So that technology never stands still
Siegfried Augustin has been working for Kuhn Special Steel since 1998. As a highly experienced Head of Design, he is not just familiar with the company’s plant machinery; he also has a special eye for detail, and it shows in his photos. Continue reading
One example of this is his picture entitled Getting the ladle to reignite, which shows a member of the repair and maintenance team and his efforts to relight the ladle in the foundry. This takes place in the course of the casting process, and is used to heat up the ladles before they are filled with molten stainless steel at a temperature of 1,250°C. The sight of the man looking directly into the camera, coupled with the workaday atmosphere conveyed by the open control box, is what makes this image particularly attractive.
The photographer’s presentation of the scene draws the viewer’s attention to what is an indispensable, albeit not always obvious, part of the work carried out at Kuhn Special Steel: the tireless efforts of the company’s maintenance department. The seventeen members of the team concerned constantly tour the plant facility throughout the working day, making their essential contribution to the smooth running of the production process. Their interventions range from “minor” repairs and maintenance tasks to major operations that involve the relocation of machinery to a different site. The team always ensures that everything runs to plan. The maintenance department also plays a vital role when it comes to the development of new machines. Given that Kuhn Special Steel’s centrifugal casting machines in particular were designed, developed and built in-house, continuous quality assurance relies on the constant presence of proper professionals on the assembly line. Our picture for the month of May provides a small insight into this area of work.
The Kuhn calendar initiative, a creative project carried out jointly with the painter Cindy Kuhn-Chuang and employees of Kuhn Special Steel, aims to capture photographic impressions of our working environment.
A snapshot of the photographer
Name:
Siegfried Augustin
Since when have you been working for the company?
since 1998
What do you do there?
Head of Design
How and when did you take up photography as a hobby?
I was encouraged by my mother’s second husband, who, as a young man in his thirties, drove his little two-seater Opel through the local countryside, photographing landscapes and people as he went. This was in 1974.
What kind of camera do you use?
I currently use an Olympus OM-D E10 II and an Olympus Pen E-PL8.
What are your favourite subjects?
Technology, architecture, and travel.
Photos: lessingtiede