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rior to 1996 at Benton Foundry, iron was melted in a cupola. This non-water cooled, coke-fired unit was limited to around 55 tons per day and could only operate one shift per day. At the end of the shift, the doors at the bottom would be opened, dropping out the remaining coke, iron, slag and limestone. The area would be cooled and cleaned up. Every night a crew would reline the inside with refractory, close the doors, install a sand bed above the doors and start the melting process all over again. The operation required a three-man charging crew, cupola tender and two more at night, to reline and prep.

Today, Benton Foundry melts with medium frequency electric induction furnaces. These furnaces, built by Inductotherm, have capacity to melt 300 tons per day and can operate 24 hours per day. The furnaces have load cells and fiber optic controls, providing much improved chemistry and temperature control. The furnaces also have demand control technology to monitor and control our electricity consumption. Today’s system only requires a crane operator and furnace operator on each shift.

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pioid addiction is a long-lasting (chronic) disease that can cause major health, social, and economic problems. Opioids are a class of drugs that act in the nervous system to produce feelings of pleasure and pain relief. Some opioids are legally prescribed by healthcare providers to manage severe and chronic pain. Commonly prescribed opioids include oxycodone,
fentanyl, buprenorphine, methadone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, codeine and morphine. Some other opioids, such as heroin, are illegal drugs of abuse. Opioid addiction is characterized by a powerful, compulsive urge to use opioid drugs, even when they are no longer required medically. Opioids have a high potential for causing addiction in
some people, even when the medications are prescribed appropriately and taken as directed. Many prescription opioids are misused or diverted to others. Individuals who become addicted may prioritize getting and using these drugs over other activities in their lives, often negatively impacting their professional and personal relationships. It is unknown why some people are more likely to become addicted than others.

Opioids change the chemistry of the brain and lead to drug tolerance, which means that over time the dose needs to be increased to achieve the same effect. Taking opioids over a long period of time produces dependence, such that when people stop taking the drug, they have physical and psychological symptoms of withdrawal (such as muscle cramping, diarrhea and anxiety).

Dependence is not the same thing as addiction; although everyone who takes opioids for an extended period will become dependent, only a small percentage also experience the compulsive, continuing need for the drug that characterizes addiction.

Opioid addiction can cause life-threatening health problems, including the risk of overdose. Overdose occurs when high doses of opioids cause breathing to slow or stop, leading to unconsciousness and death if the overdose is not treated immediately. Both legal and illegal opioids carry a risk of overdose if a person takes too much of the drug or if opioids are combined with other drugs.

Misuse of prescription opioids and heroin affects more than 2 million Americans and an estimated 15 million people worldwide each year. The prevalence of opioid misuse and addiction is rapidly increasing. In 2016, more than 20,000 deaths in the United States were caused by an overdose of prescription opioids and another 13,000 deaths resulted from heroin overdose. Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death in U.S. adults under age 50 and opioids account for more than half of all drug overdose deaths.

Opioid addiction is a complex disorder, and non-genetic factors also play a critical role. It is likely that a combination of health, social, economic and lifestyle factors interact with genetic factors to determine an individual’s risk.
Reprinted from Genetics Home Reference:
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/opioid-addiction
PA Get Help Now Hotline 1-800-662-4357

Congratulations to Amanda Hartman (above), Benton Foundry’s 1st shift Employee of the Quarter.
Amanda is also our 1st Shift Employee of the Year!

Amanda works in our Core Room as an Assistant Supervisor. She earned her Associate Degree in Applied Science in Automated Manufacturing Technology from Penn College while working as a core assembler. She has been employed since 2011. Amanda lives outside of Benton with her daughter Payton. She enjoys spending time with her daughter and their animals when she isn’t working.

Congratulations to Ray Campbell (below), Benton Foundry’s 2nd shift Employee of the Quarter.

Ray has been employed at the Foundry since 2010. He currently works in our Melt Department. Ray is both a Crane and Furnace Operator. He has also poured iron and worked in our Grinding Room as a Cleaner Operator. Ray lives in Benton and he enjoys hunting and working on cars and trucks in his spare time.

Congratulations to Tyler Hartman (left), Benton Foundry’s 2nd & 3rd Shift Employee of the Year!

Tyler works in our Maintenance Department. He has been a Maintenance Technician since 2017. Prior to 2017, Tyler worked in our Melt Department and has been employed since 2010. While in the Melt Department, Tyler was an Iron Pourer, Furnace Operator and an Assistant Supervisor. Tyler and his wife Kristy live outside of Lairdsville, with their daughter Peyton. Tyler enjoys spending time with his family, woodworking and riding ATVs in his spare time.