Associate
of Metallurgical Viability,
Inc.
Magnesium Technical Specialist
EDUCATION:
Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Michigan
B. S. in Metallurgical Engineering
PROFESSIONAL
AFFILIATIONS: American Institute of Mining and
Metallurgical Eng
Association of Iron and Steel Engineers
Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and
Petroleum Engineers
Society of Manufacturing Engineers
SUMMARY OF EXPERIENCE:
Forty years of varied metals industry experience in
both ferrous and non ferrous materials. Twenty years in the technical
management areas of light metal foundries or reduction plants.
Metallurgical consultant to major magnesium companies. Publisher of Magnesium
Monthly Review. Contributing Editor and columnist for Light Metal
Age. Write annual world magnesium review for Mining Journal
(London). Virtual fount of knowledge about the total magnesium
industry, both historical, present and future.
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE:
Manager of Due Diligence Study
for the
Australian Magnesium Corporation's new 90,000 tpy primary magnesium
plant. Reviewed and commented on the development program that provided
the design basis for the 1500 tpy pilot plant. Process design based on
CSIRO patented program for making anhydrous magnesium chloride and Alcan
electrolytic cells for producing magnesium metal. Spent 3 months in
Brisbane as part of the Fluor Daniel project team. Study included
refining and casting.
Manager of Recycling Study for the Australian
Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organization. Reviewed the North
American magnesium recycling industry, Identification and the practice
in large recycling companies dedicated solely to magnesium. Review of
smaller die casting and sand casting foundries that do in-house
recycling. Basically covered the US, Canada and a few in Europe.
Director of Magnesium Operations
for a 10,000 TPY
silicothermic magnesium reduction plant. Responsible for all magnesium
production operations including (1) Quarrying of dolomite ore (2)
Primary reduction of calcined dolomite (3) Melting and casting all forms
of primary magnesium and its alloys. Supervised 200 employees through 3
department heads and 17 foremen. Three shifts, 24 hour, 7 day
operations.
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
ROBERT E. BROWN
Developed ultimate plan for adding new production
facility with a 25% increase in production over 3 years with 15%
increase in labor. Added facility at quarry to reclaimed discarded ore
fines as agricultural limestone. Designed and added melting flux
production facilities. Investment paid off in eight months.
Designed and built sludge reclamation facility to
reclaim metal lost from casting operations. Participated in development
of magnesium anode production, residue utilization programs, production
of redistilled magnesium for reduction of uranium. Designed and
developed special production and analytical methods for magnesium to be
used in reduction of zirconium and beryllium.
Plant Metallurgist for silicothermic magnesium
reduction plant. Responsible for all melting and casting operations and
maintenance of quality. Developed operating procedures for all gas fired
equipment. Set and monitored a fuel conservation program that saved 20%
of original fuel usage.
Production Development Engineer for large
electrolytic magnesium metal producer. Performed investigations on
materials of cell construction for electrolytic reduction plant.
Participated in major study of effects of cathode designs on the anode
consumption and current efficiency. Conducted studies on ingot design
and and casting process. Coordinated all testing work on a magnesium
process for desulfurization of steel. Injected the first heat of
steel in the US using powdered magnesium and burnt lime.
Senior Engineer and Metallurgical Consultant.
Worked as a consultant to several major magnesium companies. Worked with
Ralph M. Parsons on the design of the Great Salt Lake plant for NL
Industries. Contract customers have included Dow, American Magnesium,
UBE Industries, Magnode Products, Magnalith Corporation, Harsh Metalize
Industries and a major Indian Tea Corporation.
Executive Secretary of the International Magnesium
Association for three years. Published newsletter and directed all
activities for trade association in international membership.
Participated in panel of world experts at the Paris IMA meeting in 1974.
Process Engineer on two aluminum recycling plant
study and design projects. Reviewed and specified scrap crushers,
shredders, preheaters, delacquering systems, melting and holding
furnaces, refining and casting systems.
Design Supervisor for greenfield aluminum rolling
mill. Produced process and utility flow diagrams with material balances.
Performed energy studies including induction vs. gas-fired melting,
channel vs. coreless induction, recuperation economics for melting
furnaces, soaking pits, and annealing ovens. Made comparisons of
refining methods for molten aluminum DC ingot casting plant.
Chief Metallurgist
for large aluminum and
magnesium foundry producing aircraft quality castings. Supervised all
heat treating, quality control operations and melting and casting
procedures. Developed and implemented internal magnesium and aluminum
scrap reclamation programs including design of facility.
Chief Metallurgist and Plant Engineer for sand
and investment foundry. Responsible for all melting and casting
procedures and all metal treating facilities. Installed and set up
computer operated spectrographic analysis facility. Ran all production
control for ceramic slip, waxes, and investment mold production
including drying, autoclave and firing oven. Designed and laid out
magnesium foundry for largest European helicopter manufacturer.
Specified all equipment and production flow in conjunction with Italian
management. Acted as Program Manager for Air Force program in
conjunction with General Electric, Evandale. Investigated Hot Isostatic
Pressing (HIP) for healing defects in aircraft structural castings.
Acting Project Manager for an aluminum DC caster
modification project. Project consisted of redesign of guide systems and
caster molds and tooling. A unitized system was designed for the
existing tooling to expedite changeouts. Modifications were implemented
with minimum plant production interruptions.
PUBLICATIONS:
"Designing and Building a UBC Recycling
Facility" Paper presented at 1985 International Symposium on
Recycle and Secondary Metals.
"Designing a UBC Recycling Facility",
Recycle
and Secondary Recovery of Metals, Metallurgical Society of
AIME, Warrendale, PA (1985) ISBN 0-87339-007-5.
"Magnesium in Automobiles and Airplanes",
Light
Metals Processing and Applications, Canadian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy, Montreal, Quebec (1993) ISBM 0-91 9086-42-X
"Aluminum Extrusions and Sheet for
Automobiles", Recent Developments in Light Metals, Canadian
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Montreal, Quebec (1994) ISBN
0-91-9086-52-7
"Magnesium in Automotive and Aerospace",
Design
with Aluminum and Magnesium for the Automotive Industry, Society of
Manufacturing Engineers, Dearborn, Michigan (1995)
"Silicothermic Magnesium In Alabama in
1960", Light Metals 1997, Canadian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy, Montreal, Quebec, (1997), ISBN 0-97-9086-69-1
"Magnesium Sand Foundries --Past, Present, and
Future", Light Metals 1998, Canadian Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy, Montreal, Quebec (1998), ISBN 0-97-9086-72-1
"Report on International Magnesium Association
World Conference", Light Metal Age, Vol. 48, No's 7 & 8,
August 1990 ISSN 0024-3345
"48th Annual Magnesium Conference - Quebec City,
Canada", Light Metal Age, Vol. 49, No's 7 & 8, August
1991 ISSN 0024-3345.
"Magnesium Automotive Meeting",
Light
Metal Age, Vol. 50, No's 5 & 6, June 1992. ISSN 0024-33
"49th Annual Magnesium Conference",
Light
Metal Age, Vol.50, No 5 & 6, June 1992 ISSN 0024
"Discovery of World's Largest and Purest
Cryptocrystalline Magnesium Deposit", Light Metal Age, Vol.
50, No's 9 & 10, October 1992
"Hard Anodizing Light Metals,
Light Metal
Age, Vol. 51, Nos 3 & 4 April 1993
"50th Annual IMA World Magnesium
Conference", Light Metal Age, Vol. 51, No. 5 & 6 June
1993
"4th Annual Magnesium in Automotive
Seminar", Light Metal Age, Vol. 51, No. 5 & 6 June 1993
"Aluminum Extrusions Break into New
Market", Light Metal Age, Vol. 51, No. 7 & 8, August
1993
"Magnesium Alloys and Their
Applications-Review", Light Metal Age, Vol. 51, No. 9 &
10, Oct 1993
"Aluminum-Designing the Future",
Light
Metal Age, Vol. 51, No. 11 & 12, Dec 1993
"The Road to Detroit",
Light Metal Age,
Vol. 51, No. 11 & 12, Dec 1993
"Marketing of Aluminum Extrusions by
Distributors", Light Metal Age, Vol. 52, No. 9 & 10, Oct
1994
"Automotive Aluminum Continues to Make
News",Light Metal Age, Vol. 52, No 11&12, Dec 1994
"Lloyd M. Pidgeon, Magnesium Industry
Legend", Light Metal Age, Vol 53, No. 3 & 4, April 1995
"53rd Annual World Magnesium Conference"
Light
Metal Age, Vol 54, No. 7 & 8, August 1996
"Magnesium in Australia, 1940-1996,
Light
Metal Age, Vol 54, No.9 & 10, October 1996
"Magnesium in 1996",
Metals and Minerals
Annual Review, Mining Journal, London (1997) ISBN 0 900 117 818
"54th Annual World Magnesium Conference",
Light
Metal Age, Vol 55, No. 7 & 8, August 1997
"Magnola-The Noranda Magnesium Process",
Light
Metal Age, Vol 56, No. 1 & 2, February 1998
"Magnesium at NADCA Congress and
Exposition", Light Metal Age, Vol 56, No. 3 & 4, April
1998
"Magnesium in 1997",
Annual Review
Supplement, Mining Journal, London (1998) Volume 331, No.
8492 ISSN 0026-5225
"55th Annual World Magnesium Conference",
Light
Metal Age, Vol 56, No. 7 & 8, August 1998
"Magnesium Alloys and Their Applications-Wolfsburg,
Germany", Light Metal Age, Vol 56, No. 7 & 8, August
1998
"MagMan News" Column in
Light Metal Age,
Quarterly, starting in 1998
Back
to top |
