Since its inception in 2010, Qatalum has always supported educational efforts aimed at developing its staff. Ten staff of Qatalum sponsored by the company are pursuing their studies at CNA-Q.
Below are some of the students who are in final year and working on their Capstone (final) project at CNA-Q:-
Misfer Al-Qahtani from Carbon is studying Electrical Engineering Technology, Ghanim Yaqoob from Technical is pursuing Mechanical Engineering Technology, Khalid Mohd Al Maraghi from Reduction is studying Chemical Processing Technology and Saoud Hassan Al Abdallah from Carbon is completing Chemical Processing Technology.
In September 2017, Qatalum's Qatarization and Development department received an email from Misfer's Professor Mr. Ovaise Murtuza, requesting Qatalum to help Misfer do his final project at his department (Carbon) because, this would allow Misfer to apply the theoretical knowledge he acquired at CNA-Q on real-life scenarios and help him develop his problem-solving skills.
After carefully considering the request, Carbon department offered Misfer three projects to choose from, of which he chose to study the possibility of monitoring the bearing integrity of the Rhodax crusher at the Carbon Paste Plant. During his time at Qatalum, Misfer collected and analyzed information, researched and studied processes, and further tested his latest ideas and hypothesis using the resources at his disposal.
On Sunday, 25 March 2018, Misfer Al-Qahtani presented his final findings to the Q&D department, CNA-Q's professors and Carbon paste plant team at Qatalum's training center. The project titled, "The Feasibility of Monitoring the Bearing Integrity of the Rhodax Crusher (E20)", looked at ways to address issues arising from the machine's unplanned failures in 2017. Al-Qahtani prioritized the online bearing monitoring system as key to resolving breakdown issues resulting in downtime of up to 24 hours.
In his findings, Al-Qahtani suggested that a robust sensor be installed on all four bearings of the Rhodax Crusher. He also presented a suitable prototype that would both address the concerns and work in the harsh Carbon environment. The prototype would provide real time data that would help in alerting operations before a failure occurs.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. AbdulHalim Al-Bader Qatarization & Development manager said, "This is the first graduate batch from CNA-Q and we hope to develop more nationals to contribute to Qatalum's operational excellence and support the development of the Aluminum industry in Qatar".
Sunil Bhajun Paste Plant Manager commended Al-Qahtani and indicated that, the problem was discussed in details with Misfer, who took up the challenge of finding an economical solution.
Prof. Ovaise Murtuza from CNA-Q t noted that, Misfer spent a lot of time and effort on his project and succeeded in achieving his goal.
Ms. Samah Gamar Vice President, Academic, congratulated Misfer, and expressed her appreciation that he was also one of the best students of CNA-Q. In addition she believes Misfer has the potential to go further in his education.
Mr. Rogerio Moiane, Carbon Plant Sr. Reliability Engineer who was mentoring Misfer at various stages of the project, said, "This project is a major milestone in improving the reliability of the Rodhax Crusher which is a critical component of Paste Plant operations."
