Thomas Kastl on his passion for agricultural machinery and training as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician at ROPA

My apprenticeship as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician at ROPA - Thomas Kastl

I have always been passionate about handcraft. Particularly working on my uncle's farm and his instructions in agricultural machinery technology allowed me to build small projects by myself at a young age.
So it soon became clear to me that I would study a technical profession, preferably metalworking, after graduating from school.I realised that the only profession that really seemed suitable was agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics. I knew about the ROPA company and the products it manufactured from our visits to Open House events. The wide range of varied activities in repair, assembly and development that I discovered during my traineeship encouraged me to apply.

Start of apprenticeship in 2021

I started my apprenticeship in Sittelsdorf on September 1, 2021. (Thomas Kastl, 3rd from left, standing) Thanks to my A-levels, I was able to start my apprenticeship from the second year. In the first four months, I completed the basic metalworking course in the workshop together with the industrial mechanic trainees and technical draughtsman trainees. There I learnt how to saw, drill, turn, file and rivet. 

Thanks to the practical experience I gained working on my uncle's farm and assisting with repairs in the service workshop, I was quickly able to catch up at the vocational school.

Service assignments in Germany and other countries

At the end of 2021, I joined the customer service department, where I worked with potato harvesters for the first 4 months. After that, I mainly worked with harvesting and loading machines for sugar beet.Even if they are always the "same" machines, the technical problems and repairs are very diverse. Electrical and hydraulic components and, among other things, the installed state-of-the-art sensor and drive technology (mainly hydraulic) contribute to this.

I gained a lot of experience, also in the practical use of ROPA sugar beet harvesters, during service assignments in Germany and abroad. I travelled with colleagues from Slovakia to eastern Germany and as far north as Sweden. A special experience was a spontaneous trip to Egypt.

I was there when new Panther, Tiger harvesters and Maus loaders were used by customers for the first time and their employees were instructed. We also had to repair vehicles in the field under quite difficult conditions. I also visited a prototype machine in the field and helped out at Agritechnica in Hanover and the open house event.

Service assignments

Final exam with honours

After two and a half years, I successfully completed my training as an agricultural and construction machinery mechatronics technician in February 2024. On February 23, In February 2024, I was honoured for my average grade of 1.0 at the state vocational school in Landshut.
I am increasingly fascinated by agricultural technology. I would like to learn more about them by studying mechanical engineering or related subjects.

Image: Dr Thomas Haslinger (2nd Mayor of Landshut), Anton Beck (workshop supervisor and trainer at ROPA), Thomas Kastl, Fritz Wittmann (Deputy District Administrator of Landshut), Reinhold Ostermaier (Headmaster and Principal of BS1 Landshut)