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I started working at Alu Laufen straight after leaving school. I only wanted to spend a gap year here before applying for a job at SBB in Bern. But I liked it so much that I stayed. Not only because of the short journey to work - I lived then and now again in Liesberg - but also because of the collegiality in the team and the generous working conditions. I was also able to do an apprenticeship as a mechanic, which is specifically geared towards the moulds we use for the extrusion presses.

I was hired to work on the P5 extrusion press we had at the time. This was an extrusion press for small aluminium profiles such as curtain rails. In 1983, the P5 was sold, and I moved to the die making and maintenance department because they still needed someone there. I've now been in this department for 41 years - I still enjoy the work today - it's important in the overall process and has to be done so that we can ensure the required quality.

What exactly is your job in mould maintenance?
I have had various tasks over the years. Today, I make sure that the extrusion mould is immediately prepared for the next customer order after use. It can then be used again straight away. In concrete terms, this means that I polish or sandblast the machine-used moulds, make sure that the two mould parts fit together, assemble them and then store them in our mould warehouse. We used to polish by hand and work with files and emery cloth. Then the sandblasting machines arrived and I started working with them.

Before that, I worked for around 36 years in the nitriding plant, which is also part of mould maintenance. Nitriding ensures that the steel of the moulds does not corrode and hardens the surface of the steel. In the early days, this was done chemically by moving the mould from one bath to another. We then purchased the first automatic nitriding system in 2000.

Are there any projects that you particularly remember?
I have worked on many interesting customer projects ... including a special façade profile that was manufactured for the SBB in Basel in the 1980s or 1990s. Corrugated profiles were used for the façade. The production of this special mould was a challenge - we managed it and won the project. Also worth mentioning is our specially designed ruler, which was developed for a company anniversary. With these and other examples, we were able to show what we can produce.

Now a personal question: How do you spend your free time?
I love playing the keyboard. When I'm stressed, I play the keyboard and the stress disappears. I learnt to play the piano when I was about eight years old and later switched to the keyboard. My repertoire consists of pop songs, oldies from the 1960s and 1970s, but also modern songs. I used to play in a band, but now I occasionally play for family, friends and acquaintances.

Then I collect stamps and special stamps on specific themes. I started by chance about twenty years ago because I saw a particularly beautiful stamp and then another one, and that's how it started. I swap stamps with other collectors or browse at flea markets. I look at my collection regularly - because the value is what the collector sees in it.

If necessary, I also help my son, who cultivates our vegetable garden. We plant pretty much all the vegetables that grow in our region.

Which famous person would you like to meet in private?
Definitely Max Raabe. I've seen him live many times, just last year in Basel. I like his musical style and his manner.

And I'm also a fan of the male choir Heimweh. I also saw their concert live in Basel - the lyrics move me. The choir was founded almost ten years ago and has already won the Swiss Music Award several times.
Jakob Orlandi has been working at Aluminium Laufen extrusion plant in Liesberg since 1979. He has been part of the mould correction and maintenance team for many years. The colleagues in this department carry out final corrections by hand after test pressing with new moulds, if necessary, and ensure that the customer moulds are ready for the next order after extrusion. Over the years, Jakob Orlandi has already expertly serviced many of the approx. 52,000 different moulds and ensured that they function perfectly.