How to become a Metallurgical Technician
Metallurgical technicians test materials as part of mineral processing and metal refining, or for research purposes, and provide technical support to metallurgical engineers.
Personal requirements for a Metallurgical Technician
- Enjoy technical and engineering activities
- Analytical skills
- Enjoy mathematics and science
- Good hand-eye coordination
- Aptitude for working with computers.
Duties & Tasks of a Metallurgical Technician
Metallurgical technicians may perform the following tasks:
- Obtain, measure and prepare samples for testing
- Put materials through test procedures, often using complex equipment, under the direction of metallurgists and other professionals
- Analyse, record and report results
- Put together charts, graphs and other data for reports
- Set up, operate and clean laboratories and scientific equipment.
Specializations
Primary Metallurgical Technician
A primary metallurgical technician prepares raw ore (rock or mineral to be mined) for refinement by crushing, screening and sub-sampling. They may also be involved in the grinding, leaching and flotation of ores, and may use operating equipment to separate ores by exploiting gravitational, electrical or magnetic properties. Primary metallurgical technicians work at mine sites or in base laboratories.
Secondary Metallurgical Technician
A secondary metallurgical technician may be involved in the development of new alloys and the technical supervision of metal and alloy manufacture, processing and fabrication in the industry. Secondary metallurgical technicians work in testing laboratories.
