Ovivo’s Women for Water presents: Amy Nie

Amy Nie knew at a very young age that she wanted to help treat wastewater. She has a vivid memory from her childhood about a river near her hometown that she enjoyed. The water was very clean, and the surrounding environment simply breathtaking. One day, a manufacturing company started operating right next to the river. It wasn’t long before the water turned black  and had an unpleasant smell, and the surroundings were no longer beautiful. She remembers being incredibly sad and realised the importance of protecting the environment.

Amy was interested in mathematics, chemistry, physics, and other science subjects at school. When the time came to choose her field of study, she chose water treatment to become an environmental engineer.

About 聂秀金 

Amy received a master’s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. She studied water pollution control engineering, exhaust pollution control engineering, solid waste pollution control engineering, environmental monitoring, principles of chemical engineering, inorganic & organic chemistry along with professional English. She began her career path with another wastewater treatment company for nine years before joining Ovivo.

She loves the working atmosphere at Ovivo, she feels as though she is part of a family. ‘’We all work extremely hard. But we have also developed good relationships with colleagues. Everyone is focused yet willing to help one another to innovate.’’

Her Career in Water 

Amy started working at our Shanghai office five years ago and is presently Engineer Manager – Process & Mechanical Engineering – Wastewater Treatment, leading a group of eight engineers. Their goal is to treat and reclaim wastewater specifically for the semiconductor industry.

‘’The wastewater discharge limits required by the Chinese government are becoming increasingly strict. This means the pollutant discharge concentration of wastewater should be lower and the total amount of discharged water should be reduced. My team is constantly developing new processes to improve the removal rate of pollution on the one hand and the recovery rate of wastewater on the other.’’

Amy feels blessed to be able to make her own contribution  to the environment. She loves to help clients find viable solutions to their wastewater discharge and make their production sustainable. She realises that it also contributes to making our living environment more beautiful and healthier.

With over 20 years of experience as an instructor of engineering for vocational training and advanced training for computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), Karin Müller’s career took an exciting twist when she embraced the opportunity to join a consulting firm to create CAD designs. Since then, she plays a vital role in the management of the piping and instrument diagrams (P&IDs) when customising water treatment plants (UPW, WWT) for the semiconductor industry.

About Karin Müller

Karin was born and raised in Germany. Growing up with siblings who were constantly fixing radios, bicycles, and motorbikes, she developed an interest in mechanical systems and problem-solving. After completing her professional training as a design draughtsperson of engineering and her bachelor of engineering studies, she began teaching CAD/CAM.

In 2006 she seized the opportunity to put her CAD knowledge to work in a planning office for industrial facilities. She was sent as an external project support to Ovivo Switzerland where she encountered the intricate drawings and layouts of water treatment plants. That’s when she realised the scale of the challenge ahead and dedicated herself to learning the nuances of ultra-pure water treatment. Sure enough, what was supposed to be a five-month placement turned into a full year at which point, in 2007, she relocated to Switzerland and Ovivo hired her full time.

Her Career in Water

Karin is a CAD engineer at Ovivo Switzerland and prepares the P&IDs for the construction, commissioning, and operation of the water treatment plants. Along with three 3D designers, their focus is to develop UPW and WWT plant drawings that provide the precise quality and quantity of water for semiconductor manufacturing processes.

The design team creates the P&IDs, the 3D modelling of all process units, the arrangement drawings, the plan layouts and space management using the AUTOCAD Plant 3D software. These drawings are crucial communication tools, ensuring the smooth transfer of information among the process engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical & control system teams, project management and construction team. The P&IDs and 3D constructions contain metadata about plant components and pipe routings that can be used to retrieve manufacturing information and ordering codes, streamlining the procurement process.

Karin embraces the challenge and enjoys the opportunity to contribute to the success of each venture. While she primarily focuses on projects in Switzerland, Karin has also been involved in global initiatives, collaborating with engineers and designers from different countries, including Singapore, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, and the US.

For Karin, the satisfaction of her work stems from both her expertise and her collaborative spirit. She acknowledges the importance of teamwork and the mutual support she receives from her colleagues. Despite the demanding nature of the job, Karin appreciates the positive and fun working atmosphere within the project execution department. The trust, camaraderie, and shared commitment to success have allowed the team to overcome challenges and achieve exceptional results.