Lee Do-seok
Global Headquarters
Machinery Engineering Team
Myself
I earned my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering (materials engineering). I was particularly interested in materials and components, so I worked for an advanced materials company and a chemical company to establish an engineering career in equipment development before I joined Hankook Tire. Though I had dealt with a variety of materials, rubber and tires were new to me. I am happy that I enjoy trying new things I am curious about and that I have passionate colleagues to work with in a proactive company culture.
My Work
I am responsible for developing new technologies for tire production equipment. Equipment development encompasses many stages from drawing up ideas and designing to testing, production and patent application. In each stage, we pay careful attention to not only performance, but also various sustainable aspects including the environment, energy, and safety to ensure we develop good equipment. My work requires knowledge of dynamics, statistics, and IT technologies, as well as engineering skills in experiment planning, troubleshooting, and numerical analysis (simulation). What also matters is a personal ability to continuously communicate and cooperate with relevant teams. I primarily work on projects to develop new equipment for SEALGUARD® tires and noise absorption tires, while collaborating with research centers and production departments at the plants. Developing technologies in new areas to supply tires to leading carmakers at home and abroad is very rewarding and I am proud of my achievements.
My Day
Developing tire production equipment involves office work such as technical research, data analysis, and computer simulation, and at the same time it requires me to go to the field where test equipment and production equipment are operated to collect data. I also travel often for supplier meetings and external tests. As the company runs plants all over the world, business trips provide an opportunity to communicate with employees in overseas markets and further widen my knowledge and experience. Every time I develop new equipment, I always ask myself how to make it better and safer.
My Future Although doing new equipment research and development is an important job, it’s said that commercializing equipment so it works at actual production sites requires ten times, or even a hundred times, the effort. A lot of time, manpower, and money are required to finish a development project, but I believe the know-how learned from doing so serves as a catalyst for Hankook Tire to improve the competitiveness of its equipment to make advanced tires. As a chief engineer, my goal is to be proactive at work and share what I have experienced with juniors and colleagues. I endeavor to develop myself as well as my colleagues and company, and to play a leading role in and be a witness to Hankook Tire standing out as a global top-tier company.
More Stories