Week of 10 July 2017: Being Hands-on Engineers and Scientists

Jim Thompson

Week of 10 July 2017: Being Hands-on Engineers and Scientists | pulp, paper, mill, safety, Jim Thompson, business, industry, success, people, technology, leadership, management, employees, maintenance, regulations, quality, innovation, strategy, power, energy, capital projects, transportation

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It was not so long ago that engineers and scientists often came from a rural background. This is still true in developing nations, but for those of us living in developed nations, it is usually no longer the case.

My own experience is a good example. The practical applications of working engineering and applied science which surrounded me daily as a youth on the farm helped develop my interest in becoming an engineer. My dad's outlook was one of repair-it-yourself. Of course, when the hot water heater went out and you needed a new one, you went and bought it and installed it yourself. That you wouldn't think of hiring anyone to do such a simple job illustrates how things used to be. Today, people wait on the side of the road for the auto club to come and change a flat tire.

This has become the norm, not the exception. In fact, one consulting engineering firm I have worked with has a name for these "book learning only" engineers--they call them "cubicle engineers."

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Save the date! The Pulp and Paper Industry Reliability and Maintenance conference, sponsored by IDCON and Andritz, will be held March 19-22, 2018 in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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I am always doing something practical around our home--over the years this has included things like building a basketball court and finishing the basement. I've also designed and built an electric dumbwaiter that hauls the laundry from the first floor to the second. I used a garage door opener stranding on end for the power source.

It is to our industry's detriment that young engineers and scientists have little practical background and often seem not to be interested in one. Several years ago, a senior level executive in one of our industry's companies told me they were stopping their support of a very well-known pulp and paper school because of their experience in hiring graduates from it. These young scientists were interested only in working in their lab. They did not want to get involved with operations and "suffer" the unpleasantness associated with a career in such an environment of heat, cold, and noise and shift changes.

For pulp and paper companies to be successful, we need young people willing to start their careers working shifts and with at least the aptitude to learn practical matters. You can test for these attributes and weed out those that can't demonstrate a willingness to enter the industry in this manner. It would behoove our schools to add, from day one, a bit of this practical side to the education process. It may not be possible to do so within the classroom, as academic programs are already overflowing with required courses, but through extracurricular activities and internships, students could be encouraged to "get their hands dirty."

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In the work environment, it may be valuable to encourage our engineers and scientists to take courses at local two-year schools in subjects such as welding or auto repair. Such courses can help round out people and add a touch of practicality to their education. Another way would be to invite your local "big box" home improvement store to offer some of their in-store classes on how to do simple household repair jobs at your mill site. These could be on Saturdays or concurrent to shift changes where employees could easily attend on their own time.

In my book, "The Lazy Project Engineer's Path to Excellence" I point out in the early chapters the problems with "cubicle engineers." Some of the ideas here can help your facility overcome these issues and, ultimately, move to a higher plane of operations integration.

As you consider safety, consider that teaching practicality does involve a new set of safety skills: practice welding, for instance, takes safety to a whole different level from reading about it in a book.

Be safe and we will talk next week.

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Jim Thompson is back again...with a new book on a taboo subject: the personalities in the pulp & paper industry. Jim has written in the past on many subjects based on his four plus decades in the worldwide pulp and paper industry. This new book is packed full of information valuable to the senior member of the industry as well as the recent entrant. A must for every pulp and paper library.

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Nip Impressions has been honored for Editorial Excellence by winning a 2016 Tabbie Award!

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