AIST Decarbonization Webinar: Pressure to Perform: Unlocking Energy Savings in Steelmaking With Efficient and Reliable Compressed Air Systems

8 October 2025 • Zoom • 9–10 a.m. EDT

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About the Program

Compressed air is a critical utility for steel production. This webinar identifies opportunities for substantial energy reduction for compressed air systems (20–50%), reliability improvements, system optimization and improved delivered compressed air quality. The benefits of continuously measuring what you manage will help you reduce the cost per ton of steel production.

Registration Fees

 US$0 for AIST members, US$50 for non-members.

Available Sponsorships

Event Sponsor – 1 available US$3,500

  • Name recognition for specific webinar on upcoming webinar calendar.
  • Sponsor logo and hyperlink included in electronic promotions.
  • Sponsor logo and hyperlink on specific webinar page.
  • Sponsor logo on webinar registration page.
  • Sponsor can provide a message (2–3 sentences) for host to read during opening webinar remarks.
  • Verbal recognition by host at end of webinar.
  • Recognition in thank-you message to all participants when the webinar ends.
  • Sponsor will receive a list of all webinar participants (name, company, country).
  • Three AIST memberships for non-members only.

Moderators

 Poliana Araujo, Principal Process Engineer, WSP’s Energy, Resource & Industry Sector
 Poliana Araujo is a principal process engineer in WSP’s Energy, Resource & Industry Sector and a licensed Professional Engineer in Ontario, Canada. She holds a B.Eng. degree in metallurgical engineering, specializing in steel production processes, plant optimization and sustainability-driven initiatives. Her expertise includes scrap optimization, focusing on cost reduction through efficient scrap management. She has worked with electric arc furnace operations, focusing on process optimization, including burner profiles to improve thermal efficiency and reduce operational costs. Araujo is experienced in secondary refining processes, ensuring steel chemistry consistency for high-quality steel production. Her experience extends to blast furnace operations, where she has worked with both charcoal- and coke-based ironmaking processes, optimizing reducing agent ratios for maximum efficiency. Her career reflects a commitment to improving operational efficiency and advancing the steel industry’s transition toward a more sustainable future. She is passionate about applying innovative solutions that bridge industry best practices and emerging technologies.

Tim Sohnlein, Global Director, Universal Compressed Air
 Tim Sohnlein is a global director at Universal Compressed Air. He has over 30 years of experience with compressed air systems, applications and compressor technology. He has a specific focus in steel production processes that utilize compressed air. He is an innovative industry leader and a key contributor with respect to energy optimization, compressed air system design and equipment reliability.

Presentation 1: Energy Reduction and Reliability Improvements to Optimize Cost Savings and Uptime, Wendy Dimino, Director, Universal Compressed Air

Presentation Abstract: Understanding the technology of a compressed air system to identify simple changes which yield significant results. Optimizations can be made in various areas of the supply and demand sides of the system. Substantial savings can be recognized with energy reduction, as well as reliability improvements that provide consistent uptime.

Presenter Bio: Wendy Dimino is a director at Universal Compressed Air. She has a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering. Her technical specialty is turbo machinery. She has spent over 20 years in manufacturing, design, and global applications of compressors and compressed air systems. In addition, she has focused on plantwide compressed air system optimization, reliability improvements and overall cost savings in steel production applications. Her experience in both electric arc furnace and integrated mills lends to a depth of specific knowledge in compressed air applications and opportunities to be uncovered. She is a proponent of sharing her knowledge and enabling mills to optimize their production processes.

Presentation 2: Optimizing the Compressed Air System Through Data Management, Alton Stokes, Vice President and General Manager, Case IZ Systems

Abstract: Measuring what is managed is a key philosophy to identify a baseline and understand the path toward a goal. Compressed air systems can benefit from energy efficiency improvements, cost reduction, maintenance and reliability improvements, as well as end user product quality improvements. Using auditing, data collection and controls strategies will ensure systemwide optimization.

Presenter Bio: Alton Stokes is a key contributor in the compressed air industry. He has spent his entire career of over 35 years optimizing efficiencies and improving the reliability of compressed air systems. He is the vice president and general manager of Case IZ Systems, which concentrates on compressed air, vacuum, and water system reliability and energy efficiencies. Case IZ also engineers, designs, and manufactures local controls, automation and SCADA platforms to manage these systems efficiently. He specializes in compressed air system design and demand-side system applications. Combined with his experience, Stokes is on the forefront of new technology and is a proponent of continual education. He regularly presents at educational workshops and webinars on compressed air reliability and efficiency.