By Katelyn Waltemyer, Jackson Newspapers
RAVENSWOOD, W.Va. — When Brian McCallie’s kids ask him what he does at Constellium, he tells them he puts metal through a colossal pasta press.
It’s actually a cold rolling mill, and there’s only one other like it in the U.S., but it’s the same principle as a pasta press. As aluminum travels through the mill, it’s thinned.
Constellium had gotten its money’s worth out of its 1950s era mill — now, after five years, it has made appropriate updates to it. The company celebrated its modernized $9.5 million 144-inch cold rolling mill Monday, Nov. 8.
Humming filled the plant as the updated mill turned on. People peered around the corner of the cream-painted machine as it was milling a piece of aluminum.
McCallie, director of manufacturing, smiled the whole time he talked about the updated machinery. The mill itself will not create any new jobs, but McCallie said it will increase employee morale by making tasks easier to complete and more accurate to customer requests…