Stuff at work

09CTSV · 03-24-2018, 5:57am

Been one heck of a crazy week at work. One of the people I interviewed with for my current position was promoted a while back to the Location Manager position. This week the other person, whom I worked for, was promoted to our Capital Manager position. I've been told there is something in the works for me to move up a pay grade to a Superintendent and take on the whole maintenance department, something I've been doing for the last two months anyway. I was kidding our department manager for the smelter about getting a key to the executive rest room and he gave me the master key to all of the smelter and said I could go where I wanted now.

I work with some great people and have fun doing it, probably the best team atmosphere since retiring from the Military, feels almost like family.

Oh and we have two of our lines up and running putting out molten aluminum, one with 128 pots out of 150 producing, one with 141 pots and our third line with 13 cut in and starting to produce. It is amazing to look at the MW meters and see 90-97 MW on the lines. A whole bunch of power to have the chemical effect and produce molten aluminum.

Rob · 03-24-2018, 6:02am

Sounds like that key is about to unlock a door to something better than a restroom.

6spdC6 · 03-24-2018, 8:04am

Quote:

Originally Posted by 09CTSV

Been one heck of a crazy week at work. One of the people I interviewed with for my current position was promoted a while back to the Location Manager position. This week the other person, whom I worked for, was promoted to our Capital Manager position. I've been told there is something in the works for me to move up a pay grade to a Superintendent and take on the whole maintenance department, something I've been doing for the last two months anyway. I was kidding our department manager for the smelter about getting a key to the executive rest room and he gave me the master key to all of the smelter and said I could go where I wanted now.

I work with some great people and have fun doing it, probably the best team atmosphere since retiring from the Military, feels almost like family.

Oh and we have two of our lines up and running putting out molten aluminum, one with 128 pots out of 150 producing, one with 141 pots and our third line with 13 cut in and starting to produce. It is amazing to look at the MW meters and see 90-97 MW on the lines. A whole bunch of power to have the chemical effect and produce molten aluminum.

Congratulations and keep up the good work!

Jeff '79 · 03-24-2018, 8:07am

Awesome !

Can you sneak us some pics of an aluminium pour?
That would be really cool to see.

Black94lt1 · 03-24-2018, 9:17am

That is great news, sounds like things are really shaping up for both you and the plant

Sea Six · 03-24-2018, 9:20am

Congrats!

Barn Babe · 03-24-2018, 9:31am

Awesome, congratulations!

FasterTraffic · 03-24-2018, 10:05am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixievet

Sounds like that key is about to unlock a door to something better than a restroom.

A gender neutral restroom?

VatorMan · 03-24-2018, 10:34am

98 MW ! I still can’t wrap my head around that number. We have 55 buildings and our peak was 27 in summer.

Barn Babe · 03-24-2018, 10:36am

Quote:

Originally Posted by FasterTraffic

A gender neutral restroom?

ToolMaker · 03-24-2018, 10:40am

Great new getting production back on line!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

The imported crap from China has been slipping into our shop and causing lots of issues. I've put an end to it, but not soon enough.

Chuck A · 03-24-2018, 1:03pm

congrats very cool indeed

Stangkiller · 03-24-2018, 1:23pm

Sounds like good things are coming your way and the hard work definitely shows! Congrats!

09CTSV · 03-24-2018, 1:34pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by VatorMan

98 MW ! I still can’t wrap my head around that number. We have 55 buildings and our peak was 27 in summer.

That is 97 per line so when all three are running with 150 pots each. The lines run 132,000 amps at 700 VDC. We take 15KV and rectify it to DC for the lines. I am told the whole smelting process is a chemical process.

I'll try to snag a shot of the crews pouring a cruce of molten metal and maybe a room with the pots operating in it.

09CTSV · 03-24-2018, 1:36pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff '79

Awesome !

Can you sneak us some pics of an aluminium pour?
That would be really cool to see.

I'll see what I can catch next week. This week was 4 half days of pain with analyzing wrench time throughout the plant. Good data but it puts me way behind the eight ball trying to catch back up.

09CTSV · 03-24-2018, 1:39pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToolMaker

Great new getting production back on line!

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!

The imported crap from China has been slipping into our shop and causing lots of issues. I've put an end to it, but not soon enough.

If things go well I've heard rumors of maybe another line to pour off and sell. Talk is of ultra pure metal. This whole process of making aluminum is so intriguing. I keep asking questions and learning the whole process as we go along. Just the science in figuring out what balance of raw materials to load and what goes into the carbon block, how long you cook it, what type cast iron to connect the anode rode to the carbon block, how to separate out iron and sodium. Just amazing the process. I always took thinks for granted on the other side of the plant but now I truly appreciate the hard work and time to make metal.