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Harold Bushfield
Alcoa
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“There are benefits to participation, such as personal growth as an engineer and company growth through the relationships forged with engineers at other companies and organizations.” |
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Who is your current employer and what is your current position? |
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I work for Alcoa, in Alcoa Center, Pa., as a senior specification specialist. |
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Where did you obtain your undergraduate/ graduate degree(s) and in what fields? |
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I received my B.S. in metallurgical engineering from Michigan Technological University in Houghton and an M.B.A. from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. |
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When and why did you become involved in ASTM International? |
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In 1995, I began working for Reynolds Metals Company as a standards engineer. My mentor at Reynolds was the chair of ASTM Committee B07 on Light Metals and Alloys, and he led me into ASTM. |
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In which committees are you active? Are you a committee officer; if so, what group or groups? |
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I am chair of ASTM Subcommittee B07.03 on Aluminum Alloy Wrought Products, which is part of B07, and I serve as a member B07; B07.01 on Aluminum Alloy Ingots and Castings; B07.05 on Testing; B07.09, the U.S. TAG National Committee for ISO/TC 79 on Light Metals and Alloys; and Committees E07 on Nondestructive Testing and G01 on Corrosion of Metals. |
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How do you apply ASTM standards in your work? |
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We write specifications for testing, processing and casting aluminum. When aluminum products are sold, they are normally sold according to an ASTM, ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) or SAE-AMS (Society of Automotive Engineers-Aerospace Material Specifications) material specification that specifies the chemical composition limits, the minimum mechanical properties and the minimum corrosion properties of the material. These material specifications normally refer to ASTM test methods that spell out how the testing must be done to meet the material specification requirements. Then, when the material is shipped to the customer, it is normally stamped with the appropriate material specification designation, and a certificate of compliance, which guarantees compliance with the material specification, is sent to the customer along with the material. Using this system, the customer can purchase aluminum products from many companies, with each shipment meeting the same high levels of quality. |
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Apart from using standards, are there advantages to participating in standards development? |
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There are other benefits to participation, such as personal growth as an engineer and company growth through the relationships forged with engineers at other companies and organizations. |
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What are some of your favorite aspects of your job? |
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I particularly enjoy working with others on common issues, traveling to ASTM committee weeks, and the feeling of accomplishment when we complete our work on a particular specification. |
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Are there advantages that you can identify that result from having an understanding of standards? |
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Such knowledge has been a good thing for me because there are not many people that understand standards, and I have enjoyed a level of job security that I did not have in earlier positions. |
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Are there any words of wisdom that you can offer to professionals starting out in your field? |
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Writing specifications is not for everyone, but if a person is detail-oriented, has some writing skills and some people skills, standards is a rewarding work area. Of course, if the individual also knows the product, he or she will be even more successful in the field of standards and specifications.
2005
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