Two Generations of Automation Engineers
– A Candid Look at the People Behind Our Automation Solutions
Working as an automation engineer at Shape Process Automation EMEA means moving constantly in the space where technology, creativity and problem-solving meet. This becomes clear when we sit down with two of our colleagues: Magnus Spåre, who began his automation journey back in the 1980s, and Simon Olsson, who represents the new generation of automation engineers and has only just started his career. Their stories meet somewhere between experience and curiosity – and together they paint a vivid picture of what life as an automation engineer at Shape is really like.
How it all started
Magnus has been in the industry for nearly four decades.
He began his career at Volvo in 1986 and later continued to ABB in Olofström, where an unexpected phone call would change everything.
“They heard on the radio that ABB was shutting down my department,” he says with a laugh. “So they called me straight away – and that’s how I ended up here.”
The call came from what was then Elautomation Syd, later Evomatic, and today Shape Process Automation EMEA. “It’s been 23 years since I joined this team. Back then we were only six people in Svängsta. Today we are many more.
A typical workday
When asked what a typical workday looks like, he laughs again.
“There’s no such thing as a typical day. Sure, we work with pre-programming and commissioning, but every project is unique and brings its own challenges.”
The most demanding – and the most exciting – part of the work comes when the products and materials are tested in the cell for the first time.
“That’s when everything reveals itself. Tolerances, dust, material softness… you never really know how things will behave. That’s usually where the problems appear and need to be solved. And it can be anything from programming, PLC and HMI to adjusting mechanical or hydraulic components directly in the cell.”
The best part…
Despite all his years in the field, there are still things that make Magnus light up.
“I love working with drive systems,” he says, eyes sparkling. ”Getting the entire drive system to synchronise – the servos and everything around them – that’s really fun.”
Today he works in a senior role, supporting colleagues, sharing knowledge and helping projects get off to a strong start. “We’re good at different things,” he says. “That’s what makes the collaboration work so well.”
Magnus together with his LIA students Teddie and Kajsa
The new generation
Across the office sits Simon Olsson, who did his internship at Shape and chose to stay. His interest in automation goes back further, sparked during a school visit to Volvo.
“I remember watching the robots move like a symphony,” he says. “You’d think it would be chaos when so many robots move at once, but instead they moved in perfect harmony. That’s when I was hooked.”
A workday at Shape
Simon’s workdays are just as varied as Magnus describes. During the pre-programming phase he sits together with colleagues, analysing processes – everything that must work and everything that could fail.
When commissioning begins, the work moves out into the built cell at our workshop in Karlshamn.
“That’s when you test everything – inputs and outputs, motors… It’s exciting when you see the things you’ve programmed come to life.”
Then comes commissioning at the customer’s site – sometimes in Olofström, sometimes in Europe, sometimes even farther away.
“I spent three weeks in China commissioning a large project,” he says. “It was fun almost the whole time – except maybe the food,” he laughs.
He appreciates the balance. “It’s a great mix between travelling and working from home. It suits me perfectly.”
Simon trains operators and maintenance after commissioning of cell at customer’s premises
The allure of challenges and the Team
When Simon talks about challenges, it sounds almost like he and Magnus are describing the same thing from different angles.
For Simon, the biggest challenge is learning new systems and technologies all the time.
“At the beginning of your career, there’s a lot to get used to. New programs, new motors, new HMI systems… But you have to enjoy it. You have to like diving deep and solving problems, otherwise this isn’t the right job.”
But that is exactly what drives him – the creativity, the problem-solving, and the constant learning.
And here, both he and Magnus return to the same point: the team. “We sit in an open office,” Simon says. “It’s so easy to ask someone for help. And if that person doesn’t know the answer, they always know who does.” Magnus nods in agreement:
“We’re good at different things. That’s our strength.”
Both describe their colleagues with warmth, and both return to the same feeling – that you are never on your own.
Mission impossible
“One of my best memories,” Magnus says, “is when we replaced a control system on a paper-industry roll machine. We had from Sunday to Thursday at 17:00 to finish – which the client knew was impossible… But we were determined to succeed. We worked until midnight every night. And at 16:59 on Thursday, we were done.” He smiles. “That’s teamwork. You don’t forget that.”
Together, Magnus and Simon show two perspectives of the same profession – one that has evolved over time, but where the core remains the same: technical skill, creative problem-solving and strong teamwork. Whether you have 39 years of experience or three, it’s the collaboration, the learning and the shared desire to build something meaningful that drive the work forward at Shape Process Automation EMEA.