A day in the life of… Steve Freitas

Designing and developing customised valve and actuation technology that meets often highly challenging customer requirements is no easy task. It means building long-term partnerships with customers in key industries like power generation, marine and oil and gas and understanding the unique requirements and challenges of such vital sectors.

At IMI, we specialise in creating customised actuator and valve solutions to operate safely and successfully in the most demanding environments and by working closely with our customers. We build relationships based on trust so that we can fully understand our customer’s specific goals and deliver cutting-edge technology and services that generate lasting partnerships.

Successful products and services depend on excellent research, development, and testing. Steve Freitas, IMI Research and Development Director, is one of our many senior engineering experts responsible for leading the development of groundbreaking solutions like 3D printed DRAG® valve parts. With many years of experience in design engineering, project management, inside sales and research and development, Steve has collaborated with customers worldwide, developing a range of solutions for the power, marine and oil and gas industries. We recently met with him to discuss his role and working day.

Career at a glance:

What does a typical working day look like for you?

I tend to work on projects that are either very unusual or aren’t yet well defined. I enjoy learning about the application and the customer needs and helping to find solutions. One of the things I have learned over the years is that it is very important to understand the risks and consequences of those risks. This helps me understand the potential scope of the solution and the validation needed to ensure that a solution works as expected. My projects can come from anywhere. Sometimes, I will get a call or an email from a customer or a sales colleague. For example, we received an enquiry for a crude oil letdown application for a refinery in Texas, which was very interesting. I worked with our engineering team and spent a lot of time on the phone listening to the customer and trying to understand how we could help. We devised a custom-engineered DRAG® solution and provided a detailed presentation he could share with his colleagues. We ended up winning two orders with this plant, which was a breakthrough for us.

Sometimes, I will get called into a meeting to review something unusual. In the past year, I have worked on the design of 3D-printed plugs for the SteamJet high-pressure steam conditioning valve with DRAG trim. This design eliminated difficult weld overlay processes, dramatically reduced production time, and reduced weight, making the parts safer to handle. I helped the Retrofit3D team create a “square” disk stack. They needed to 3D print a disk stack with a 450mm outside diameter on a machine that had a 400mm square build tray and asked me for ideas. I suggested that they inscribe the 450mm outside diameter inside the 400mm square and arrange the passages in the thicker sections. Recently, I worked on a project to build our first 3D printed Tungsten Carbide disk stacks. We had to overcome many process challenges on this project, and these parts are now undergoing field trials in Alaska and Canada. I am also working with another of IMI’s US facilities and our R&D team in the Americas to make a 100% 3D printed valve prototype for the marine sector.

IMI CCI SteamJet plugs 3D printed with INC 718 are faster and easier to produce than traditional plugs with F91 and Stellite overlay.

Do you have a particular morning routine?

Most days I get up at around 4:30am and head out for a swim. I find that starting the morning with fresh air and friends sets me up well for the day ahead. We swim for about an hour and then I head back home, take the dog out and grab the paper. I’ll then join some calls as I make my way to the office here at the IMI manufacturing facility in California.

What do you enjoy the most about your role?

There are a few aspects that immediately come to mind. The first is problem-solving – often addressing something that hasn’t been looked at before and coming up with a creative solution. It’s always an exciting process to be a part of and watch unfold.

My role also allows me to interact with customers. I take great pride in building long-term relationships, understanding customers’ challenges, and working toward a solution.

I also enjoy meeting with experts from our industry. In the past year, I have participated in panel discussions and presentations at IVS Bergamo, Valve World Dusseldorf, and the ASTM ICAM conferences. This is a great way to learn about some of the challenges our customers face and to learn about new technologies.

Finally – and most rewarding – is encouraging the growth and development of our new engineers and watching them develop into leaders in their respective fields.

Is there anything you wish people knew about research and development that perhaps they don’t?

What people would be most surprised to hear is that we enjoy failure. Seeing how things fail gives us more information and guides us on how to work better on the next possible solution. It’s all part of the process. We also very much need and appreciate the support of commercial leaders to sponsor the products we eventually bring to market.

Can you tell us about a particularly interesting day at work you’ve had recently?

Last summer, one of our regional sales managers met with a key marine sector customer and asked me to review how we are using 3D printing. Our guest was a technology expert, and we had at least two hours of detailed discussions on designing, applying, and building 3D-printed parts. It is always a great pleasure to talk to other technology experts. This discussion initiated a customer-sponsored R and D project to develop new valve technology for use in the marine sector. We will assemble and test this valve in Spring 2024 and are discussing how we can qualify our design for shipboard trials.

Can you tell us something interesting about your location specifically?

We’re in a pretty unique location here in south California. The ocean is only 12km away, but we also have rugged mountains, farmland, and the desert nearby. The Sierra Nevada mountains are about six hours away. There is a lot to see if you can get out of the office for a day.

Finally, how do you end your day?

The office tends to get much quieter later in the day. I sometimes find it easier to work then and can get quite a lot done. Once everything is wrapped up, I try to unwind by spending time with family, enjoying dinner and occasionally going on a short walk.