Metallurgist

What is a Metallurgist?

Duties

The following duties are undertaken by metallurgists:

• Oversee and approve inspection, testing, handling, packaging, storage, preservation, delivery, quality logs and statistical methods.
• Analyse any failures or issues with stock materials, finished parts and forgings which includes creating a plan for corrective action and implementation.
• Collaborate with team-members like maintenance and production departments to promote adherence to environmental and safety standards for plant operation and equipment quality.
• Train and give direction to technicians during quality inspection processes as per the heat treat operations manual.
• Support day to day activities related to metallurgical laboratory testing, including compiling daily or monthly metallurgical reports.

Day In The Life

As a metallurgist, you will spend your time doing work related to extracting and processing a wide range of metals. Your interest will involve assessing their quality and performance to gain insights on which ones can be utilized for industrial purposes.

Specific tasks through the day will vary depending on what your specialty is as a metallurgist. For instance, if you are a chemical metallurgist, you will be testing various ores to understand how best to recover metals from them. You would also monitor and record findings on the strength and quality of the metals. By contrast, if you are a physical metallurgist, you will be assessing how metals behave under stress and noting down the test results. As a process metallurgist, you may spend most of your time designing and shaping various metal parts which also involves processes like welding and soldering.

Work Schedule

Metallurgists working at industrial and manufacturing plants have to work on a shift basis. You might also have to work extra hours during peak demand time. However, individuals working in academia can enjoy more regular hours and work around 35-40 hours per week. Metallurgists can be working in various settings that can be a standard office environment, research laboratories, metal refineries and mine sites.

On occasion, you could be exposed to manufacturing areas where the use of protective equipment like safety glasses, helmets and work boots is encouraged, along with mandatory hearing protection. When required, a metallurgist must also be comfortable with working at heights or in confined areas to collect samples.

Growth Of The Job

If you prefer working in the industry as a metallurgist, you will eventually progress to more senior positions where you will coordinate and direct others, and superior technical skills are required. Experienced professionals in this industry also capitalize on opportunities specific to their focus area, like precious metals, stainless steel and non-ferrous alloys.

Progression in your career can happen quickly with the right professional qualifications and additional ways of utilizing metallurgical skills, such as doing independent consultations or advising clients. If you have an interest in leadership positions, you can take the path of a managerial role and end up as a production manager at an established manufacturing firm. Another alternative is to make a switch from industry to academia for a research-intensive position that expands on technical work.

Typical Employers

Employers of metallurgists are generally involved in the production and processing of metals. Typical organizations include metal refiners, miners, specialist metal producers, iron and steel casting foundries, research and development organizations, utilities companies, suppliers of energy and specialist consultancies in composite metals, government agencies, precious metals or powder coatings.