Luke D. Jaroszewski - 2017 Steel Intern Scholar
I am very honored to be a 2017 AIST Steel Intern Scholar. Not only does this scholarship support me with financial confidence to complete my senior year in pursuing manufacturing engineering, but also with the incredible opportunity to extend my education to the steel industry. Commercial Metals Company did an excellent job in familiarizing me with the meltshop in my first internship. This summer I applied design theory to the manufacturing process. I entertained the issue of steel vortexing in the tundish at the caster, which can implicate slag inclusions in the finished product. Using Solidworks Simulation, I completed many designs simulated a liquid steel vortex. I implemented the best design using 3D printing. The mandrel was then molded into the tundish refractory material and ultimately prevented vortexing in the tundish. Furthermore, I got the privilege to design and outsource a no-touch tool at the electrode addition station to prevent injury by taking out the pinch points in the electrode addition process. I also designed and fabricated a no-touch mount that excludes the need for any assistance to the crane operator when picking up the skull pulling tool, eliminating a rather cumbersome job as well as a major pinch point.
On a larger scale, I was also assigned to redesign the meltshop’s current hot ladle service station for both long-term and short-term process improvement goals. This project was very exciting but tedious because of the many factors that had to be considered. During the project I worked to collect field dimensions and evaluate the service area and discuss the project with meltshop management, engineers, maintenance, and operators in order to understand their opinions and recommendations for improving the design. Using design theory techniques I generated eight options and called a meeting to narrow the options to three to be considered for future capital investment. I provided eight designs and a final meeting was called to narrow them down to the top three designs for future considerations to the meltshop’s capital investment projects.
As I reach the final year in completing my education and become closer to starting my career, I see vast potential for many opportunities in the steel industry. I look forward to taking every one of those opportunities at the start of my career.