The Pipe & Tube Technology Committee (PTTC) met in Houston, Texas, on 18–19 January 2012. A plant tour of U. S. Steel Tubular Threading and Inspection Services Division began the day on Wednesday, 18 January. The committee then enjoyed a tour of the Ocean Star Drilling Rig and Museum in Galveston, Texas. The PTTC meeting began on Thursday, 19 January, with 21 members in attendance. A review of the 2011 Steel Industry Fatalities Report was followed by a safety roundtable discussion. David Johnson, chair, announced that the PTTC, AIST’s newest technology committee, is at 70 members and growing. Keith Tuma, papers chair, discussed the two PTTC sessions planned for AISTech 2012 in Atlanta. The AISTech 2013 Call for Papers topic for this committee will remain the same as it was for 2012. Frank Baumgardner, roundup chair, provided an industry roundup format for this committee to develop a 2012 North American Pipe & Tube Roundup. This format will be circulated to PTTC members to complete the required plant statistics. The committee’s goal is to have this roundup published in the August 2012 issue of Iron & Steel Technology. 

The following presentations were given: “Fundamentals of Soft Magnetic Materials,” and “Residual Magnetism in Pipe and Tube Products” by Reinhold Strnat; “Microscopy and Digital Imaging Current State of the Art;” by Rob Meyer; “Cathodic Protection of Buried or Submerged Steel Pipe” by Ernest Klechka. A tour of NACE and Meyers Instruments concluded the meeting. The next PTTC meeting will be on Wednesday, 9 May at AISTech 2012 in Atlanta. Tentative plans for a PTTC fall 2012 meeting will be a joint meeting with the Plate Rolling Technology Committee at the Colorado School of Mines in Boulder, Colo., on 19–20 September.

The Pipe & Tube Technology Committee (PTTC) met in Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada, on 28–29 September 2011. Russ Olgin, PTTC vice chair, welcomed everyone and reported the current PTTC membership of 62 members. Review of the 2011 Steel Industry Fatalities Statistics was followed by a safety roundtable discussion. Keith Tuma, PTTC papers chair, presented the paper abstracts submitted for committee consideration for AISTech 2012 in Atlanta, Ga. The PTTC scheduled a Wednesday afternoon session starting with a two-hour panel discussion with David Johnson, PTTC chair, as moderator. A U. S. Steel Lorain paper and a NDT Systems & Services AG paper will complete this Wednesday afternoon session. Another possible paper session for the PTTC during AISTech 2012 is on Tuesday. Progress on the PTTC roundup was presented by George Slota, PTTC roundup co-chair. Frank Baumgardner was elected as PTTC roundup co-chair to develop an operating roundup starting with North American pipe and tube operations for later publication in Iron & Steel Technology magazine. Dr. Eric S. Oxley, Bruker AXS Inc., presented, “Detecting and Testing of Hydrogen Gas in Steel.” Igbal Singh Biln, manager, St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corp., presented, “The Seaway Welland Canal.” A tour of Lakeside Steel Corp. and the Seaway Welland Canal Authority concluded the first day.

The next day started with presentations from George Vander Voort, Vander Voort Consulting, on “Failure Analysis Investigation,” “Prediction of Yield Strength from Vickers Hardness,” “Microstructure of Linepipe Steels,” and “Introduction to Stereology.” All of the presentations are available on the PTTC members-only website. A tour of ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s hot mill concluded this meeting. The next PTTC meeting is scheduled for 17–19 January 2012 in Houston, Texas. 

The Pipe & Tube Technology Committee (PTTC) met for the third time on 4 May 2011 in Indianapolis, Ind. Current PTTC membership is at 52 members since this newest technology committee was developed in December 2010. A safety roundtable discussion followed a review of the 2011 Steel Industry Fatalities Statistics. The PTTC officer elections were confirmed: David Johnson, chair; Russ Olgin, vice chair; Keith Tuma, papers chair; Frank Keilbowich, membership chair; and Mike Green and George Slota, roundup co-chairs. The PTTC mission statement was reviewed and approved along with the PTTC AISTech 2012 Call for Papers statement. Keith Tuma arranged a committee conference call in mid-July to determine session topics and themes for AISTech 2012. The next PTTC meeting is scheduled for 28–29 September 2011 in Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada, with tours of Lakeside Steel, The Welland Canal and ArcelorMittal Dofasco. The meeting agenda will be sent to members by 15 August 2011.

The Pipe & Tube Technology Committee (PTTC) met on 30–31 March 2011 in Ontario, Calif., with a tour of California Steel Industries and the Bredero Shaw Coating Facility. David Johnson, chair, welcomed 22 PTTC members attending. Current PTTC membership is at 57 members. The committee reviewed the 2010 and 2011 Steel Industry Fatalities Statistics, followed by a safety roundtable discussion. David Johnson of Paragon Industries, Russ Olgin of California Steel Industries and Keith Tuma of U. S. Steel discussed hand safety and their companies’ policies. Committee growth will determine the need to establish subcommittees to focus specifically on spiral weld, ERW, seamless, specialty, mechanical, DOM, UOE, extrusion and cast pipe and tube production. The committee reviewed the PTTC session presentations that involved TMK IPSCO, Danieli and SMS Meer. Presentations completed the morning session and included “Safe Practices for Operation for Industrial Furnaces for Tubular Products,” by Wynn Kearns, “Journey to Zero Accidents Update,” by Robert Spangler, and a California Steel Industries overview by Russ Olgin, vice chair and host. An afternoon tour of California Steel Industries’ pipe mill and the Bredero Shaw Coating Facility followed.

The second day started with a review of the Call for Papers for AISTech 2012. Keith Tuma, papers chair, discussed possible session topics. The committee agreed to have joint sessions with the Plate Rolling Technology Committee and the Computer Applications Technology Committee. Possible session topics could be pipe and tube quality, pipe mill innovations, pipe and tube equipment and pipe and tube safety improvements. Contact Keith Tuma if you are interested in making a presentation at AISTech 2012 in Atlanta. Mike Green, roundup co-chair, presented an update for the committee. Jon Roman provided a roundup draft that will be circulated to the PTTC members for review and suggestions. Presentations completed this morning session and included “Overview of All the Coating Systems for Line Pipe,” by Mike Adams, “Non-Destructive Testing Methods,” by Dr. Neb Uzelac, “AAR Pipe Shipping Regulation Update,” by Richard Montano (PSTMTC papers chair), and “Fundamentals and Application of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Coatings,” by Mike Adams. An afternoon tour of California Steel Industries’ hot mill and shipping facilities followed. The next PTTC meeting will be held on 28–29 September 2011 in Niagara Falls, Ont., Canada. Frank Kielbowich, membership chair, is arranging tours of Lakeside Steel, ArcelorMittal Dofasco and the Welland Canal.

The Pipe & Tube Technology Committee (PTTC) had its initial meeting on 9 Dec 2010 in Longview, Texas. There were 22 new committee members in attendance. This committee represents the 29th AIST Technology Committee and falls under Technology Division V: Rolling & Processing. New committee officers were elected: David J. Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc. (chair); Russ Olgin, California Steel Industries Inc. (vice chair); Keith Tuma, U. S. Steel Tubular Services (papers chair); Frank Kielbowich, Lakeside Steel (membership chair); Michael Green, TMK-IPSCO, and George Slota, CMC Cometals Steel (Roundup co-chairs). AIST Technology Committee guidelines were reviewed, followed by a discussion of the 2010 Steel Industry Fatalities Statistics. The PTTC will have one paper session at AISTech 2011; this will take place Wednesday afternoon following the Town Hall Forum. The PTTC will also meet from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 4 May 2011. David Johnson, Keith Tuma and Frank Keilbowich will serve as session chairs. Three one-hour presentations will be given on topics involving market conditions, new technologies in pipe and tube manufacturing (Jon Roman), and pipe and tube product traceability (Russ Olgin and Michael Green).

The PTTC recognized the need to identify the current pipe and tube producers with a Roundup. Roundup co-chairs Michael Green and George Slota will lead the effort to identify all the manufacturers in the pipe and tubular products arena. Dennis Quirk, plant manager at U. S. Steel Tubular Products Inc. – Texas Operations Division, presented an overview of U. S. Steel Lone Star ERW pipe mill operations and hosted a tour of this facility on Friday morning. Russ Olgin, tubular products operations planner for California Steel Industries Inc. (CSI), presented an overview of CSI operations. Michael Green, process engineer at TMK-IPSCO, gave an overview of TMK-IPSCO’s product lines and process control improvements.
The next PTTC meeting will be held on 30–31 Mar 2011 in Ontario, Calif. Two afternoons will feature plant tours, including CSI, a coating facility, a second ERW mill or spiral mill. The meeting agenda will be e-mailed before 11 Feb. To join this newest AIST Technology Committee, please visit AIST.org and click on “Technology Committees” for more information and an application.