Calcium Production Technician

Overview: Minerals Technologies Inc.
(MTI) is a leading, technology-driven specialty minerals company that develops, produces, and markets a broad range of mineral and mineral-based products, related systems and services.
MTI serves a wide range of consumer and industrial markets, including household and personal care, paper, foundry, steel, construction and environmental solutions around the world.
The company reported global sales of $2.
1 billion in 2022.
MTI focuses on two major segments – Consumer & Specialties and Engineered Solutions.
Our Consumer & Specialities segment offers technologically enhanced products to consumer-driven end markets plus specialty additives that become functional components in a variety of consumer and industrial goods.
This segment includes our Household & Personal Care and Specialty Additives product lines.
The Household & Personal Care product line provides mineral-to-market products that serve consumer-oriented end markets including Pet Care, Personal Care, Fabric Care, Edible Oil, and Renewable Fuel Purification.
Our Specialty Additives product line provides mineral-based technologies serving Paper, Packaging, Sealants & Adhesives, Paint & Coatings, Ceramics, Plastics, Food & Pharmaceutical markets.
Our Engineered Solutions segment offers advanced process technologies and solutions that are designed to improve our customers’ manufacturing processes and projects.
This segment includes our High-Temperature Technologies and Environmental & Infrastructure product lines.
Our High-Temperature Technologies product line offers specially-formulated blends and technologies primarily for Foundry and Steelmaking industries.
Our Environmental & Infrastructure product line provides waterproofing, water purification, remediation and other fluid management technologies for critical projects for Remediation, Water Purification, and Infrastructure.
MTI provides a business environment and promotes a culture that encourages all employees to contribute to our success.
We have long been committed to the recruitment and advancement of the most talented and qualified people.
We recognize that MTI’s ability to provide the highest caliber of products and services is enhanced by a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities and countries in which we work.
Job Summary The basic purposes of this position are to produce calcium metal in the furnaces, create additional products on secondary equipment from the calcium metal, monitor the furnaces in operation, prepare materials for production, and maintain the furnace and support equipment.
The Calcium Technician position is a continuum beginning at Calcium Technician I and progressing through Calcium Technician IV as skills are gained.
Employees may be assigned to perform any task for which they have been qualified.
Employees may also be assigned to positions for which they are working to become qualified as a portion of the training process.
Responsibilities: Major Duties & Responsibilities: Calcium Crowns Moves calcium crowns from cart into the crown pusher, where the crown is pushed out of the condenser and the heat shield is knocked off.
Strips the remaining steel jacket from the calcium crown and enters the crown weight into the crown weight database.
Puts stripped calcium crowns into the log chipper and monitors system to ensure it is operating correctly.
Uses barrel hauler to move material from scale onto pallet, labels product, and enters production data into the computer.
Transports pallets with product to inventory with forklift.
Condenser Handling Prepare condensers for use in furnaces by applying whitewash.
Furnaces & Related Equipment Maintenance Read and record temperature and vacuum readings from the furnaces.
Diagnose and troubleshoot problems with furnaces using mechanical knowledge/skill and equipment as necessary to ensure proper operation of the equipment.
Perform preventive maintenance and adjustments of furnace equipment to ensure proper operation of equipment.
Communicate any unresolved problems with furnaces to team leader and supervisor as needed.
Changes heads to eliminate vacuum leaks.
Retort Maintenance Move retorts to and from furnaces and other areas as needed using forklift.
Test (seal and pressurize) retorts and measure the ability to withstand pressure with gauge daily and report results to Department Supervisor.
Weld retorts to restore proper condition for use in furnaces.
Cycle retorts in/out of furnaces weekly per the descale rotation.
Place retorts in blow-up furnace as needed, monitor the process as retorts are blown back to proper shape.
Update and maintain retort database.
Load and unload new and used retorts.
Briquetting Transport materials to and load machine with them for briquette production.
Monitor the production process/equipment and adjust as needed.
Put briquettes in bags, filling to established pound capacity.
Move bags of briquettes from machine onto cart and transport to furnaces.
Update and maintain briquette database (% Aluminum, charge weights).
Troubleshoots and adjusts briquette process to bring lime/aluminum ratio within acceptable ranges per settings card.
Changes K-Tron belts as needed and recalibrates machine to bring lime/aluminum ratio to within acceptable ranges per settings card.
Updates kanban board and enters crown yield production data at the end of the shift on a daily basis.
Charging/Discharging Furnaces Open furnace up, remove calcium crowns as well as remaining briquettes, ensuring briquettes fall through to the ashway.
Load retort with [bags of] briquettes and a condenser, then close it to enable the production of calcium crowns.
Move calcium crowns onto cart and transport them to the crown press area.
Operate crown puller truck to remove the crown loaded condenser during the discharging process.
Operate discharging machinery to remove spent briquettes from retort once the condenser has been removed.
Calcium Grinding Set up, run, and monitor grinding area process/equipment to make product.
Evaluate product from grinders and package in drums.
Label the product and complete production paperwork.
Cal Grid Production Set up material to use in production of Cal Grid and monitor Cal Grid process/equipment.
Package and label product and complete production paperwork.
Shipping/Receiving Following paperwork instructions, take product out of inventory to be available for shipment, using forklift.
Complete inventory paperwork and provide it to the lab and Customer Service Coordinator.
Load trucks for shipment to customers with appropriate material, per shipping paperwork, using forklift.
Unload trucks and place material into appropriate inventory area, using forklift.
Spent Briquette Recovery Use skidsteer to pick up spent briquettes from the ashways and place into hopper.
Transfer spent briquettes from hopper into the bin for customers to load the product as needed.
Unplug spent briquette elevator in the event it becomes plugged.
Get assistance when needed.
Conduct pre-shift inspection of spent briquette area and of Bobcat loader.
Grease Bobcat loader per lubrication schedule.
Miscellaneous Record pertinent labor and/or production information from work shift.
Complete safety inspection sheets for work areas and/or mobile equipment.
Review daily write-up for special instructions for the workday.
Operate sweepers to ensure cleanliness of work areas.
Operate other mobile equipment such as fork truck and bobcat in performing duties above.
Operate box truck in transport of material between departments Perform other duties as outlined in training checklist such as lime handling, propane handling, cooling tower operation, and any others from the workstation list.
Conduct 5S activities and standard work activities as required.
Follow all standard work procedures as outlined.
Other Duties & Responsibilities Clean and replace worn out head gaskets for furnaces daily.
Soak tin bales in water to prepare them for disposal weekly.
Empty tin baler using forktruck weekly.
Move materials as needed using forktruck.
Clean up and organization of work areas utilizing tools/equipment daily, per the area 5S frequency and standard work process.
Train other employees to learn the duties of the job.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Assist maintenance staff with repairs of equipment as needed.
Soaks condensers on a daily basis following the pushing of the crown and stripping of the end tin in order to remove all residual calcium metal.
Note: Management reserves the right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Qualifications: Position Demands The requirements listed in the sections that follow are representative of the knowledge, skills and/or abilities required to perform the duties of this job.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions (primary duties) of the job.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities: Knowledge of basic math, and the English language are required.
Prior knowledge of mechanical/electrical applications, clerical procedures, manufacturing/production processes, shipping/receiving, computers, commercial motor vehicles, and hazardous materials is preferred.
While performing the duties of this job, an employee is typically required to have the ability to exert physical strength continuously throughout the work shift, coordinate movements, use repetitive motions, lift materials weighing up to and including 50 pounds, move barrels weighing 300+ pounds, regularly sit, stand, walk, bend, squat, reach, twist, lift, climb, push and pull throughout a work shift, have the ability to operate mobile equipment, select and use appropriate equipment/tools to accomplish job duties, read, write, listen, speak and understand English, follow all instructions and other oral/written information, visually inspect equipment/work area/product, complete paperwork/labeling and other documentation accurately, use judgment to identify, analyze, troubleshoot, and solve equipment/work area/product issues, communicate effectively with others, record labor distribution and/or production information from the work shift in writing and on a personal computer, perform basic mathematical calculations, be aware of oneself in relation to surrounding equipment, work independently and as a team with others, use, monitor and adjust equipment and related processes, keep pace with equipment/machinery, and react quickly to equipment/product issues.
The ability to effectively instruct/transfer job information/knowledge to others as needed is preferred.
Being under general supervision, the employee is expected to be self-directed and take initiative when appropriate to accomplish necessary duties and keep busy without prompting from the supervisor.
Additionally, the employee is expected to be adaptable/flexible to changing work assignments, perform multiple tasks at once, have a high level of integrity, dependability and self control to maintain composure, learn and memorize procedures, prioritize work and be persistent as needed, manage time effectively and efficiently, meet established deadlines, display a cooperative attitude, read, understand and follow all company, job specific and safety policies/procedures, and attend/use all required training.
Additionally, for certain workstations, must have ability to acquire and use the following mechanical skills: welding, millwrighting, rigging, flame cutting, and combustion.
Education: High school diploma or equivalent required.
Experience: Prior experience is not required.
However, it is preferred.
Licensing: Current valid Commercial Driver’s License with hazardous materials endorsements is required in order to be certified in the workstation for CDL and/or if transporting calcium metal.
Other endorsements may be required, depending upon the nature of the vehicle being operated.
Incumbent must meet applicable Federal and/or State regulations/requirements regarding qualifications of drivers.
Work Hours: Must have ability to work the shift/number of hours in which duties need to be accomplished, including overtime, holidays and weekends, as necessary.
Working Conditions: While performing the duties of this job, an employee is typically exposed to very hot temperatures, outside weather conditions, dust, loud noise, very low and/or bright light, and hazardous materials.
Works alone and as part of a team working in close proximity to others, and works in close proximity with equipment.
At times, employee may be exposed to high places.
Safety Equipment: Safety equipment typically required while performing the duties of this job include a personal red lockout/tagout lock, ANSI approved hardhat and safety glasses with sideshields, safety shoes/boots with steel toe protection and metatarsal guards, as well as company provided flame retardant uniforms (shirt/pants).
Additional safety equipment required includes hearing protection while performing duties for briquette and grinding production as well as chipping calcium crowns.
Additional safety equipment is available for use if a situation arises where it becomes required or if it is simply desired by the employee.
Safety Training: A new employee hired to perform the duties of this position is to be provided New Employee Training by a qualified individual, which consists of eight hours of classroom training and 16 hours of on the job training.
It will include, but is not limited to, the following: forklift/mobile equipment operation and certification/licensing, hazard communication, hearing conservation, respiratory protection, electrical safety, lock out/tag out, personal protective equipment, bloodborne pathogens, fire fighting/extinguishers, machine safety, confined spaces, reporting of hazardous conditions, accidents, injuries, near-miss and property damage incidents, evacuation/emergency procedures, first aid, back injury prevention, and job/work area procedures.
Upon transferring to perform the duties of this position for the first time an employee is to be provided New Task Training by a qualified individual until the employee adequately understands the contents of the training, which include job/work area procedures and related topics.
Additionally, an employee must be provided further training if a job duty/task has changes that will affect the health and safety aspects of that employee’s position.
All employees performing the duties of this job are required to successfully complete hazardous materials training in compliance with Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations.
Additional refresher safety training will be required as management deems appropriate or as dictated by MSHA/OSHA regulations.
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