What does 40 years in hydraulics teach you about building better valves, better teams, and better products? Thomy Leibacher shares the hard-won lessons behind her global career, from Swiss apprenticeship floors to aerospace repairs in French Guiana to engineering projects across the US, Europe, and beyond.
Meghann Cook and Allen Burdette sit down with Thomy for a wide-ranging conversation on the craft, culture, and standards that shape fluid power. Thomy explains how she got started as a mechanical technician, why flow testing and leak detection became his early obsession, and what still excites her after decades in the industry.
You’ll discover:
How a hands-on apprenticeship taught Thomy to build, test, and troubleshoot valves from the ground up
Why differential pressure, contamination control, and leak detection matter so much in real-world hydraulics
The surprising differences between engineering culture in the US, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, and the Netherlands
How standards, language, and unit systems can make or break a design
Why she still starts with hand sketches before moving into 3D tools and digital workflows
Thomy also breaks down one of her favorite applications, a high-stakes brake system project that replaced older servo valve technology with poppet valve control, and explains how engineering teams combine solenoids, software, hardware, and risk-taking to create something new. Along the way, she shares what young engineers need most: a great teacher, a deep respect for standards, and the willingness to keep learning.
If you work in hydraulics, automation, engineering, or industrial manufacturing, this episode is packed with practical insight and real industry perspective. It’s also a reminder that the best engineers never stop being students.
Perfect for anyone who wants the story behind the systems, the people behind the products, and the mindset that keeps innovation moving.