Process Support Technician | Primient

About Primient

Primient is a century old company with an entrepreneurial spirit. We are a leading producer of food and industrial ingredients made from plant-based, renewable sources. We deliver value through deep technical, commercial, and operational excellence that is backed by our long-standing corn wet milling heritage. Wherever we are in the process, from field to customer, our priorities are focused on ensuring we produce the safest, highest quality products through practices that uphold both our responsibility and commitments to the challenge and drive for excellence, our people and our planet. We are a privately held company with locations across the US, Mexico, Poland, and Brazil. We’re investing in our plants and people to unlock our potential in the industrial and food sectors. Guided by our values of Safety, Excellence, Integrity, and Growth, we’re focused on growing our business, our reputation, and the career of every teammate.

Process Support Technician– the need to know

Filter Leaf Building: Remove old wearing parts and replace with new.

• Remove outer band and hub band.
• Remove cloth.
• Inspection of wearing parts:
  • Inspect the hub (flat sealing surfaces, not cracked or deformed, keyway looks good, correct thickness.
  • Inspect the core board (warped, cracked, splintered or deformed, keyway intact).
  • Inspect poly mesh (brittle, worn, broken or torn).
  • Inspect rubber seals (dry or brittle, cracked, deformed, smoothness).
• Replace any part that needs replacement:
  • Be sure to check thickness of assembled hub is 3” all the way around.
  • Mesh needs to be trimmed to not overlay the outer rubber seal.
  • Hub rubber seal cannot protrude past the sealing face of the hub.
• Install new cloth onto the hub (hub collar cannot extend past the sealing surface of the hub).
• Install hub band clamp to hold cloth in place, stretch the cloth over the core board and outer seal.
• Flip the leaf over and repeat previous two steps.
• Place the outer band around the leaf and tighten down.
• Load leaf into the transport rack.

Filter Rebuild: Removing spent leaves, inspection, install new leaves.

• Blind the filter (10” blind, 6” blind, two 4” blinds, and possibly more if DB&B leaks by). The 10” and 6” are the most difficult and will require at least two people.
• Open the door and rinse the inside of the filter (drain water out).
• Remove bolts on the sluice header and turn header counterclockwise and resecure.
• Remove shaft nut; reverse thread (i.e. turn clockwise to loosen)
• Remove forward bearing assembly and bracing arm.
• Remove each leaf one by one until you get to the center bearing assembly.
• Remove center bearing assembly.
• Remove remaining leaves.
• Inspect the filter:
  • Inspect sluice nozzles for blockage or wear; replace as necessary.
  • Inspect sluice bar rollers; replace as necessary.
  • Inspect lining material -report damage.
  • Inspect rear shaft bearing -report damage.
  • Inspect the center hanger -ensure smooth, clean surfaces; replace bearing if necessary.
  • Inspect the forward hanger -smooth sealing surfaces; replace bearing if necessary.
  • Replace nuts, bolts and hangers when needed.
• Once the filter internals are deemed worthy of operation, load new leaves:
  • Load the leaf onto the shaft; line up the keyway and slide leaf all the way to the back.
  • Ensure leaves are lining up correctly with the sluice nozzles.
  • Ensure hangers are installed correctly and faces are flush against the leaf hub faces, lock the hangers in place.
  • Ensure correct number of leaves go into the filter.
• After the forward hub assembly has been installed, it is time to tighten the leaf pack using the shaft nut:
  • Have the operator break open the lockbox and unlock the sluice drive. This will stay unlocked assuming no issues when tightening the leaf pack.
  • Loosen the sluice header and rotate clockwise to be in the “operation” position. This may require some tightening of the shaft nut (see next step) to get the sluice bar rollers to roll into place. Resecure the sluice header once it is in the correct position.
  • Tighten the shaft nut by hand, using the shaft nut wrench.
  • When the shaft nut is tight, rotate the shaft 2-3 times using the local switch.
  • Then tighten the shaft nut again; repeat this 3-4 times; until leaves are fully compressed.
• Ensure there are clean surfaces on the filter door and the sealing ring. Install a new door gasket; this can be tricky and may require additional help.
• Close the door of the filter without damaging the leaves (this can be tricky as well).
• Line up the filter door and pull it towards the sealing ring. May require adjusting the swing bolt.
• Install two T-bolts, across from each other, keeping them loose so the door can move a little bit.
• Install the remaining T-bolts, shifting the door so that they all line up with their respective receivers.
• Tighten all T-bolts evenly, maintaining even pressure on the door gasket and ensure the door gasket does not get pinched or protrudes from the filter door sealing surfaces. (The door will then need to be tightened again once it has been brought back online.)
• Remove the blinds (10” blind, 6” blind, two 4” blinds) and secure the flanges, replacing gaskets as needed. The 10” and 6” are the most difficult and will require at least two people.

Isom & Epim Columns: cleaning and prepping

Once an isom or epim column has been unloaded by the operator, it needs to be opened, inspected, cleaned and re-caulked (if there is a screen).

• Blind the isom column per the SOP, including disconnecting the nitrogen inlet.
• Open the bottom door of the isom column
• Vacuum the resin out of the column (if a large column, be sure to get between all the laterals)
• Once issued a CSE permit, enter the column and remove old caulk.
• Inspect that the nitrogen inlets are clear and not plugged.
• Install new caulk around every bolt head and at the support joints. Ensure no gaps to loose resin.
• Replace door gasket material and re-install door.
• Pull blinds and re-connect nitrogen line.

Microfiltration Membranes: Removing spent membranes, replacing with new

• Once the membranes that will be changed have been sweetened off and drained, steps can be taken to remove them.
• Remove all end caps on the north end of the banks that will be changed (usually 20 ea. 8” caps).
• Remove all end caps on the south end of the banks that will be changed (usually 20 ea. 8” caps and 20 ea. 1” permeate lines).
• Using manually or mechanical pusher, push the old membranes out of the tubes. Each tube has 3 membranes separated by star shaped spacers. Remove the spacers and keep for later.
• Once all membranes have been removed, replace all the o-rings on the spacers that were saved.
• Install 3 new membranes of the correct size (80 mil or 100 mil) into each tube, while adding the star spacers between each membrane. Use caution to not pinch or damage the o-rings. Use glycerin for lubrication.
• Install the south end caps onto the tubes, reconnecting the 1” permeate lines as you go.
• Install the north end caps onto the tubes, ensuring the mechanical spacer is set to the correct depth and dead center of the star spacer.
• Tighten all flanges and check for leaks when bringing system back online.
• Empty dumpsters and dispose of old membranes and packing material.

Dumping Chemicals

• Dump bleach in the appropriate tank, when necessary, using a fork truck to elevate and tilt the tote to remove all residual chemical. Taking empty tote to Old Stores.
• Dump surfactant in the appropriate tank, when necessary, using a fork truck to elevate and tilt the tote to remove all residual chemical. Taking empty tote to Old Stores.
• Staging calcium pallets on pallet lift for teams, as needed.
• Staging chemicals at Cooling Tower if necessary.

Miscellaneous

• Empty process trash cans
• Empty process dumpsters
• Building GMP
• Unloading various truck deliveries (i.e. resins, chemicals, membranes, etc.)
• Staging materials in the correct areas (1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th floors) using a fork truck and the freight elevator to move between floors.
• Receiving and stocking of materials delivered from Stores.
• Restocking of empty filter bag cans (knowing which bags go where).
• Leading teams in assistance for membrane changes, garnet washing, garnet loading and quartz loading.
• Daily Track List (list of all railroad cars on our tracks)
• 4th floor clean-up. (Removal of all empty resin totes, empty chemical totes, discard old unused pallets, sweep floors, etc.)
• Various other duties, as required by process needs.

Skill blocks: the more you learn, the more you earn: At Primient we pay you to upskill through a system of learning and development called “skill blocks”. Gaining new skills blocks leads to pay enhancements and helps you to advance on our structured Technician Career Path. Over time, you can develop into a subject matter expert – designing improvements to the processes you run every day. 

ABOUT YOU

• Associates Degree or higher preferred with minimum of a High School Diploma or equivalent
• 3-5 years of industrial manufacturing experience preferred.
• Rotating shift experience preferred.
• Must be able to demonstrate basic mathematics, reading comprehension, and problem solving skills. All candidates are evaluated using the WorkKeys Test.

Physical Requirements

This position requires the ability to safely perform the following tasks:

• Lifting of up to 55 pounds without mechanical assistance.
• Climb a vertical ladder up to 15ft
• Climb several flights of stairs, several times a shift
• Stand for up to 1 hour without sitting
• Bending and twisting motion at the waist and knees
• Ability to work a rotating shift schedule with the flexibility to work alternate schedules as needed.
• Our facility is 100% tobacco free, no exceptions. This includes vapes, smokeless, etc.

Total Rewards

Starting pay of $66,361.25 annually + overtime with opportunity to advance with our pay for skill system.

We offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package that our U.S. colleagues and their families can count on, which includes:

• Competitive Pay​

• Multiple Healthcare plan choices​

• Dental and vision insurance​

• A 401(k) plan with company and matching contributions ​

• Short- and Long-Term Disability​

• Life, AD&D, and Voluntary Insurance plans​

• Paid holidays & vacation​

• Floating days off​

• Parental leave for new parents​

• Employee resource groups​

• Learning & development programs​

• Fun culture where you have an opportunity in shaping our future

Career Path & Culture

Primient is committed to a workplace that is all in – ensuring everyone has the opportunity to develop and shape a career that matters in an open culture which embraces equity, diversity and belonging. We challenge old ways of thinking; and encourage employee voices to be a guiding force for ongoing learning. ​

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Primient supports a culture of inclusion that respects individual strengths, views, and experiences. We believe our differences make better decisions, drive excellence, and deliver better business results. Primient employees experience autonomy and accountability in their role. Here, employees control their destiny as there is opportunity for career growth and pathways outside the norm.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

We are believers in the power of difference. We strive to represent the communities in which we operate and to provide an inclusive, welcoming environment for all. We want Primient to be a place where every employee feels they belong and knows they are seen, heard, valued and safe to speak up. Our aspiration is to unlock the full potential in diverse perspectives, while offering everyone an equal chance to grow,

Primient is an equal opportunity employer, committed to the strength of an inclusive workforce.

California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA")

The Company is committed to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) and all data privacy and laws in the jurisdictions in which it recruits and hires employees. We collect the following categories of personal information for the purpose of hiring the best qualified applicants and to comply with applicable employment laws: Name and contact information; Job preference and work availability; Social Security Number and/or other identification information; Education and qualifications; Employment history and experience; Military service; Reference and background check information, including relevant criminal history and credit history; Social media information; Pre-employment test results; Post-offer medical examination information and results, including drug test results; Voluntary self-disclosure information regarding minority, veteran, and disability status; and Information provided by you during the hiring process.