business & market news
18
Tube Products International May 2013
Student day draws engineering
undergraduates
Atlas Tube co-hosted its annual DFI
Student Day on 27 February at the
Atlas Tube Chicago manufacturing mill.
Atlas Tube and the Deep Foundations
Institute (DFI) welcomed engineering
undergraduates for a tour and
presentations on the art and science
of steel manufacturing. Nearly 100
engineering students from Purdue
University and the University of Illinois at
Chicago gathered at the mill. The event
began with presentations on the topics
of steel chemistries, hollow structural
sections, pipe piles and geotechnical
engineering. Speakers included notable
industry professionals Brad Fletcher,
structural engineer for Atlas Tube;
Marilyn Poindexter, account manager
for Atlas Tube; Marv Phillips, corporate
metallurgist for Atlas Tube; and keynote
speaker Brett Gitskin, geotechnical
engineer from ASFE.
“We are thrilled with the turnout for this
year’s student day and consider it a great
success,” said Chris Ragan, product
manager of pipe and piling products for
Atlas Tube. “We’re confident our Purdue
and UIC guests left with an interest
in civil and geotechnical engineering
careers, and important insight into
the steel pipe piling manufacturing
process.”
Following the speeches, students were
invited to network with the industry
professionals, and distribute their
résumés for career and internship
opportunities at JMC Steel Group and
the Illinois Department of Transportation
(IDOT). Students were also taken on
a 45-minute facility tour to see how
2,400 tons of steel is manufactured
at Atlas Tube per day, with first-hand
views of structural rounds, squares
and rectangular steel products in
production.
“With events like Student Day, and other
educational initiatives geared toward
the next generation of workers, we
help to secure our industry’s future
and equip engineering undergrads with
the knowledge and skills they need to
seamlessly integrate into the workforce,”
said Mr Ragan.
Atlas Tube produces a wide range
of steel tubular products and hollow
structural sections. Other offerings
include HSS design tools, straight-seam
ERW pipe piling and Epox Z Kote
®
powder primed tubing.
Atlas Tube
– USA
Sandvik to open new R&D centre
Sandvik is to invest in a new high-
tech research and development centre
adjacent to its manufacturing facilities
in Zhenjiang, an important milestone in
the company’s continuing development
in China. At a symbolic ground breaking
ceremony to mark commencement of
the development, Sandvik Materials
Technology (SMT) management team
and Zhenjiang local government officials
turned the first soil on the site, watched
by SMT China employees.
“This ceremonymarks a further significant
step in Sandvik’s long established
commitment to the market in China and
throughout Asia,” said Johan Hedlund,
SMT head of human resources.
Sandvik’s investment in research and
development provides the company
with a route to introduce new products,
and allows it to review and invest in
product research and development
programmes designed to bring long-
term operational benefits in some of the
most demanding applications.
On behalf of the Zhenjiang local
government, Qiliang Gui, vice secretary
of Zhenjiang Municipal Government
and vice director of Zhenjiang New
Area Administration Committee,
emphasised, “SMT’s new R&D centre in
Zhenjiang will help to promote the pace
of development of the Zhenjiang local
market. Meanwhile, we, as a community,
will continue to provide the
best services and infrastructure
to all international enterprises.”
Building work on the 1,440m
2
centre will commence in the
summer, with plans for the
centre to be operational early
in 2014. It will accommodate
specialist laboratories, a
learning centre, offices and an
exhibition area.
Sandvik China president ZZ Zhang
commented, “Our ambition in
developing this new, dedicated centre
is to create a powerful R&D team which
covers all technical competence needed
to support the demands of the Chinese
market.
“It will work in close liaison with SMT
R&D units worldwide. The laboratories
will be equipped to the highest
standards with modern analytical
equipment, including scanning electron
microscopes and advanced mechanical
testing facilities.”
The centre will support not only
production units, but also the sales
organisation and customers with
technical training seminars and detailed
research into material applications for
the benefit of Sandvik customers. It will
also provide materials analysis for other
Sandvik business areas, especially
Sandvik Construction and Sandvik
Machining Solutions.
Sandvik Materials Technology
–
Sweden
Turning the first soil at the ground breaking ceremony
