During the month in which we celebrate Metal Worker’s Day, there is nothing more appropriate than pointing out that few things symbolize human evolution as well as fire and metal. While the first guaranteed the call for survival, the other transformed itself into one of the bases for modern society, present in tools, structures and buildings. Together, these elements are part of the routine for metalworking professionals that are so versatile and important to modern society that they help move the world with their work.
Proof of this fact is that today, just one metallurgical company with a foundry and machining center can benefit many different sectors: civil construction, metalworking companies, the automotive industry and electronics are just some examples. It’s for these reasons that, with the month for celebrating metalworking professionals upon us, RIO decided to prepare a special presentation recognizing the work of these incredible people, explaining a bit more about what the day to day routine of a metal worker is like!
Better understanding the role of metal workers in industry
Considered the heart of industry, metal workers are professionals who carry out the production and processing of many different types of metal. They are responsible for the dozens of steps in the industrial production process, from the handling of raw materials to the final transformation of metal into parts and equipment.
In addition to these responsibilities, they are also adept at operating machinery, regulating and monitoring assembly and production lines and, of course, maintaining the highest quality standards! All this while being capable of working in completely different segments of production and the marketplace. To get an idea of what metal workers do, we just need to think about the different applications for metallurgy here at RIO. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Manufacturing of Metal Alloys
With the support of technology, know-how and special techniques, metal workers use iron and carbon with the addition of other chemical elements, such as nickel, to create special metal alloys, enhancing their properties to create personalized materials for every need: lighter, more resistant or more malleable, for example. These ferrous alloys can be even be superior to steel in some aspects.
These metal alloys — the result of combining two or more elements — are used in practically every industry sector. Here at RIO, we have dozens of professionals who dedicate themselves every day to studying and perfecting gray and ductile cast iron alloys, special alloys, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys and many other combinations capable of harnessing and optimizing the physicochemical and mechanical properties of our products, guaranteeing versatility and expertise on our production line.
This means that, when pure metals do not meet the necessary requirements for applications in the manufacturing of products used in society, it’s metal workers that join forces with specialists and engineering teams to create these alloys, guaranteeing that the product has the properties demanded by its use. For example, if a component that is to be produced needs to be resistant to wear, a chemical element is added to the alloy capable of increasing its durability and therefore creating a material that is capable of holding up against premature wear.
Technical excellence in smelting and machining
A fundamental process and always present in the routine of metal workers, smelting is a versatile and wide-ranging area when looked at from an industrial perspective. And contrary to what most people still believe, it is not limited to the process of pouring liquid metal into molds and then cooling them to create new pieces.
In reality, the work of a metal worker in smelting is present in all stages of production, from modeling to demolding the parts — and we know this from experience! After all, here at RIO, our teams are involved in developing molding and core making projects capable of handling the complexity of the widest variety of parts, always striving to guarantee economic viability in their production!
Not to mention our machining and support teams, such as maintenance, boilermaking, moldmaking that put their expertise to work in the handling of a wide variety of equipment – from conventional machinery to CNC lathes and machining centers – to meet the most rigorous demands for projects, design and applicability!
All this alongside the exhaustive work in monitoring and fine-tuning provided by our metallurgical and metrology laboratories, who team up with metal workers to ensure that our products are delivered within the most demanding standards for traceability, quality and dimensional tolerance.
Technology and innovation on the agenda
You can’t talk about metallurgy without talking about technology, right? After all, it is thanks to the tireless efforts and dedication of our professionals in the area that the entire scope of their knowledge can be used to develop intelligent solutions that simplify and optimize processes in the industry’s day to day!
Because, although metallurgy depends on machinery and equipment to maintain its workflow, it’s only the expertise of professionals that allows for the creation of products that are reliable and optimized to meet the expectations of clients, partners and, of course, the market itself. It’s all a question of synergy.
Another good example, again close to home, is our collaborative robot, which represents one more advance for RIO in Industry 4.0. Helping to support and simplify the job of a metal worker, the robot works to move and position the valve guides on machine tools, optimizing the process and contributing to the ergonomics of collaborators. Take a look:
The ideal work environment
As you can see, most of a metal worker’s performance and attributes in their professional routine end up influencing, directly or indirectly, every sector of the economy and many aspects of our own lives. And we don’t need to go too far to find examples of this professional synergy: here at RIO, metalworking professionals are the spark that transforms and creates solutions and automotive parts for a better, more sustainable and safer world!
This is why, during the month in which Metal Worker’s Day is celebrated, we would like to show our appreciation in recognizing these extra special professionals, that create movement and make the world turn through the metallurgy sector. Oh, and just a reminder: we are always releasing exclusive content that reveals more of the fascinating world of metallurgical technology on our social media platforms, our YouTube Channel and right here on our blog! Check it out!
