What Should a Construction Technician Learn to Become a Production Technician in a Chemical Company (2nd Edition)
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Thank you for the guidance from all the experts in the previous post. After a month of the resignation process, and after returning home to rest for a couple of days, I went ahead with the onboarding procedures. Today is the fourth day of my employment here, and I’ve gained some understanding of the place. This is an under-construction project in the field of oil chemical manufacturing; the main raw material used is palm oil, which is hydrolyzed to produce glycerin, C16, C18, etc. Through further processing, these substances are turned into various household chemicals. I only know some basic procedures; I haven’t yet mastered the more detailed ones. Another person who arrived on the same day as me (with 9 years of experience in the chemical industry) was assigned to another fully operational plant (similar to the project under construction) to learn there. I also wanted to apply to go there, but my supervisor kept me on the project, taking into account my construction experience. (The manager asked me about my future plans: whether I wanted to focus on construction, move on to work in the company’s engineering department, or switch from construction to process management.) After giving it some thought, I replied, “Change the process.” ) After completing the corporate culture training and the three-level safety training, I received my first task from my supervisor: to study the company’s engineering management documents. As it is a foreign-owned company, the engineering documents are very comprehensive (it’s my first time working with such a client, so I have no basis for comparison; this is purely my personal opinion). However, it’s clear that they are somewhat outdated, with some standards using older versions – it seems these documents have been around for some time already. Due to the foreign companies involved, the engineering standards used by these enterprises are all based on ASME standards. I checked the original standards, and they are all in English; I’m truly sorry for the inconvenience. However, there is a note stating that this document will be included in the contract; it is likely something similar to a technical agreement, and it is valid. (After all, in my previous work in construction I never paid attention to corporate standards; I only carried out tasks as requested by the client, and any additional work required approval through a visa process: lol) The employees on this project are basically assigned to a certain supervisor (one supervisor oversees one workshop). When I asked my boss which supervisor I should work under, he said, “You don’t need to be assigned yet.” A bit lonely :'( This is the current situation—I just follow my supervisor’s instructions and proceed step by step. If you all have some time, I would be extremely grateful if you could give me, a newcomer to the field of chemistry, some comments and guidance.
It’s difficult to transition from construction work to process engineering. Construction technicians just need to follow the blueprints and be familiar with the relevant standards; there are established rules for things like the volume of work involved. However, those working in process engineering need to have a deeper understanding of material properties, reaction mechanisms, and chemical principles. Even small fluctuations in flow rate or pressure can have significant implications for the entire process and involve many different devices. It takes several years of experience to be able to draw conclusions from subtle details and understand complex situations
With experience in construction management, it is recommended to pursue a career in engineering management within the factory, as this offers better prospects than working as a production technician； This can also be seen from the leader’s work arrangements.
It’s hard to change careers; once you do, face it positively.
It’s hard to change careers; once you do, face it positively.
Since things have changed, respond positively, study hard and ask questions frequently – there will surely come a day when you shine!
It makes sense; since I’m worried about how things will develop in the future, I’d better focus on doing well at the present moment first, and see what happens
This feels a bit like crossing industries; it’s necessary to start from scratch
It’s actually about different types of industries. Before, when I looked at flow diagrams, all I saw were pipes and valves; now, when looking at such diagrams, I need to understand what the medium involved is, as well as the temperature and pressure, what each branch does, how heat exchange takes place, the reaction mechanisms, and the reactions that occur inside the equipment. I don’t understand any of this :(