I have had the good fortune to take on internships at two exceptional, yet very different companies: In the summer of 2016, I worked in R&D at a small brass foundry (Ford Meter Box), where the production focus was on water system components. In the summer of 2017 I was part of a large shift in a multi-acre steel mill (ArcelorMittal), where I was working with continuous casting instead of green sand casting.
At ArcelorMittal, I worked in the Quality Department as an Associate Engineer – Metallurgical Intern. I had so much fun working in East Chicago and felt that my projects really impacted the Quality Department.
My first main project was to update the mill limits-managing system for the coating line by cross-referencing past orders with various processing capabilities. By updating this system, less communication was necessary between corporate and local quality teams, which allowed the ArcelorMittal customers to have confirmation on their orders several days sooner. This project yielded increased market-share as well as better comprehension of casting capabilities across departments.
My second major contribution there was to create a surface-roughness database of all coated products to answer customer inquiries. I spent time in both the mill and the lab compiling these roughness values, and I also investigated why certain roughnesses were seen.
I had so many wonderful and varied, hands-on experiences that summer, and I knew that my work made a difference to the company.
Both of my internships gave me considerable insight into industrial casting processes — and I formed some great friendships along the way.
Elizabeth Sturges will graduate from The Ohio State University in May 2018 with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She was awarded a 2018 FEF Internship Scholarship.