2024 Steel Intern Scholarship - Samson Canadian
Gerald J. Dittrich
I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to work over the summer as an engineering co-op student at ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Central Mechanical Testing Lab (CMTL). Over these past few months, I have learned about the mechanical testing of steel and the quality control practices that go into ensuring our products meet our customers’ needs.
As a part of the engineering technical support team at the lab, I am responsible for assisting business units with performing mechanical testing on their steel samples. This has allowed me to collaborate with a number of my colleagues across the company as I worked with them closely on various projects. Another aspect of my role involves performing regular quality control measures to ensure our mechanical testing equipment is performing up to our standards. To accomplish this, I have worked with the senior members of the tech support team to run control standards and studies to monitor our testing performance over time.
Being able to interact with such a knowledgeable team on a daily basis has been a privilege, and a fantastic learning experience for me. It’s also been a pleasure to visit different lines such as pickling and tin plating. It has taught me more about the intricacies of steelmaking and given me a chance to become better acquainted with our operations. Everyone I’ve collaborated with has been extremely welcoming and has taught me something new from their unique lens. I’m grateful for the support I’ve received, and for all these opportunities to become better acquainted with the steel industry.
Since my co-op term at Dofasco is for 16 months, I still have a long way to go in my position. I hope to continue to learn more about steelmaking from a quality perspective, and to apply my knowledge to my role as I develop.
Lastly, I would like to thank AIST for this opportunity to get immersed in the steel industry, and the amazing people at CMTL for making my first four months on the job an excellent experience. I can’t wait to see where the next year will take me!