Name: Andrew Turton
Job Title: Product Technologist – (Undergraduate placement)
Recruitment Function: Technical – Product Development
Degree Course: BEng Forensic Engineering
University Attended: Sheffield Hallam University
Current Business Unit: Product Technology
Location: AGO
Joined Corus: July 2007

Why did you choose to work for Corus?

I originally came to Corus at the age of 15 to do work experience for two weeks. I have always enjoyed physics and chemistry, and have a logical approach to problem solving, as I like the challenge of finding the reason behind how something works, or indeed fails.

It also helps that I have an intrigue into metallurgy, as there is much more to metal than it just being a lump of steel, and slight elemental changes can significantly alter the way a material performs, and so this is dependant upon its application.

What does your current role involve?

My current role is split between conducting trial work and dealing with every day customer tasks/issues.

The customer work has given me exposure within both the company and the industry in general, if for example a component had failed during testing I would have to check all the cast processing history and conduct tests to work out what went wrong.  This leads me to be talking with colleges all over the business, working with systems all the way form the melt shop through the entire process chain.

The trial work I have been conducting has ranged from simple new business trials to working on international collaborations with other steel makers.

My day-to-day work has expanded my use of organization, one of my projects involves me tracking multiple orders/casts and getting samples taken, and then tested.  There are constantly samples at different stages of works processing and test house processing so keeping an eye on these takes a lot of organization. This task used to require rolling a back up order to ensure samples were taken, however these orders were then scrapped at a large cost but since has been changed so as to only take 4 short samples from each cast.

Through running trials I have built up a varied network of contacts throughout CES and some in other business sectors.  I have visited various other Corus plants to have a good look around and get an understanding of the processes involved. This was a huge benefit to understanding the process routes and systems implemented within CES and talking with the people working on plant gives a better idea of why things go wrong.  These trips to other areas also really helped me when for example I had to get samples from an order already processed through CES, after contacting a colleague I met on a trip to the Stocksbridge site, I was able to acquire the samples with relative ease averting a possible problem.

Most of the project work conducted involves a written report upon completion, this experience in presenting data accurately and concisely will be of a real benefit and I feel it will be invaluable in my final year of university.  I have used a surprisingly large amount of statistics and spreadsheet work this year, this again has been a huge benefit as I have expanded my ability in both Maths, data manipulation and features/functions of spreadsheets

I have conducted trials in the following fields:

• Cleanness in Bearing Steels
• Official customer documentation (ISIR/PPAP)
• Cleanness in the Small Bloom cast product
• Ultra sonic soundness of bearing grades
• Investigations into various failed components
• Re approval of various grades
• Process simplification

Each of these trials has presented me with new challenges but also with new opportunities and contacts, with every new trial I pick up, I learn countless bits of information about both Corus procedures and steel properties in general. For this reason I have tended to pick up any work I could get my self involved in within the whole department so that I could expand my knowledge.

This placement has also given me a great deal of direction and revitalized my interest in metallurgy and investigations, looking for the answer to issues and investigation problems really appeals to my nature, and during this placement I have had many opportunities to expand my skills.

What training have you received since joining Corus?

• Manual Handling
• Beginner Excel
• Expert Excel
• Defensive Driving

Please describe development opportunities you have had since joining Corus?

• Project Management Course
• Dealing with Difficult Customers Course

What are your future career aspirations?

I would like to get a future job within Corus, upon the completion of my university degree, as I feel that it would be a worthwhile company to work for, and that I would also thoroughly enjoy the challenge of working as I have a bit of a ‘geeky’ interest in physics and engineering.

Do you have any hints/tips/advice you would give to someone applying to Corus:

Enjoy the work and subject area, as you need to have an interest, maybe even a fascination with materials and physics, to be able to understand and apply your knowledge to the job. As well as being able to learn new skills quickly and to be able to adapt them to a situation that you may not have come up against before.

Tell us something about your business unit location:

This site attracts a lot of placements, graduates and apprentices to come to Corus as it provides a good package to help new workers to quickly get up to speed.

The area around is close to Rotherham town centre for shopping and nightlife, as well as being close to public transport and so Sheffield can be accessed with just as much ease.