A metallurgist, also known as a metallurgical engineer or material science engineer, is a professional responsible for extracting, processing, moulding and combining metals. Metallurgists have extensive knowledge of engineering, mining and manufacturing, which allows them to support companies from various industries as they approach or engage in developing effective and sustainable manufacturing processes. There are several specialisations that you can choose to pursue as a metallurgist, including:
- studying the properties, behaviours and mixtures of metals;
- developing processes and metallic parts for products;
- providing technical expertise to determine which metals best fit specific projects;
- investigating production issues and instances of metal corrosion or fatigue;
- maintaining quality control procedures and standards in the manufacturing process;
- performing and evaluating analyses of metal samples in the lab;
- collaborating with technical staff members, including chemists and engineers, to develop product prototypes;
- working alongside project managers to improve critical processes;
- creating and delivering project and production reports;
- controlling metal shaping using casting, rolling and forging;
- providing support to engineering projects;
- performing equipment tests;
- coordinating with machinery departments and suppliers;
- performing tests on various raw natural resources;
- participating in external research programmes.
Are you a professional metallurgist? Share your experience with us!
