engineering disciplines were processed to deliver one report, in the end providing a breakdown of scope and cost estimates to extend the life of the boiler system.

My typical day
I'm based at the Osborne Lane offices in Bedfordview (Johannesburg) where I manage my team who perform feasibility studies, proposal engineering and various types of system simulations. On a typical day I review simulation models and results together with their reports and assist in problem definition and associated work break down required to solve those problems for our clients.