Electric Steelmaking Technology Committee Meeting

6 September 2025 • Sheraton Birmingham Hotel • Birmingham, AL, USA

►Agenda (PDF)
►Register or contact ldlugopolski@aist.org

Arrangements

Sheraton Birmingham Hotel 2101 Richard Arrington Jr Blvd N, Birmingham, AL 35203

Reserve by 14 August 2025 for AIST Room Rate of $180

▶Reserve your room online 

  1. Chair’s opening remarks—Alyssa VanDelden     9:00 a.m.
  2. Appoint minute-taker—A. VanDelden
  3. Antitrust guidelines—A. VanDelden
  4. Membership and attendance—Anna Voss
  5. Review minutes of previous meeting—A. VanDelden
  6. AIST Staff Announcements—A. Voss
  7. Safety Discussion with update on Steel Industry Fatalities
    a. Scrap Inspection
  8. Main agenda items
    • AISTech session development—Bob LaRoy
      • Selection of Abstracts (Due by 16 Sept) – (Handle via conference call if necessary)
      • Determine session structure (Due by 28 Oct) including session titles & session chairs
      • Review Papers Chair and Session Chair instructions
        • Paper Chair Role—This position is a leadership role within a Technology Committee or Subcommittee tasked with the development of AISTech technical sessions and the management and oversight of the Technology Committee session chairs. The role of Papers Chair is to ensure authors are in compliance with AIST policies for paper and presentation submissions and to ensure that authors register.  Many of these tasks are delegated to the Session Chairs but the Papers Chair is ultimately responsible for the development and execution of the Technology Committee’s AISTech technical sessions. The Papers Chair may also be responsible in coordinating the selection of the Technology Committee’s Best Paper Award winner.
        • The Paper Chair role also includes membership on the Board of Director’s Conference Planning Committee (CPC).  The CPC meets four times throughout the year to plan and review details related to the AISTech conference. Participation in the CPC meetings is highly recommended as it provides insight to the development and execution of the world’s largest annual iron and steel conference and exposition.  Participation can be in person or by video conference.
        • Session Chair Role— This position supports the Papers Chair of the respective technology committee by communicating to the authors on topic content as well as on missing or late submission of required information. The Session Chairs will review and evaluate the paper and presentation files for content as well as for publication and awards (an evaluation form will be provided). Your AIST staff engineer will provide staff support to ensure your success in fulfilling the duties of a Session Chair. Session chairs are also on site at the AISTech conference in their session room to facilitate the flow of the session including introducing speakers, moderating question and answer sessions, as well as handing out certificates.
  • Review and finalize AISTech call for papers text for next year
    1. Implementation of innovative safety programs and procedures; advances in energy efficiency, materials recovery, and heat recovery and their associated impact on greenhouse gas generation; advancements in workplace environmental factors, including gas cleaning and mitigation of greenhouse gas generation; process analysis and optimization, including new EAF technologies and advances in auxiliary systems such as arc regulation, oxygen and solids injection, and water-cooled components; EAF revamping projects and start-up experience with new equipment; raw materials, including scrap optimization, selection of alternative iron feed materials and yield maximization; associate development and training; EAF mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical maintenance, including primary, secondary and tertiary electrical components; artificial intelligence & digitalization.
  • Technology committee award planning
    1. Charles W. Briggs Award (ESTC Best Paper)
    2. John Bell Award—Jeremy Jones
  • Finalize committee roundup—final document due November 4, 2025—Rachel Schmidt & Lou Valentas
  • Technology Training conference—Alex England & Arun Chockalingam
    • Modern Electric Steelmaking—A Practical Training Seminar
      • 2-6 February 2026
      • Las Vegas, NV with tour of Nucor Kingman
  • Update from Decarbonization Liaison—Kyle Vanover
  • Study Tour planning—Aaron Strelbisky
    1. Japan

BREAK       10:30a.m.

  1. Discussion items
  2. Mission review of ESTC:
    • To serve and support the ESTC members and the iron/steel industry by providing forums for technical information exchange, personal development and networking. The Electric Steelmaking Technology Committee will accomplish this Vision through the development of a technical training seminar, AISTech annual conference and technically focused committee meetings.
    • Should it be changed to something like this: To serve and support the ESTC members and the iron/steel industry by providing forums for technical information exchange, personal development and networking. The Electric Steelmaking Technology Committee will accomplish this Vision by driving industry excellence during our technical training seminar, AISTech annual conference and technically focused committee meetings.
  3. Other discussion items
  4. Presentations
  5. Southern Scrap Market Overview—Chris Ranalli, The David J. Joseph Company A Nucor Company 
  6. LUNCH       Noon
  7. Discussion items       1 p.m.
  8. Presentations Continued
  • Scrap Subcommittee Update—Sunday Abraham & Sridhar Seetharaman 
  • Use of HBI in the Furnace—Jianghua Li, Cleveland Cliffs Research & Innovation Center
  • Scrap Mix Optimization—Dr. Thomas Kirk, Foresight Data Machines Ltd.
  • Vision Systems for Scrap Inspection—Saul Gonzalez, AMI Automation

Next meeting

  • Wednesday 4 February 2026 Las Vegas, NV
  • Co-located with the Modern Electric Steelmaking—A Practical Training Seminar
  1. Chair Conclusion—VanDelden
  2. Adjourn       4 p.m.

Committee attendees are welcome to join the Globetrotters Welcome Reception from 4:30-6 pm