The Maintenance and Reliability Technology Committee (MRTC) met in Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 19–21, 2008. The Specialty Training Conference Subcommittee met on the afternoon of the 19th to begin planning for their conference in the fall of 2009. Then, at the meeting of the full MRTC, introductions were exchanged, followed by an explanation of the history and development of the committee. They began with an update on their sessions for AISTech 2009, to be held in St. Louis, Mo., May 4–7, 2009. Chuck Kooistra was elected as the new papers chair. He led the process for selection of papers and development of sessions for the conference. They also planned joint sessions with two other committees within their Technology Division. Colleen Reeves, 2009 Specialty Training Conference Subcommittee chair, updated the committee on the outcome of the subcommittee’s meeting. The plans are to have the conference in northwest Indiana, Sept. 16–18, 2009, and to collaborate with the Northwest Indiana Business Round Table. They were very satisfied with the format of their 2008 conference and decided to expand on this format, which included hands-on workshops. They continue to attempt to get operators, in addition to maintenance personnel, more involved with their conference. They also added more people to assist with the subcommittee efforts. The MRTC then reviewed the timeline and responsibilities for the 2009 Reliability Achievement Awards, particularly with respect to the earlier date of May 31, 2009, as the deadline for receiving entries. Additional members were also solicited to participate on this subcommittee, especially to assist with the audits. Ms. Reeves, who represented the MRTC at the AIST Leadership Development Conference, updated the group on the activities and outcomes of this meeting. Roger Raab of Nordlock made a presentation on “Bolted Joint Physics, Fastening Methods, and How to Stop Nuts and Bolts From Loosening.” Randy Heisler of Life Cycle Engineering did a presentation on “Justifying Reliability Projects, and Ricky Smith of Allied Reliability did a presentation on asset health. A tour of Alcoa Mt. Holly was included, and the attendees had the opportunity to hear about the procedures used that won them the 2008 Maintenance Excellence Award. Mr. Heisler also extended an invitation to everyone to attend an informal reception at their offices.

The Maintenance and Reliability Technology Committee (MRTC) met Aug. 18–20 in Fort Wayne, Ind. The MRTC has two subcommittees, one for their Specialty Training Conference and one for their Reliability Achievement Award. The Specialty Training Conference Subcommittee (STCS) met first to review the status of their conference. They reviewed registration, the status of the presentations and other details. Follow-up activities were identified to ensure completion of all open issues. Tentative venues for next year’s conference were then discussed, and the STCS decided to look into holding the conference together with a related activity. STCS members were asked to submit ideas for a theme, topics and potential presenters, to be discussed at the next meeting. Following this, the Reliability Achievement Award Subcommittee (RAAS) met to review the audits from this year’s RAA entries. The leader from each of the audit teams presented the audit results, and each member rated every submittal. After the results were tabulated, the gold, silver and bronze award winners were determined. Following this evaluation process, there was discussion on whether any changes were needed to the process. The main suggestion was to change the deadline for submissions to May 31 instead of June 30 to allow the auditors more time to schedule and perform their audits. The following day, both subcommittees provided an update to the entire MRTC. Members were encouraged to support the committee’s Specialty Training Conference within their own companies. To begin preparation for the MRTC’s 2009 activities, additional volunteers were accepted as members of next year’s subcommittees. The benefits of participating in these activities were espoused by both new participants and those who have participated for several years. Plans for AISTech 2009 were discussed, with a review of the available abstracts. Committee members in attendance also offered presentations for 2009. After the AIST business part of the meeting, Tim Stiers of Castrol made a technical presentation on contamination control for hydraulic systems. Vern Martin of Flowcare made a presentation on fan performance issues critical to purchasing retrofit components for new fans. A discussion on NFPA 70E, the standard for electrical safe work practices, was presented by Ed Miltenberger of Siemens. The day’s sessions closed with ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s Mike Keenan’s discussion on maintenance task analysis. On the final day of the meeting, Don Sanger of IVC gave an overview of predictive maintenance basics. A round table discussion was then conducted on items that were being worked on by members and any other current issues. Future meeting locations and agendas were then discussed. The meeting closed and the members attended a tour of the SDI Structural and Rail Division’s new medium section mill, which was arranged and hosted by Bill Bennett of SDI.

The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC) met at AISTech in Pittsburgh on May 6. Their first item was to review the status of the integration plan for the AISI committees, which resulted in this committee becoming the Maintenance and Reliability Technology Committee (MRTC). They then discussed the quality of the presentations they had attended at AISTech 2008. It was recommended that there be two MRTC time slots at AISTech 2009, so that some longer presentations can take a full hour. They also encouraged committee members to attend the MPOC sessions at AISTech 2008, particularly the ones featuring the Reliability Achievement Award. Jim Dunn updated the group on the status of the upcoming Specialty Training Conference that will be held in Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 1–3, 2008, featuring a tour of Nucor Steel–Memphis. He also discussed the trip report that will be a part of this conference, and the chair responsibilities in collecting this information. They then discussed the entries, audit process and timeline for the 2008 Reliability Achievement Award (RAA) and identified a subcommittee to work on the audits of the submissions. New officers were elected for the upcoming year: Jim Dunn as chair, Jason Roche as vice chair, Doyle Hopper as papers chair and Colleen Reeves as Specialty Training Conference chair. After a review and approval of their mission statement, they discussed options and technical presentations for their next meetings and then adjourned.

February 11-12 , 2008 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC) met Feb. 11–12 in Houston, Texas. The meeting began with a tour of TMT, which specializes in bolting technology. Pete Fuller of TMT gave an overview of the company and also a presentation on bolting procedures. This was followed by a tour of the TMT facility and a hands-on demonstration of several bolting methods, including mechanical and hydraulic torquing and tensioning processes. After the tour and a question-and-answer period, a review of the status of the MPOC sessions for AISTech 2008 was held. Session chairs were identified, and there was some discussion about contacting the presenters. This was followed by an update on the upcoming MPOC Specialty Conference, “Modern Maintenance Practices Workshop,” which will be held in Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 1–3 and will include a tour of Nucor Steel Memphis. This conference will have some practical and hands-on aspects in addition to the presentations. Looking forward to AISTech 2009, which will take place in St. Louis, Mo., topics to be included in the MPOC’s Call for Papers were approved. Initial plans for another MPOC meeting in August were made, with the intent to have six technical presentations at the meeting. On Feb. 12, Jerry Oberlander gave an overview of U. S. Steel training and recruiting activities. Jack Nicholas joined via teleconference and gave a presentation on the background and benefits of CMRP. Following this discussion, Carl Casanova spoke on how to avoid “bearing doomsday” through better maintenance practices. A round table discussion followed, focusing on what is going on in the steel industry and what producers need. This also included discussion on what is new in the supplier base. From these discussions, it was identified that there is a gap in leadership training in the steel industry, and a proposal was made to investigate the possibility of AIST initiating a committee to address these types of issues.

October 2 , 2007 - The Reliability Achievement Award Task Force (RAATF) of the Maintenance Processes Operating Committee MPOC) met on Oct. 2 in Birmingham, Ala., prior to the Manufacturing Reliability Specialty Conference. Each of the entries was reviewed and audited by a team of three committee members. During these audits, the teams were able to gather additional information, verify results and discuss the entry with the submitter. One person from each team presented the results of the audit to the other task force members. After all entries were discussed, each task force member voted on the award categories. These results were tabulated, and the winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards were determined. (Refer to page 91 for the results.) When the RAATF meeting concluded, the entire MPOC convened. Last-minute details regarding the Manufacturing Reliability Specialty Conference were reviewed. The committee also discussed the timing of the conference in relation to other industry events, such as the Society for Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP) annual conference. Session chairs and their respective duties were reviewed. Jim Dunn informed the MPOC that the RAA winners had been chosen, and that this information would be shared with the committee once the winners were notified. A review of the status of their sessions for AISTech 2008 in Pittsburgh, Pa., was provided. The fact that openings remain in the program was emphasized, and members were encouraged to look for additional presentations to complete the sessions.

August 22-24 , 2007 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC), its Reliability Achievement Award (RAA) Task Force and its Specialty Conference Task Force met Aug. 22–24 in Merrillville, Ind. The RAA Task Force met and reviewed the entries received for this year’s award. During the review, it was decided that all the entries qualified to be audited, and teams were identified to perform the audits. The RAA Task Force also reviewed the timeline for the award evaluation process and clarified leadership roles. Volunteers were then solicited for the 2008 RAA Task Force. A review of the status of the MPOC’s upcoming Specialty Conferences was provided. Ideas for 2008 Specialty Conferences were discuessed, and it was decided to solicit future presenters at this year’s event. The dates and location were also set as Oct. 1–3, 2008, in Memphis, Tenn. Planning for the MPOC sessions at AISTech 2008, which will be held May 5–8 in Pittsburgh, Pa., then took place. During this planning session, representatives from the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee were in attendance to coordinate sessions between the two Operating Committees to avoid overlap and decide if joint sessions should be held. Technical presentations were made to the committee by Eric Almquist of Star Tool & Die Works Inc. and Ed Miltenberger of Siemens Energy and Automation Inc. Ideas were considered for increasing membership on the committee and increasing producer companies’ representation. From this it was decided to prepare a presentation about the committee’s activities and present it to the attendees at this year’s Specialty Conference.

May 7, 2007 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC) held a meeting in Indianapolis, Ind., in conjunction with AISTech on May 7. They began by reviewing and approving their mission statement: “Support the iron and steel industry by fostering the identification and continuous improvement of reliability and maintenance processes through developing maintenance leadership; enhancing craft skills; partnering production and maintenance for business success; providing professional development and problem-solving opportunities; pursuing and recognizing best practices and methodologies; and promoting the application of predictive maintenance technologies.” Officers were then elected for the upcoming year. Jay James was elected as chair, Jim Dunn as vice chair, Jason Roche as papers chair and Cory Mecham as 2008 Specialty Conference chair. The committee then reviewed the status of the upcoming Specialty Conference on Manufacturing Reliability, to be held in Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 3–5, in collaboration with the AIST Birmingham Member Chapter. The chapter will hold a Managers Round Table in conjunction with the conference. The timeline for AISTech 2008 was reviewed, and members were encouraged to solicit papers for the conference. It was also noted that the deadline for submitting entries for the 2007 Reliability Achievement Award was June 30, and committee members were encouraged to solicit entries. They then discussed items to cover in their joint meeting with the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee (LHOC), in which the two committees would try to coordinate and support each other’s activities. This has worked well for both committees, as they are able to avoid programming during the same times to allow more participation, and they are able to promote and participate in the other’s Specialty Conferences. Before closing the meeting, plans for upcoming meetings were discussed, along with the schedule for reviewing award submissions.

On May 8 in Indianapolis, Ind., a joint meeting of the MPOC and the LHOC was held. This has become a standard meeting between these two committees, so that both committees are aware of the other’s planned activities. They discussed joint programming for future conferences and explored the feasibility of a joint Specialty Conference. It was suggested to have a guest speaker from the LHOC at the Maintenance Specialty Conference, and vice versa, to further blend the groups’ activities. Both committees agreed to distribute the minutes from each meeting to the members of the other committee. They also discussed the consolidation of Technology Division IX — Maintenance and Reliability with Technology Division X — Project and Plant Management. Each committee agreed to provide two or three people to participate in a discussion with Technology Division X members to pursue this, possibly at the next Leadership Conference. Also discussed was the possibility of preparing some smaller, tailor-made training that could be offered at a plant site.

February 28, 2007 - The Specialty Conference Task Force and the Reliability Achievement Award (RAA) Task Force of the Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC) met in Tampa, Fla., on Feb. 28 at the headquarters of General Physics. Most of the time was dedicated to developing the themes, topics and presenters for the Maintenance Specialty Conference, which will be held in Birmingham, Ala., Oct. 3–5. Preferred keynote and dinner speakers were identified. The committee also plans to pursue a collaborative effort with the AIST Birmingham Member Chapter for this conference. The program schedule was outlined, along with contact information for the tentative presenters. Due to time constraints, members of the RAA Task Force briefly discussed the timeline for the Reliability Achievement Awards and reserved further discussion for a meeting on March 1–2.

Following a welcome by the committee chair, Jerry Oberlander, the meeting on March 1 began with an update from the Specialty Conference Task Force, provided by Jason Roche. This was an opportunity for those attending the meeting to offer assistance where needed. The status of the MPOC sessions for AISTech 2007 was reviewed, and papers were volunteered for session slots that were still open. The MPOC confirmed that it will conduct joint programming with the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee in the future. After lunch, Mike Gehloff, director of maintenance and reliability for Gerdau Ameristeel, made a presentation on the company’s reliability program. This was followed by technical presentations by committee members Mark Spease of ITR and Mike Falk of Falk-PLI regarding projects at their companies. The whole group enjoyed continued discussion as they met for dinner. Friday morning, March 2, began with a review of the previous day’s activities and assignments. An update from the AIST Leadership Conference was led by Ed Miltenberger, who represented the MPOC at that meeting. He also presented a plan for changing some of the Technology Division structure and a plan to gain approval for this move. This was followed by the leadership training presentation that Chuck Kooistra had made at the Leadership Conference. Before concluding the meeting, Jim Dunn led an open discussion on “Changing the Work Force to Take More Responsibility for Their Own Safety.”

December 5-6, 2006 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee (MPOC) met Dec. 5–6 in Nashville, Tenn. The meeting began with brief updates on the status of AIST activities. This included discussion on the Reliability Achievement Award and an update on the MPOCsessions for AISTech 2007, including confirming session chairs. Topics for a 2007 Maintenance Processes Specialty Conference were also discussed. Part of this discussion revolved around the shortage of craftsmen and a recent USA Today front-page article on this topic. After AIST business was covered, the meeting turned to its main focus: the exchange of technical ideas and know-how. Ian McKinnon of Reliability Solutions set up a hands-on display and involved committee members with his presentation, “Reliability Services for the Steel Industry.” This was followed by several presentations by committee members, including Chuck Kooistra of General Physics, Ed Miltenberger of Siemens, and Rob Sensel of Dover Hydraulics. The second day, Jerry Oberlander of U. S. Steel led an open discussion on maintenance safety with an update on the U. S. Steel Safety Initiative. The next MPOC meeting will be March 1–2 in Tampa, Fla.

September 26, 2006 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held a meeting in Hamilton, Ont., Canada, on Sept. 26 in conjunction with their specialty conference, “Realize Improved Manufacturing Results: Maintenance Management Systems and Practical Maintenance Techniques.” The committee’s Reliability Achievement Award Task Force and the Specialty Conference Task Force met prior to the main committee meeting and provided updates to the members. The Reliability Achievement Award Task Force reviewed all the entries and the results of their audits and selected the winners (see page 106). The Specialty Conference Task Force provided an update on last-minute items prior to the start of the conference. Also, papers were selected for the maintenance sessions at AISTech 2007 in Indianapolis, Ind., with plans to conduct joint sessions with the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee. Topics and locations for their 2007 specialty conference, and plans for the committee’s last meeting in 2006 were discussed. It was determined that the meeting on Dec. 5–6 in Nashville, Tenn., would emphasize technical exchange so that attendees can gain value via participation.

May 3, 2006 - A joint meeting of the Maintenance Processes Operating Committee and the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee was held on May 3 in Cleveland, Ohio. These two committees meet jointly each year at AISTech to find methods to support each other where needed and to jointly plan their programs to avoid overlap and dilution. They began by discussing the development of a few joint sessions for AISTech 2007. An update was provided from the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee on their plans to support the upcoming Maintenance Processes Operating Committee Specialty Conference, and a reciprocal agreement was updated for support of chapters in the Lubrication Engineers Manual.

May 2, 2006 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee met on May 2 at AISTech 2006 in Cleveland, Ohio. Guidelines for committee officers were discussed prior to officer elections. The status of their Specialty Conference, “Realize Improved Manufacturing Results: Maintenance Management Systems and Practical Maintenance Techniques,” was discussed. This conference will be held in Hamilton, Ont., on Sept. 27–29. Two tours of Dofasco Inc. will take place in conjunction with this conference: one of the hot mill and one of the primary side. The committee is encouraging maintenance personnel and their operating counterparts to jointly participate in this conference, as those who participate in this manner will take the most away from the conference. An update on the timeline and status of submissions for the 2006 Reliability Achievement Award was provided, and committee members were encouraged to prompt their contacts to submit entries.

January 26-27, 2006 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee met in San Antonio, Texas, on Jan. 26–27. The committee worked on their upcoming Specialty Conference, “Operations/Maintenance Partnership: The Road to Process Reliability.” Presenters for their case studies were finalized, along with session chairs and the integration of practical lubrication topics from the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee. Presen¬ tations from the Reliability Achievement Award winners for the past two years were also given. Because the committee’s Specialty Conference was moved from the spring to the fall, the timeline for submission and evaluation of entries was reviewed and updated. The committee also plans to enable entries to be completed online. Presentations and chairs for the sessions at AISTech 2006 were also finalized, including an executive panel discussion on operator maintenance. The afternoon included a tour of SMI Steel–Texas, Seguin, Texas. Since several new members attended this meeting, discussion was initiated on the purpose of the committee, methods to provide value, and the value members have received from their involvement and participation. This committee has also been asked to provide a chapter on maintenance in the updated version of the “Lubrication Engineers Manual,” which is to be completed in 2006, and a plan was made to finalize the chapter. After discussion on professional development, a technical presentation was made by Steve Shores of the DEI Group on AC motor on-line condition monitoring.

August 24-26, 2005 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee met in Seattle, Wash., on Aug. 24–26. The committee’s Specialty Conference Task Force met the first day to begin the development of their specialty conference for 2006. They developed the theme and format for the conference and identified potential presenters. This was followed by a meeting of the Reliability Achievement Award Task Force. The task force members reviewed the results of the audits that were performed on each entry. After the review and discussion, the winners were determined. The following day an update from each task force was provided for the whole committee, and discussion followed in areas that required additional input. The committee then began planning their sessions for AISTech 2006. A tour of Boeing was held to show implementation of lean manufacturing. The next day, plans were made to assist the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee with a chapter in their “Lubrication Engineers Manual” on maintenance technologies. Two technical presentations followed — one on fans and blowers and the other, a maintenance business review.

May 11, 2005 - On Wednesday, May 11, a joint meeting was held in Charlotte, N.C., between the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee and the Maintenance Processes Operating Committee. Both committees are in Technology Division IX: Maintenance and Reliability and used this as an opportunity to coordinate activities to avoid overlap and promote each other’s activities. Discussion was held on potential topics for joint technical sessions for AISTech 2006. Potential presenters on lubrication topics were identified for the Maintenance Specialty Conference to be held in the fall of 2006. Plans were also made for a chapter on maintenance in the update of the “Lubrication Engineers Manual,” and discussion was held on topics to be covered and the format for this.
The Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee held another meeting on May 17 in Las Vegas, Nev., in conjunction with the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) annual conference. Since many members of the committee participate in both organizations, they wanted to ensure that committee members who could not attend AISTech were able to contribute to this meeting. An update on the activities in Charlotte was provided. The balance of the meeting was dedicated to identifying additional topics for AISTech 2006 and input on the revisions for the update of the “Lubrication Engineers Manual.”

May 10, 2005 - The Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee held a meeting in conjunction with AISTech 2005 on May 10 in Charlotte, N.C. Officers for the upcoming year were elected, and committee members in attendance were polled for preferred locations for future AISTech conferences. Discussion ensued on planning sessions for AISTech 2006, to be held May 1–4 in Cleveland, Ohio. Several key topics for discussion were identified. The committee is currently in the process of updating the “Lubrication Engineers Manual,” and actions necessary to complete this in the upcoming year were discussed. The committee plans, upon the book’s completion, to hold a Specialty Conference based on it, and possible venues for this conference were suggested. Also discussed were items pertinent to a joint meeting to be held with the Maintenance Process Operating Committee the following day, along with items that would need to be passed on to members who were unable to attend.

May 10, 2005 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held a meeting in Charlotte, N.C., on May 10. Recommendations for future AISTech locations were offered, to be provided to the AIST Conference Steering Committee. AISTech 2005 sessions were discussed, as well as ideas for AISTech 2006. The committee’s next Specialty Conference will be held in the fall of 2006, and a task force was formed to begin planning for that conference. Another task force was created consisting of members willing to visit plants that submitted entries for the 2005 Reliability Achievement Award. Officers for the upcoming year were elected, and plans were made to solicit additional members for the committee. After examining feedback from the most recent Specialty Conference, the committee planned for the upcoming joint meeting with the Lubrication and Hydraulics Operating Committee and for the next meeting, before which the two task forces would meet in order to prepare to report on their results.

March 9, 2005 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held a meeting in Mobile, Ala., on March 9 in conjunction with the Specialty Conference on Operations and Maintenance Partnerships. Letters had been sent to committee members who had not attended a meeting, and the status of those individuals was reviewed. Technology Division IX awards were discussed. It was agreed that three Reliability Achievement awards would be given, and the appearance of the awards was approved. A subcommittee was formed to begin the process of nominations for the 2005 Reliability Achievement Award and identifying those willing to volunteer to be part of the evaluation team. Details for the committee’s AISTech 2005 sessions were finalized, and the location for the next Specialty Conference was discussed. With AISTech being held in the spring, the committee agreed to hold its Specialty Conference in the fall of 2006.

June 16-18, 2004 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee met in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 16–18 for their summer meeting. Members of the Reliability Achievement Award Subcommittee and the Specialty Conference Subcommittee met on June 16 to finalize their awards and begin planning their Specialty Conference. A report of these activities was provided for the full committee membership. The meeting continued with a review of the status of the Maintenance Processes technical sessions for AISTech 2004, and session chairs were confirmed. The Operating Committee ended the meeting by establishing a preliminary mission statement, describing the committee’s activities, benefits and goals. Attendees then took a tour of the steelmaking facilities at ISG Cleveland. Their next meeting will be held in conjunction with AISTech 2004 on Wednesday, Sept. 15.

March 1-3, 2004 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held a Specialty Conference on Reliability and Maintenance Tools, Techniques and Processes at the Hilton in Jacksonville, Fla., on March 1–3. The conference featured a tour of Gerdau AmeriSteel in Baldwin, Fla., and a keynote address by Phillip Casey, CEO and president of Gerdau AmeriSteel Corp. The conference began with presentations by the four Reliability Achievement Award winners. A group of 70 visited Gerdau AmeriSteel for a tour. The second day included two tracks, one focused on planning and scheduling and the other focused on gears and lubrication. The afternoon sessions featured round tables, in which attendees discussed preventing repeat failures and the topic “Right Parts, Right Time, Right Place, Right Cost.” This was followed by a reception, dinner and keynote address by Casey, in which he discussed the state of the industry and ways it can be improved. The final day consisted of tracks on various PdM technologies and electric motors. Attendees were also able to hear presentations on root cause failure analysis and “Closing the Gap.”

January 28-29, 2004 - The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held their meeting on Jan. 28-29 in Fontana, Calif. The AIST committee structure was discussed, along with guidelines for membership on the committee. Plans were finalized for the upcoming Specialty Conference, Reliability and Maintenance Tools, Techniques and Processes. The Reliability Achievement Award sponsored under AIST was also discussed. A plan for a papers session to be held at AISTech 2004 was developed. Topics for their Specialty Conference in 2005 were considered. This was followed by a tour of California Steel Industries and a presentation by Dubric, a pumps and cylinder repair upgrade supplier.

January 27-28, 2004 -The Maintenance Processes Operating Committee held their meeting in Las Vegas, Nev.on January 27-28. Their initial efforts were directed toward finalizing the details of their upcoming Specialty Conference – Operations/Maintenance Partnership: The Road to Process Reliability that will be held March 9-11, 2005 in Mobile, Ala.with a tour of IPSCO. They then discussed their sessions for AISTech 2005 in Charlotte, N.C.and completed their planning of these sessions. An update on the status of their Reliability Achievement Award was provided and they discussed timing for the entries for the 2005 award and selection of a task force to evaluate the entries. It was also decided to move their future Specialty Conferences to the fall to avoid conflict with the annual conference that will be held in the spring. A tour of Hoover Dam was taken to discuss maintenance practices outside of the steel environment. Their meeting continued the next morning to finalize the discussions and to hold a general discussion on safety topics