On the afternoon of Wednesday 29th January,
graduates from the Midlands Counties regional group attended a site factory
tour at Metsec, Oldbury.
The visit began with a presentation about the history of
Metsec, and how it’s developed to become part of Voestalpine. Safety matters
were also covered to ensure our members could get the most out of the tour.
Ear defenders in, our young engineers entered the factory to
witness the rolling of sections. It was intriguing to see how the flat steel
sections were cold-rolled into a range of shapes and sizes, ready for storage
and very soon after, delivery.
The young members also got to see the making of accessories,
which involved seeing a number of skilled operators punching and riveting,
amongst other things. Finally, a sneak-peak into the training room demonstrated
the quality of service and standards delivered by Metsec.
A presentation after the tour showed our graduates the
products that the sections they had seen would end up in, and how these have
been used in construction to date. A number of project case studies
demonstrated the wide capability of cold-rolled steel, including buildings with
both curved and sloped faces.
A big thank you must go to Ben Gallimore from Metsec, for
coordinating with the Young members Panel to organise this event and to Dave
Briers for accompanying the group on this tour and answering our questions.
Events
like this are invaluable for our graduates who don’t
visit sites as frequently as they might like in their early careers. These
trips allow them to see how their work might is realised, and encourage them to
think about scheme design, and the potential products available to them.
If you have any ideas for us or you’d like to get involved with
the Young Members’ Panel please let us know at istructeymp@gmail.com.
Post author: Tasha Scott
Post author: Tasha Scott
