Eunice M. Solis - 2016 Steel Intern Scholar
I consider myself a very eccentric person and I can appreciate a lot of different subjects. That is one of the things I liked most about my work here at CMC Steel Texas. I was given a task that led me to learn about the many different areas that correlate to it. That’s why I love my major — it’s an outlet to get the chance to be involved in so many areas yet still claim one passion. My primary goal for this summer was advancing CMC in the right direction in purchasing new magnets for their shipping bays so that they are able to better keep pace with the rolling mill. Taking a closer look at the data, being able to observe the process, and discussing problems and solutions with team members in all areas led me to conclude that while an obvious solution would be to upgrade the equipment, there are other areas that will have a strong impact when improved. Although indirectly related, the quality of the bundle ties, the limited room for stock and the system in place for correcting dropped material affect many things. They affect the amount of minutes spent in corrective actions, the pace of the crane operator’s performance, the tons of potentially damaged material, and the need to create incident reports, in the end costing the company valuable assets.
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Eunice Solis completed her internship at CMC Steel Texas. |
While determining the best solution, I encountered problems that made the task more difficult. We had several cases of missing information and accessing the cranes and magnets to collect information during short periods of downtime. I presented my findings to the department heads and together they decided on a course of action. Although, for the time being, there will not be any advancement in purchasing new magnets, the department was pleased to find that there was still corrective actions that could be made. I enjoyed this project because it allowed me to work with people, with data and with the process. I appreciate the engineering department of CMC Steel Texas for welcoming and guiding me. I grew as an individual because of each person there, and in the end walked away with sound life lessons. In the world of engineering in the steel industry, investing time in one area will likely lead you to learn about all details that go unnoticed in between. It leads you to all the hands that contribute to each project, each task. You understand for yourself what team members mean when they speak the words “family” and “community.” From there, the fun part is collaborating with great minds to leave the company better than you found it.