That is what every plant relies on: what its most experienced staff can do. The same is true at the joint-stock company "Surmin-Kaolin".
In the 1960s, when the first production began, everything depended on cutting into the deposit. It was then that Mieczysław Antoniuk saw a KWK-106 bucket-wheel excavator for the first time. Today, he recalls with sentiment that things were easier back then because the excavator was new, but nobody had any experience either. Mr Mieczysław proudly looks out over the four-level pit... how much of that raw material has been extracted over thirty years...
And once we had the first level and the plant started operating, water appeared. Jan Szewczyk, one of the oldest pump operators, recalls the first steps in controlling the element. After all, he can cope with more than just water. The mine veteran has worked in every type of job, obtained operator qualifications for all the machines in the mine, and knows very well that water is nevertheless the most important thing. If you do not pump it out in time and in the required quantity... you are finished.
All true, but the deposit is compact and does not surrender easily, says one of the most experienced blasting miners – Antoni Dubiel. He has been blasting for over 25 years. "If you blast properly, sir, the extracted material is loose, there are no loading problems, and everything goes well in further processing too." Blasting is very responsible and dangerous work. Here, a miner makes a mistake only once in his life, Mr Antoni says proudly, pointing to the perfectly blasted levels.
The raw material is only the beginning of the work. You cannot sell the raw material itself, no matter how good it is, reminds us one of the best flotation plant operators, Mr Rudolf Janeczko. For more than 30 years he has been classifying kaolin suspensions, but today, truth be told, they have never had kaolins like these. New times require constantly acquiring new skills.
Mr Franciszek Kożuch is responsible for refining kaolins. "In the old days, such things were done only at institutes. But today, sir, it accounts for almost half of production; it is hard to believe how much things have changed."
Antoni Skiba was still a young man when he installed the most modern English drying and grinding plant of its time. Little of the English equipment remains, but Mr Antoni's experience is different today as well. The plant developed over the years is no longer as efficient as it was twenty years ago. And Mr Antoni Skiba believes he will still live to see a new one.
We meet Janusz Sołoniewicz by the packaging equipment. "Sir, the world seems to have turned upside down. For so many years kaolin was poured into coal wagons and everything was fine. Today, the customer expects miracles from us: bags, big bags, each with its own documentation, everything arranged on pallets and wrapped in film. They did not even pack sweets that way before..."
"They would not have achieved anything if repairs had not been carried out systematically," comments one of the oldest and best welders, Mr Józef Burdyna, proudly. Producing is no great feat when the machines are in working order and everything runs smoothly (!).
"By itself, the only things that flash and thunder are lightning and storms," the electricians interject sarcastically. Mr Stanisław Engel has maintained the power supply for the entire plant for more than 30 years. "The power supply and control systems are different now, more reliable and safer in operation, but we are still far from modernity. We still have a great deal to do," says Piotr Szpila, the electricians' shift supervisor. The history of the plant is the story of his life. He has held every position, from assistant to supervisory staff member; the power system—the enterprise's circulatory network—is in his hands and does not fail.
And that is how it is: everyone here is important, and that is the truth. Important because without them none of this would keep turning. There would be no kaolin.