“I’ve acquired my technical skills in what you can call the school of life, learning by doing,” says Ib Rene, shown here during his last service trip this June on board the cruise ship Serenade of the Seas in the Mediterranean.What job gives you 33 years onboard cruise ships and million-dollar yachts on duty for Danfoss? Ask Ib Rene Sonnenborg.
Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, USA, Spain, Italy, Slovenia, Japan, China, Egypt….
68-year-old Ib Rene Sonnenborg sighs, then stops recalling all the countries he’s visited during his career as Technical Supervisor in Danfoss Fire Safety. But he knows the total: it’s 83. And, looking back, he describes his work life in Danfoss as extraordinary.
“I’ve spent an enormous amount of time onboard cruise ships, yachts, and liners. I’ve seen flyfish, dolphins, whales. Still, it’s been no holiday. The job has been demanding, with responsibility that you can’t take lightly. It’s been about saving lives with Danfoss products. And this, more than anything, has given the job purpose and meaning.”
Ib Rene’s main task has been to service Danfoss’ SEM-SAFE® water mist fire suppression system in marine applications worldwide, primarily ships.
Atomizing water into mist
Using high-pressure spray-nozzles, the system atomizes water into a dense mist that immediately cools flames and prevents them from breathing.
An average-size cruise ship needs a thousand nozzles or more for effective fire protection. Ib Rene dismounts between 60 to 80 random nozzles on each annual service check looking for signs of corrosion and blockages. He also tests the nozzles’ reaction to flames, smoke, and heat. He tests water supply, pump pressures, and more.
So, he typically needs to stay onboard for days as the ship sails from a to b.
“I start in one area systematically working myself through the ship. Mostly, it’s just me and my toolbox. Some would call it a lonely job. But I like it, being my own boss. And I have my own cabin to sleep in and access to the restaurant buffets. I’ve always regarded this a fantastic perk,” says Ib Rene.
The backside has been all the time away from his family. As he passed age 60, his body was no longer too fond of all the running through airports and train terminals either.
Ib Rene's last service trip sailing from Gibraltar, Spain, to Ravenna, Italy:
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More office, less airport
So, at 63, he asked his department director Henrik Bygbjerg if he could possibly find more use for him in the office and less onboard the cruise ships.
“I will never forget his reaction. ‘Stop thinking so much about what Danfoss needs. Think about what you need,’ he said. It’s the kind of thing that makes me proud to work for Danfoss. It’s the reason I’ve stayed on till 68 instead of retiring sooner. It’s the reason I’ve continued to like working,” Ib Rene explains.
Since then, his onboard service trips have been down to two or three annually. Instead, he provides technical service to colleagues in the field from his office at Danfoss Fire Safety’s headquarters in Odense, Denmark.
Ib Rene Sonnenborg joined the company in 1991 – back then as part of Semco Maritime A/S whose fire safety division Danfoss bought in 2006 to form Danfoss Fire Safety.
Andrew Bates (left), Head of Aftermarket, Danfoss Fire Safety, supported Ib Rene’s wish to spend more time in the office. “Ib Rene knows every step up and down these ships. Blindfold him, and he will still know. So, no one is better at providing back-office support to younger colleagues in the field. They see him as a father figure - experienced, calm, modest. You just want to keep a guy like Ib Rene on the team as long as possible - on terms that works for him. Right: Henrik Bygbjerg.
Ib Rene looks forward to spending more time with his wife, two grown children, and grandchildren. His last workday will be in November. “But it won’t be a goodbye to sailing. I own a tiny boat and love spending time on it with both family and friends. When I am on that boat, I relax,” Ib Rene says.
Facts:
Danfoss Fire Safety’s key products are the SEM-SAFE® high-pressure water mist system and the SEM-SAFE® low-pressure CO2 system.
The former uses high-pressure spray nozzles to create a dense water mist which quickly covers flames, so they suffocate. The water in the mist also effectively absorbs heat from a fire, so it loses energy. One advantage of the SEM-SAFE® nozzles is that they extinguish a fire using much less water than traditional sprinkler systems, thereby minimizing the risk of water damage.
The SEM-SAFE® low-pressure CO2 system uses carbon dioxide to replace oxygen where a fire has caught on. The method is extremely effective, but mostly suitable in areas with no human presence as CO2 in high concentrations can be hazardous.
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