AIST Steel Intern Scholarship
Bryan O. Hernandez Ortiz
I interned at Ternium México, Guerrero, G.R., Mexico., at the Guerrero Industrial Plant, specifically in the steelmaking area. I was under the supervision of Omar Erives.
During this internship, I participated in Ternium’s Safety Day, a festivity aimed at commemorating and raising awareness about the company’s priorities. During this time, we attended Maximo Vedoya’s conference discussing the importance of maintaining personal integrity through safety measures and how each one of us is a leader in our respective areas. Ternium employs a tool called task rejection, which allows collaborators to refuse unsafe tasks without facing any repercussions. This level of commitment greatly impressed me and ignited a strong desire to fully immerse myself in this culture.
The focal point of my internship was a project designed to address a concern within the continuous casting machines. This initiative centered on the development and implementation of an innovative attachment, which facilitates the traversal of a camera through different sections of the continuous casting machine by effectively locating defects in the first segment of the machine, we contribute to resolving issues related to the retention of cast slabs, a consequence of compromised surface quality.
During my internship at Ternium my mentor, Omar Erives, imparted knowledge regarding the complexities of the continuous casting machine. He ensured that I understood each concept before I began to work on the project. I gained insights into various aspects, including the influence of equivalent carbon content on solidification, the impact of lubricating flux on the process, which contributes to achieving uniform surface quality in slabs. Moreover, I had dived into the concept of the negative strip time, an outcome of mold oscillation, and its implications on the process.
My experience at Ternium México gave me profound insights into the company’s steadfast dedication to safety and its operational excellence. The experience not only bolstered my professional acumen but also instilled in me a profound aspiration to not only be part of, but also contribute meaningfully to Ternium’s culture of safety, innovation and continuous improvement.