Work

Started work in the German Mittlestand.  I have written a lot today, so I'm going to put the ball in your court and hope the link to Wikipedia is sufficient. 

Fine, one sentence: The German Mittlestand is a large part of the economy and it is comprised of small (mostly family) companies that focus on incredibly specific markets and then go 100% German to dominate said market with excellent products (ex. company that creates casters for shopping carts or a company that makes a specific type of hinge for expensive windows). 

This company is really great at working with sheet metal, welding, and automation.  They build assembly lines for other companies. Recently, they made a module that helps another Mittlestand Firm (this is how it works) put gears together, so that company can sell to a big conglomerate.  They also built machines for building dialysis filters.

My project is in conjunction with the Frauenhoffer Institute, which is building a laboratory on wheels.  The laboratory is top of the line and showcases technology for other people to lease (I think).  Currently, the 'Labor der Zukunft' :

1. goes to trade shows to show off technology and answer questions for people looking to do the same thing,

2. collects hair, urine, and blood samples to check toxicology throughout Germany. They track to see if environmental pollutants make it into people in different regions.

My small part in the play is designing a pretty Autoclave. An autoclave is a pressure-vessel that uses steam to sterilize medical equipment.  It will be a challenging project because there is fine line between poorly designed pressure-vessels and well designed bombs.  Many German regulations will be read.