Document 99zadQodngwDRmOLedoazyGMq

VOL. 13, NO. 1 Chemistry lab keeps going around clock Whether it is checking on quality control, making sure that raw materials are what we're paying for or testing the environment for signs of pollution, the round-the-clock operation of t^e chemical lab goes on and on and on. : Some of the work is "routine and somewhat simple," says plant chemist Bill Neel, "while some of it is also quite complicated." But the 11 people who split their time into three shifts, seven days a week, "seldom get bored," he added, because "everybody is cross-trained in all of the more routine jobs and in most of the more complicated work." Quality control. Analyzing metal and making sure that it's a certain grade is a primary responsibility of the quantometer laboratory. Different customers, for example, need different mixes of aluminum. So when a company that makes, let's say, car bumpers orders a 6463 alloy, they're saying they want a certain mix with just the right amounts of silicon, iron, copper and magnesium because it gives their products both finish and strength. Or if another customer wants to make aluminum foil, a product whose primary impurities are silicon and iron, then it's up to quality control to doublecheck to make sure that the mix contains a maximum of .05 per cent silicon and .05 per cent iron. Determination of the "r^`ght mix is made 'by our production control quantometer, an invaluable device that electronically analyzes the metal samples from individual pots and (continued on P. 2,) ARKADELPHIA, ARKANSAS MARCH 1978 AIR SAMPLES--Senior Chemist Bill Kirksey (r) analyzes air samples for en vironmental control purposes while Plant Chemist Bill Neel observes. BATH ANALYSIS--Senior Chemist Bill Thomas and Senior Analyst Frank Coleman check bath samples on the atomic absorbtion instrument. Plant manager's comment Reynolds Metals Company devotes considerable effort and money to make our plants a safe place to work. Yet each employee spends a larger portion of his time off the job and usually has a couple of dependents. We are just as interested in you and your dependents' safety at all times. Toward this end, we have been sending quarterly the "Family Safety" magazine. Each issue contains several articles that should be of interest to you and your family. A large majority of our plant accidents are repeated by the same small group, just as one person will have several traffic accidents, others will drive a lifetime. Safety is a full time job here at the plant, on the highway, and at home. We are interested in your safety at all times; you should also have the same interest. METAL CHECK-Mildred Allhands, (I) supervisor of the quantometer lab, analyzes metal samples. Senior Analyst Joe Clark (r) weighs bath samples for subsequent analysis, The chemistry lab stays open 24 hours a day. (continued from P. l) Chemists check quality of raw materials crucible metal as it is transferred from the potroom to the cast house. Although each sample weighs only a third of a pound, it represents up to 20,000 pounds of metal. Analysis and Chemists in the wet lab also maintain constant checks on the ore, cryolite, coke and pitch that come into the plant. Although the suppliers furnish analyses of their products, we like to check it just to be sure. Representative samples of coke are taken by the carbon plant, for example, and, after being combined into a single sample, are checked once a week for "resistivity" or electrical resistance, along with other properties, all important factors in pot efficiency. Environmental control - Analyzing waste water, air and vegetation comprise the bulk of activity in the environmental lab. In order to maintain our permit from the Environmental Protection Agency to discharge waste water into the Ouachita River, technicians keep a close watch on the outfall ditch just north ot the plant to make certain that we stay well within our limits. And They also keep a wary eye ot? waste waterr air and vegetation to be certain that the plant stays within EPA limits. thanks to these and other precautions, including our filtering system, the waste water we pour back into the Ouachita River is actually cleaner and better then if was before it came into the plant. Chemists also keep a wary eye on fumes from our potroom stacks and roof vents. Chances are, of course, most of the impurities have been removed in the "wet scrubber," but EPA and state pollution regulations are such that we want to make sure. Incidentally, contrary to what a lot of people might think, most of the white smoke you see billowing up from our stacks is simply steam generated when the hot fumes from the potrooms pass through the wet scrubbers. During the growing season, vegetation around the plant is wat ched, with Johnson grass being analyzed most often to determine whether the plants have been affected in any way by the Patterson operation, and that our weT scrubbers are working efficiently. Many other tests are run in the chemical laboratory as needed and when requested by other plant depart ments, company and plant management. In addition to Neel, chemical lab personnel include Miss Mildred Allhands, Billy Thomas, Don Phillips and Bill Kirksey, senior chemists; Ronnie Penney, Joe Clark, Greg Felling, Frank Coleman, Bob Winnes and Allen Broyles; Sharon Taylor, secretary; and Willie Gray, janitor. All of them, says Neel, "are ex tremely dedicated and efficient people." CORRECTION Charlie Cash's name was not included in the list of rectifier personnel published in Ahe Billet last fall. Sorry about that, Charlie. You're a valuable member of the rectifier team. Payroll preparation begins long time before payday Thursday is payday at Patterson for hourly employees. Starting at 2:30 p.m., you will find people coming to the guard office window, calling out a badge number and receiving a yellow Form R102-12, commonly referred to as a "check." Preparation of payroll is begun several days before, however. As soon as the work week ends at 8 a.m. each Monday, time cards are properly coded by the foremen and brought to the Accounting Department no later than 10 a.m. After the time cards are checked in Accounting for overtime, holidays, etc., information from the cards is then keyed and fed into the plant's IBM System 32 computer and transmitted via telephone lines to an IBM 370 computer in Corpus Christi, Texas. Corpus's computer processes the data received to create the information that appears on the weekly hourly payroll check such as gross earnings deductions, net earnings, etc. These newly created data are sent back to Patterson's computer via telephone lines. The checks are printed on the System 32, signed by an automatic check signer and delivered to the guards on Thursday. The People in Accounting take special care to make every Thursday a happy one by keeping mistakes at a minimum. But when a mistake does occur, the person concerned should contact the payroll representative or the immediate supervisor. Payroll representatives are: James Baber, Maintenance; Ed Strauss, Potroom; and Floyd Curry, Cast House. PROMOTED-- Charles Burson (r) was promoted to millwright after completing his apprenticeship Oc tober 7, 1977. Foreman Bob McGill presented him with his ICS diploma and the RMC certificate of completion of the millwright apprentice course. DID YOU KNOW?--Alumina, cryolite and bath additives used here at Patterson cost almost $65,000 per day. This does not include freight or handling. Every day ore station tenders Glynn Morehead and Jimmy Smithpeters will unload and store materials with a value of about $90,000. Something to think about, isn't it? PROMOTED--Wayne Bear (r) was promoted to Welder after completing his apprenticeship November 22, 1977. Foreman Wayne Hartsfield presented him with his ICS diploma and the RMC certificate of completion of the welder apprentice course. IN MEMORIAM Robert W. "Bob" Rickett, Power Supervisor, died unexpectedly at his home on New Year's Day. Bob, who resided in Gurdon, was 57 at the time of his death. He came to work for Reynolds at the Patterson Plant in the hourfy work force as an electrician January 18, 1954, and transferred to salary payroll April 22, 1963 as a Maintenance Foreman in the Rectifer Department and was later promoted to Power Supervisor. We at the Patterson Plant extend our deepest sympathy to Bob's family. We share their loss. We will all miss him as a friend as well as a fellow employee. 39 Patterson employees honored Thirty nine employees received awards for a total of 815 years of service last November during the semi-annual service awards banquet at Bowen's Restaurant. Eleven employees who have retired recently were also honored. Mr. and Mrs. Albert Shugart Mr. and Mrs. Jack Gullett Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Bailey Mrs. Mary Francis and Jerry Mr. and Mrs. Bob McGovern 20 years Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Barton Mr. and Mrs. Warren Hunter Jr. Mr. and Mrs. John Claunch Mr. and Mrs. Paul Bryant Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Penney 15 years Mr. and Mrs. Carroll T. Rogers 25 years Mr. and Mrs. J.D.Goza Mrs. Sue Alexander and Keith Mr. and Mrs. G.R. Angel Mr. and Mrs. T.D. Murray Charles Chunn, presented by Mr. Willms Mr. R.B. Benavides Mr. and Mrs. Harold C. Brady Mr. Manuel S. Jasso Mr. and Mrs. H.C. Witcher 30 years Mr. and Mrs. F.G. Castillo Mr. Carlos Lazo Mr. and Mrs. Duke Loftis Mr. George Galvez Mr. and Mrs. E.H. Reyes Not Shown- Retirees: L.E. Yarber, R.G. Gaither, J.W. O'Neal and J.D. Jenkins; 10 years: E.Z.Bennett, H.B. Brady, L.E. Gentry, J.H. Hughes, J.W. Reynolds; 20 years: H.D. Robbins. SAFETY SEMINAR--Sixty persons, including 10 hourly members of the Executive Safety Committee and 50 supervisors, attended the two-day Patterson Plant Safety Seminar last November at DeGray Lodge. Instructors were Karl Klawiter and Dieter Garrett from Reynolds headquarters in Richmond, and Cort Shirk and Roger Sheaffer from Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. THE DEER HUNTERS--Machinist George Brewer-(l) displays the nine-point buck he killed in December five miles southwest of Gum Springs. Wayne Johnston (r) exhibits the 11-point Whitetail he bagged last November near Gurdon. RETIREES--Receiving RMCO watches are (top) Electrician Lee Roy McDonald (L) from Foreman Joe Boulden. McDonald joined Reynolds Sept. 30, 1953 and retired Jan. 27. (center) Charley Jones from General Foreman CJ.Winters. He began work at the Patterson Plant Jan. 11, 1954, retired Jan. 9. (bottom) Ford Parsons (I) from Foreman Jack Gullett. After joining Reynolds March 19,1946, he worked at Jones Mills and Corpus Christi before coming to the Patterson Plant in 1953. He retired Jan. 26 PROMOTED--Tommy Brandon was promoted to maintenance supervisor Jan. 1 He joined Reynolds in the hourly work force Oct. 17,1953. CHRISTMAS FEED--Employees gather as usual for the annual Christmas feed. The event is one of the highlights of the Patterson year. Prigge is named plant engineer George H. Prigge was named plant engineer at the Patterson plant in January, replacing J.A. Ramsey, who resigned. Before his transfer here, Mr. Prigge was plant engineer at the Reynolds St. Lawrence reduction plant at Massena, N.Y. Mr. Prigge graduated from the University of Alabama in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1962, he became a production engineer at the Reynolds Listerhill reduction plant at Sheffield, Ala. and held supervisory jobs in the anode, carbon plant, potroom and engineering departments at Listerhill before being named Maintenance Supt. in 1970. He became plant engineer at Massena in 1973. At Massena, Mr. Prigge was a member of the Board of Managers of the St. Larwence County Laboratory, a member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army and a member of the Massena Country Club. He and AMs. Prigge have three children. Bill 16, Patti, 15 and Beth, 12. TOP FLEX-RAISING CREW--Horace Matthews (top center) is flanked by Henry Willms and John Claunch as he receives the flex-raising award. The second member of the winning crew is Earl Bailey (bottom), who also accepts the award from Mr. Claunch. Have an item for the Billet? Please contact your supervisor or the personnel department! TOP POT TENDERS OF 1977--John Claunch (I) presents award to M.G. Hathcoat, Joe Pilcher and Eddie Hillery while Henry Willms looks on. Doyle Smithpeters (r) is also a member of the outstanding potmen of 1977. Proud father recalls son's Orange Bow! game Jumping from a high school backfield to a starting berth on an Orange Bowl team in just one year is something that just doesn't happen. But just a little over two months vO, if did happen for Trent Bryant of -.rkadelphia, whose father, Harvey, is a saw foreman in the cast house and unless you've been living in a cave or ioafing around in outer space, you now that Trent was a part of something that also wasn't supposed to happen: the Razorback's awesome defeat of the highly favored Oklahoma Sooners. Even now, Harvey still gels excited as bethinks about the days leading up to the game and, of course, the game itself. There was the trip down there, Tor example, when Harvey and his wife, Jo Ann, and their two other sons, Reginald and Victor, all piled into the family car for what was supposed to be a leisurely two-day trip. But the anticipation was too much for them ~r,d they wound up driving all the way :i;Ough. "I never dreamed something like this wouid happen," Harvey says' as he thinks about his son's mighty leap into big-time football. "We saw him for a few minutes on Sunday af ternoon before the game, but not again until he ran out on the field." How did Harvey feel at that par ticular moment? "We were pretty nervous at first," he recalls with a grin. "But it was a sensational feeling. I figured it would be a close game because I didn't think our offense was hurt that much and I i-t-ew fhat Trent could run the ball if : needed to. But after the first touch HARVEY BRYANT down, we felt like we had a chance. We just hoped the Hogs wouldn't fumble." Remembering his son's growing up years, Harvey said Trent had "always been a competitor, always wanting to outdo the next guy, never wanting anybody to beat him." He attributes much of Trent's success to AHS Coach Vernon Hut chins and to the high school's weight lifting program. There was also the influence of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which taught Trent to control his temper and to concentrate on the plays. Today, Trent is already preparing for next season and hopes to put on an additional 10 pounds, which will boost him to a solid 195 by the time he starts his sophomore year. A little on the bashful side, Trent says he's glad he got to play and he's pleased that he could "get Arkadelphia on the map." After the game, the Bryant family talked to Razorback head coach Lou Holtz who praised Trent for playing a good game, but added that he had known all along that Trent could do it. And as nervous as they were at the kickoff and before, so did the Bryant family. REYNOLDS METALS COMPANY Post Office Box 520 Arkadelphia, Arkansas 71923 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED RETURN POSTAGE GUARANTEED Bulk Rate U. S. POSTAGE PAID nfkdrfeiphid, Arkansas Permtf No 41 LLETTHE. APELP ROBERT P. PATTERSON REDUCTION PLANT