William B. Wooldridge
Steel Dynamics Inc. - Southwest Sinton Division
This past summer, I have interned at the Steel Dynamics flat roll plant in Sinton, Texas. This was going to be the first internship I completed, so I was eager to gain experience working in a professional environment compared to the classwork I was used to. At the plant, I was assigned to work on the galvanizing lines as a production intern. There I worked on the mechanical systems alongside my supervisor to improve the safety, efficiency and productivity of the existing production lines.
Immediately after being assigned to the line, I was introduced to the importance of safety at the company. Throughout my orientation, an emphasis was placed on safety for myself, my team and everyone else on-site. The prevailing message was that despite the work you do and any bonus you may receive, the most important thing you can do on-site is to make it home safely. This mindset guided my work and weighed heavily on determining the best way to solve a problem with respect to the safety of all the operators who will interact with my work.
As part of this objective, I worked on many different projects, including designing additional supports for a galvanizing pot lid, a splash wall for a cleaning section, and additional tie-off points for fall protection and restriction. These projects included getting measurements of the existing plant, working with operators to determine what is necessary for these systems and calculating the stress these additions will be under while being used. Construction and installation of these projects were done through ordering parts from vendors, forwarding drawings to contractors, and working with operators on the line to install. Throughout these projects, I was able to learn about many parts of the process that I wouldn’t have considered in classwork. It also helped me better understand the scope involved in solving a problem in a professional environment.
What stood out to me was the diversity of the work I was assigned to do. I was lucky enough to be put into a position that allowed me to complete a variety of tasks, including measuring and design work on the plant, verifying stock of parts based on inventory audits, and 3D printing labels for supervisor locks. Additionally, although it was a minor task, I was excited to get my hands dirty and change filters for some intake fans on the line. From this experience, I got a better idea of the scale of the maintenance required to keep a plant like this running.
Overall, I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to intern at Steel Dynamics. Although some of the tasks have seemed daunting, they’ve allowed me to learn far more than I could inside a classroom. I was given an environment to work on projects while having a team to work with and ask questions when I’m stuck. I’m thankful for those working around me who were also ready to answer questions stemming from curiosity about the industry and the plant itself.