AIST Steel Intern Scholarship
Matthew L. Fabian
I am extremely thankful to Steel Dynamics Inc. – The Techs, GalvTech in Pittsburgh, Pa., USA, for hosting me this summer! I got to work at GalvTech, MetalTech and NexTech in Pittsburgh as a plant engineer. During my time I had opportunities to meet with the various employees at The Techs, building relationships with them. It was fascinating to learn what goes into galvanizing flat- rolled steel.
During my time I was involved in three main projects. The first was fixing some issues with the wet-rolling system on the temper-mill at GalvTech. The temper-mill crushes the strip to create a uniform layer of zinc, improving both corrosion protection and appearance. The rolls are supposed to be lubricated with a special solution to increase their life. When I started, the rolls were only being sprayed with water. Over the summer I researched and installed a new pump with the correct capabilities, and fixed the flowmeter that allows the operators to know water flow.
My second project was to add a safety barrier to the acrylic coater at GalvTech. During the summer I collected information on the dangers of similar coaters. I decided to run an E-stop cable along the pinch point so that in an emergency the operator could stop the machine. I also decided to change the programming so that the rolls will only spin in the safer direction.
My final project was designing a riser for the new coating weight gauges at NexTech and GalvTech. This project involved meeting with experienced design engineers which taught me a lot about design considerations. I produced fabrication drawings for the risers and installations drawings for the new gauges at each plant.
All of the Steel Dynamics Interns got to go to the corporate office in Fort Wayne, Ind., USA, for an “Intern Extravaganza.” During this event we got to network with interns from all around the country and get valuable insight from higher-ups in the company.
Overall, my summer at The Techs was an enjoyable learning experience that I will cherish for years to come. I am very grateful to AIST, Steel Dynamics Inc., and all my supervisors at The Techs!