Instrumentation Technician, New Hartford NY

With more than 120 operations and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide, Precision Castparts Corp. is the market leader in manufacturing large, complex structural investment castings, airfoil castings, forged components, aerostructures and highly engineered, critical fasteners for aerospace applications. In addition, we are the leading producer of airfoil castings for the industrial gas turbine market. We also manufacture extruded seamless pipe, fittings, and forgings for power generation and oil & gas applications; commercial and military airframe aerostructures; and metal alloys and other materials for the casting and forging industries. With such critical applications, we insist on quality and dependability – not just in the materials and products we make, but in the people we recruit.

PCC is relentless in its dedication to being a high-quality, low-cost and on-time producer; delivering the highest value to its customers while continually pursuing strategic, profitable growth.

In 2016, Berkshire Hathaway, led by Chairman and CEO Warren E. Buffett, acquired Precision Castparts Corp.

Business Profile  

Special Metals is the world leader in the invention, production and supply of high-nickel alloys for critical applications. Special Metals has over a century of expertise creating high-performance alloy products engineered for the most brutal, mission-critical services in the industry. With its focus on research and technology, Special Metals has invented and developed a large majority of the commercial nickel-based superalloys offered in the market today and is the one of the largest volume suppliers of nickel superalloys. Special Metals’s time-tested nickel alloys are highly engineered to offer a superior combination of heat resistance, high temperature and corrosion resistance, toughness and strength for the most demanding applications. Special Metals does more than just invent, develop and make high-performance alloys. Special Metals provides comprehensive metallurgical solutions in the toughest environments and helps customers manage, maintain and optimize the use of premium metals through a range of mission-critical, value-added services.

Location Profile  

The New Hartford and Dunkirk facilities in New York are industry leaders in the production of premium quality nickel base superalloys for both static and rotating aerospace and land-based gas turbine applications. Our facilities are accredited to the most recent release of the rigorous Aerospace Standard, AS9100 Revision D. Our Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM) furnace is our primary melting process, and at 45,000 pounds capacity makes it among the largest in the world. In addition to servicing cast and wrought billet applications, we also produce premium-quality re-melt alloys for powder applications. SMC's cold finishing facility includes conditioning equipment for billet and bar surface preparation (ground or peeled). Billet and bar surfaces are finished to meet all varieties of customer specifications and inspection criteria. SMC conducts a variety of non-destructive tests on our product including penetrant inspection and contact and immersion sonic inspection to ensure compliance to all of our customer specifications. Our immersion sonic inspection system for billet is among the newest in the world.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities   

• Calibrate all equipment under the responsibility of the Instrument Department, maintain the calibration schedule and properly record calibration data per Special Metals Corporation procedures.

• Interpret and analyze abnormalities in instrumentation and, using general procedures, correct deviations and make necessary repairs.

• Aid Maintenance in location problems such as: troubleshooting complex electrical systems, motor drives, hydraulic controls, rectifiers, power supplies and water cooling systems. The Instrument Technician’s expertise in these areas is important to ensure that equipment downtime is minimized.

• Maintain leak detectors and assist leaking checking when Maintenance or Production has difficulty. Leak detectors are precise and delicate instruments that require the Instrument Technician to clean and tune on a continual basis.

• Perform temperature surveys on heat treat ovens. This involves working with Maintenance and Production to prepare the oven, execute the survey and recording the temperature data per SMC procedures.

• Install new or modify existing instrumentation and equipment as directed by the Instrument Supervisor, Facilities Engineers and/or under the guidance of the Instrument Specialist.

• Layout and construct electronic circuits working from schematics and, if necessary, make modifications to enable the circuit to function properly.

• Troubleshoot electronic, pneumatic and hydraulic equipment down to the component level.

• Maintenance and operation knowledge of computers and programmable logic controllers. At times the technician may be required to load or verify programs on this equipment.

• Answer questions and/or instruct personnel on the use and operation of new instruments and control equipment installed by the Instrument Department.

• Interpret recording devices and meter indications for an operator or foreman to assist in the decision related to equipment problems.

• Provide overall technical and service support to all SMC production, processing or research equipment as directed by the Instrumentation Supervisor, Engineering, and/or under the guidance of the Instrument Specialist.

• Maintain the daily log to document instrumentation work and to insure continuity of work between the shifts.

• Maintain a safe working area, promote and implement good housekeeping practices.

• In addition to these duties, the Instruments Specialists shall have the following accountabilities:
  • Perform periodic calibration of secondary standards traceable to NIST and record calibrations per SMC procedures.
  • Design modifications to improve existing equipment and provide updated documentation to Engineering
  • Maintenance understanding of new equipment and technology as it is applied in the plant. This includes equipment such as computes, machine controls, and instruments.
  • Develop and write software for programmable logic controllers as directed by Engineering.
  • Install new equipment as directed by the Instrumentation Supervisor or Engineering.
  • Oversee the Instrument Department when the Instrument Supervisor is not present. This includes planning and scheduling work for the Instrument Technicians.

 Desired Skills  

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.