Today, in the column I SHARE GGG HISTORY, we talk to Robertas Gaigalas, Product Engineer. We appreciate his loyalty to the company, responsible attitude and sincere performance.

Robertas, I guess, when you were at school, your favourite subjects were exact sciences, and today you cannot imagine your job without counting or measurements. How did you discover engineering?

From an early age, I was most interested in everything related to technology. At the times, all the electronic gadgets in the house and what was inside of them were dismantled and examined. Of course, my parents were not always happy, because often, after my discoveries, things no longer worked. Not surprisingly, I was most attracted to mathematics and physics at school. This is how I discovered engineering.

What is the history of your professional path at GGG? What was the company like when you first came to work here, and what is it like today?

If I recall correctly, in the spring of 2002, I started working for GGG as an operator-tuner. Less than a year later, I accepted an offer to take up the position of engineer stamping technologist. In the beginning, it was not easy, because the company was just established and started to make a new specific product. I had to search for various information, prepare technical documentation, procedures, etc. From today's perspective, GGG has an enormous wealth of knowledge and experience. Also, the company's production capacity is much higher, with a wider product range.

You are a product engineer. The contribution of your experience and knowledge is very important to the history of GGG ammunition development. Please share some ideas about their implementation, which intertwine the design, construction, data, figures, and your experience.

I cannot tell it’s a one-man job. Other engineers of the shooting range, technical engineers, a chemist process engineer are also involved in the development of new products and improvement of existing ones. It all starts with an idea. Then, technical and various other possibilities are evaluated. And the real implementation of the project finally begins. 
One of the last implemented projects of GGG was caliber .223 Rem 62 gr / 4.00 g FMJ design, and that's not all. 

What tools of your daily work are required to ensure the streamlined implementation of projects?

All projects begin with information gathering and drawings. One of the main work tools is plotting software, and reading different literature, collecting information online. Only upon transitioning into next stages, preparing pilot products,  we need laboratories, machine tools, and other means. Of course, ideally, we should have a test room, but it is not economically viable.

How do you estimate the time and costs of equipment and material required for the implementation of GGG product design projects? Is there room for creativity, or are they just numbers?

My job is not limited to new projects. I also perform the daily production-related tasks. Therefore, in terms of time, I can’t estimate with high accuracy. I coordinate all other work related to a specific project with the production and quality departments, such as the production of test batches, laboratory, and shooting range tests. Using numbers alone is not enough. There is a lot of room for creativity. Obviously, there is some difference between theory and practice. Therefore, based on practice and experience, it is necessary to make various adjustments or look for new technical solutions.

What is the most interesting project you have implemented, and why?

As I mentioned, it is caliber .223 Rem 62 gr / 4.00 g FMJ design. It is unique, perhaps, in that we can make the bullet ourselves. For this project we need to adapt several devices and modify some technology tools, prepare all technical documentation, and produce a test batch. Waiting for the results of the test batch was the hardest part, but the most interesting, too.

What are your future goals at GGG? What is your main focus for today? Maybe you can share what GGG product project is currently on your work desk? Will it be completed soon?

I don’t want to anticipate events out of sight. There are a few projects, but I can’t answer whether all of them will become a reality. I will only mention that there are bullets of several designs at the stage of testing.

Production engineers turn their thoughts into bodies, often denying sceptics and proving that almost anything is possible, if........ How would you end this thought?

If you are persistent and really want to finish what you start.

And finally, if you had to give a short message to a news portal describing the company's activities, how would it sound?

I grew up with GGG, so I think it is a great place to improve and grow as a professional.