Maziar Mashaei is a Researcher and Technical Specialist at FlexLink. Conveyor systems, production lines, pallet systems and smart control of production lines are a few of his research topics that are developing rapidly. Thanks to his successful research, Maziar won FlexLink’s Innovation Award in 2016. A year later, he was invited by Chalmers University of Technology to conduct a lecture about how to accomplish a smart factory. Events that have motivated him to develop his research even further and put it into practice.

Solves problems and develops his expertise through research

Maziar Mashaei’s research relates to technologies that are included in the smart factory concept. “My research can be divided into three different areas”, Maziar says. “The first area is a project called line-balancing control, where I research about how to properly control a production line and how to increase its efficiency and throughput. The second area is research related to intelligent production lines, and the third is about how to diagnose failures in a production line using different machine learning techniques. So, to sum it up, you can say that my research is about advanced production control and machine learning techniques.”

A motivating environment fosters creativity and growth

In 2016, Maziar won FlexLink’s Innovation Award. “I won the award due to my research in developing line-balancing control. My research enables the control system to automatically adapt itself to disturbances of a production line and balance the load, which leads to a smoother and gentler handling of products. The control system collects data from the production line, and based on the data, the control system can control and balance the load on the whole production line, which results in increased throughput and efficiency”, Maziar explains.

“I based my research on a controls theory. Basically, I used concepts such as control theory, artificial intelligence, and operation research and developed them to form mathematical models and algorithms to control production lines. The project is still in a research and engineering-phase. However, we are working hard to make it available as a product and adaptable to our customers’ needs”, he continues.

At FlexLink, you get the opportunity to achieve your highest potential

Maziar was very happy to receive the Innovation Award. “I won the Innovation Award because it was an innovative idea and at that moment, there were no similar product or concept available on the market. Winning the award meant a lot to me. My research started as an idea and now it is considered as an innovative solution from FlexLink’s perspective. It gave me a lot of motivation and encouragement to continue my research and put it into practice.”

A chance to grow as an individual and as a professional

Not that long ago, Maziar conducted a lecture at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. “The lecture I held included, for example, a historical background to the concept as well as covered the challenges of a smart factory and how we can realize the concept. The goal with the lecture was to motivate the students to participate in these kinds of projects in the future as well as develop their knowledge within the field. The students asked me a lot of questions after the lecture and I believe the lecture was very rewarding for both them and for me.”

“Special events such as winning the Innovation Award and conduct a lecture at Chalmers University of Technology make my job at FlexLink very rewarding. I appreciate my job and I love research – that is the biggest motivation for me. Therefore, I am very happy that FlexLink encourages me to develop my research and gain more knowledge and skills, which enables me to create innovative solutions that benefit our customers”, Maziar continues.

An organization that values a good balance between work and leisure time

“Aside from work, I have a rich and eventful private life. I have several hobbies, such as watching movies, reading books and being outside and enjoying nature, if the weather allows. But most of my time, I spend with my wife and our two-year-old daughter. Even though I have a lot of hobbies, spending time with my daughter is my favourite hobby right now,” Maziar says with a smile.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Maziar Mashaei and his passion for research. Feel free to contact me with any questions. Also, visit our website for more information about FlexLink and what it is like to work here, as well as interact with us on social media!