On 21 February the eleven trainees at Fritzmeier Technology left for Linz with their instructor Tobias Erlacher. Their destination was the Linz steel works of Voestalpine, and their goal was to learn more about how steel is made. After getting themselves installed in the youth hostel, they went to a pizzeria in downtown Linz to enjoy a relaxed evening.
The next day started with breakfast at the hostel, followed by a quick spot of football to kick the day off right. At 10:30 they left for the Voestalpine steel works.
On arrival they took a 90 minute tour through the plant museum. A guide told them all about the history of the company, the raw materials needed to make steel, and the products that the plant turns out, particularly the company’s special steels.
At 13:00 they boarded a bus for a guided tour of the 5 km² factory grounds. The first stop was the largest of the three blast furnaces. After a short walk they got a direct look into the interior of the blast furnace. A short bus ride brought them to the next production step, steel girder rolling. After the end of the tour they departed for the return trip to Grosshelfendorf.
Our special thanks go to company management, who made it possible for tomorrow’s skilled workers to take this interesting and informative field trip
