After 19 years as an aircraft mechanic, technical supporter and repairman, Henrik Kofoed was at a crossroads earlier in 2019, which led him to an engineering position at Cirkom A/S. Now he’s pursuing his passion for coding and programming at the company that has long captivated him.

SCADA systems and PLC programming are no strangers to Henrik Kofoed. In fact, these concepts are his best friends in his daily work as an engineer at Cirkom.

“PLC programming is at the heart of any modern control and automation solution. I participate in updates and development of systems through PLC programming. For plants that need to be modified or optimized, I participate in the preparation of analyses and guidelines. Part of this also includes the development of SCADA systems that are used as an interface between the plant and the operator,” says Henrik Kofoed.

PLC and SCADA controls require process understanding and programming knowledge

Henrik Kofoed participates in the qualification and development of systems for pharmaceutical companies.

“If a customer wants to optimize their system, we build on the system’s existing control systems. I code the system based on the customer’s wishes and needs. For example, it’s about how the system should act, what the temperature should be and how high the pressure should be,” says Henrik Kofoed.

This requires sparring with the customer and an understanding of the process the software will be used in. Henrik Koefoed originally trained as an aircraft mechanic and has 19 years of experience as a technician and repairer. He therefore has an in-depth understanding of how technical systems work.

“I have a general process understanding of many types of systems and can therefore easily familiarize myself with a new system. Among other things, I am a certified technician on three types of aircraft and have worked as a technical supporter on washing installations and a repairman on filling lines,” says Henrik Kofoed.

Cirkom stands for efficient automation solutions

Henrik Kofoed knows Cirkom from previous employment. He is therefore happy that he now has the opportunity to work with what he is passionate about in a workplace he has looked up to for a long time.

“In previous positions, I have gotten to know Cirkom as a workplace and supplier, where we used them to perform programming, qualification and guidance on various systems. I know that Cirkom stands for good guidance, high professionalism and offers automation solutions that work and make things more efficient. At the same time, Cirkom is a great place to be socially,” says Henrik Kofoed and continues:

“I’ve done programming jobs before and wanted to do it for a living. When I was at a crossroads in my career, I suddenly got the opportunity to work at Cirkom. Now I mess around with the coding I’m passionate about on a daily basis.”

Design and software development makes a difference for pharma companies

Software programming is not the only function Henrik Kofoed performs. Consulting on the installation, operation and design of solutions plays an equally important role for pharma companies.

“Firstly, I need to be good at anticipating possible complications even before the software is developed. I have to think several steps ahead to figure out how to put the processes together in the best way. Next comes the entire design of the systems. We need to make sure we create user-friendly solutions that make them intuitive for customers to use,” says Henrik Kofoed and continues:

“It is a challenging process to develop and design solutions according to the wishes and requirements of customers. In addition, there are applicable regulatory requirements. However, there is a huge need for the solutions we provide and we can see that we are making a difference. The pharma industry is in rapid development, with both old systems needing replacement and new systems needing software and hardware upgrades,” says Henrik Kofoed.

If you would like to hear more about what it’s like to work with automation solutions at Cirkom, please contact CEO Kurt Christensen or Managing Director Martin Madsen.