AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarship
Caleb P. Oppelt
This summer, I interned at Scot Forge in Spring Grove, Ill. Scot Forge is the leader in the forging industry, utilizing open-die and semi-closed-die forging to create components for various industries, including rockets and submarines. The opportunity to work for Scot Forge was incredible. My introduction to metallurgy came when I started forging at 12 years old, so being able to work at Scot Forge was a dream come true!
While at Scot Forge, I investigated material failures through metallography, learned to run a dilatometer for an R&D project, and got to spend a day with my supervisor at his forge shop, forging hammer handles for an event at the Chicagoland Highland Games. My understanding of metallurgy has grown far more than I could have expected in what feels like such a short time. In addition, I became more well-rounded by giving metallurgy reports in daily company meetings and biweekly presentations about the projects I was involved in. With the encouragement of my supervisor, I was able to go on several job shadows within Scot Forge to learn more about the company. As part of this, I was able to attend several forge witnesses, a regular responsibility for metallurgists at the facility whenever they are working with a more complicated alloy.
My time at Scot Forge is one I’ll never forget. I’ve made good friends and memories. I am incredibly thankful to Scot Forge for employing me for the summer and would love to work there once I graduate. A huge thank-you to AIST for supporting this internship!