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Hussein Faraj works for six months in Monterrey, one of two NORMA Group locations in Mexico. The Process Engineer is based in Auburn Hills in Michigan where he worked in several engineering areas – from product engineering to quality engineering. In Monterrey, he familiarized himself with a new field – Urea Lines. These products are used to reduce emissions from Diesel engines. But there’s way more to discover for him apart from the work experience in Mexico.
Why did you sign up to work abroad?
I am a firm believer of the saying “Wherever you go becomes part of you somehow.” I expected that the time in Mexico would help enrich my skills and knowledge, exposed me to new ways of thinking. And that is true: I feel I am now even more able to accommodate different perspectives regarding the same issue or project at hand.
What is the biggest benefit for you personally?
Aside from the technical experience, I genuinely enjoyed getting to know a new country and connecting with the people here. Having the chance to reside in Mexico for work enables me to experience a new culture that is full of life and zest. Living and working in this new country and its welcoming people made me realize, once again, how strengthening and fascinating diversity can be.
What do you work on in Monterrey?
I work on upgrading Urea Lines in several ways. One task was to make sure the lines are leak proof after their Quick Connector was overmolded. Together with the team, I also established designs of experiments (DOE) to optimize the output of our machines. Especially interesting is the work on a newer generation of Urea Lines. I am responsible to build fixtures and holders and I create some prototypes for new customer projects.
What are the major differences between you home plant and your host plant?
In Monterrey, products are made of plastics while my home plant in Auburn Hills is a metal plant. Thus, the machines, the raw materials and the products are completely different. But I was surprised to see so many similarities: both plants have established production processes and use similar tools to systematically solve issues such as machine failures. Because of this, I was able to offer insights from Auburn Hills to the Monterrey colleagues and felt like a constructive addition to the team. In general, the work environment in Monterrey struck me as exceptional: The employees are like a family.
