Susan Conley (left) presented Allen Schaneman (right) with the PTTC service plaque.

The PTTC met 10 May 2023, Detroit, MI, USA.
The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Allen Schaneman - Nucor Steel–Arkansas

• Vice Chair: Susan Conley - Quaker Houghton

• Papers Chair and Education Co-Chair: David Johnson - Paragon Industries Inc.

• Education Co-Chair: Dwight Karr - Nucor Steel Arkansas

• Roundup Chair: Roger Chmura - Quaker Houghton

• Decarbonization Liaison and Digitalization Liaison:  Frank Baumgardner - Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

• Membership Chair: Bridget Darby - Porter Precision Products

The PTTC and HSRTC met jointly  25–26 January 2023, Corpus Christi, Texas, USA.
The HSRTC and PTTC met in Texas for their spring 2023 joint meeting. The turnout was especially high as both committees brought members who were interested in touring the Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group South-west-Sinton Division facility. The meeting spanned two days to take advantage of walking the mill while production was running.
To prepare for AISTech 2023, both committees reported on their planned presentations and described the individual sessions, while session chair volunteers were reminded of the upcoming duties before arriving in Detroit. The HSRTC and PTTC also solicited nominations for their 2023–2024 committee officers, who be elected at AISTech 2023 in De-troit, Mich., USA.
A report from HSRTC decarbonization liaison Rob Brunelli and PTTC decarbonization liaison Frank Baum-gardner followed, with reporting from both committees on individual observations at their employers, and what AIST is providing through the Decarbonization Task Force. The group noted that the Decarbonization 101 webinar held in De-cember 2022 was a great source of content on this topic and that AIST members can visit AIST.org to watch a replay of the webinar for free. The committees also discussed the Decarbonization 102 webinar scheduled for 30 March 2023 and a third webinar tentatively scheduled for April. 
Presentations:

•  “AI-Based Process Control for the Steel Industry,” by Michael Peintinger, Smart Steel Technologies GmbH. “Electrification of the Reheat Furnace,” by David Cernava, Inductotherm Corp.

Roundtable discussion on recent CSP mill start-up experiences led by Bill Seres, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Southwest-Sinton Division.

The Hot Sheet Rolling and Pipe & Tube Technology Committees enjoyed a tour of Steel Dynamics Inc.’s brand-new Southwest-Sinton Division facility in Sinton, Texas, USA, on 26 January 2023.

Allen Schaneman (left) and Dwight Karr (right) presented a plaque of appreciation to Justin Payne (center) for hosting the PTTC’s tour of TenarisHickman.

The PPTC met 28–29 September 2022, Memphis, Tenn., USA.
For AISTech 2023, the PTTC has one full session of technical presentations. 
Discussion supporting the shift of the Pipe and Tube training conference to fall 2024 emphasized a clear need for volunteers during this next planning cycle to build a more comprehensive course. 
An in-depth safety discussion led by a review of the Steel Industry Fatalities report included new information from Roger Chmura and Susan Conley describing the organizational culture being practiced at Quaker Houghton. Unique safety observations came from both TenarisHickman and Nucor as well. 
Justin Payne introduced the equipment and plant layout for the following day’s tour of TenarisHickman. 
Decarbonization topics of specific interest to pipe technology was led by decarbonization liaison Frank Baumgardner. 

Frank Baumgardner was presented with the PTTC service  plaque (left to right): Allen Schaneman, Baumgardner,  Susan Conley and David Johnson.

The PPTC met 17 May 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Allen Schaneman  /  Nucor Steel–Arkansas

• Vice Chair: Susan Conley  /  Quaker Houghton

• Papers Chair and Education Chair: David Johnson  /  Paragon Industries Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Roger Chmura  /  Quaker Houghton

• Young Professional Chair: Nora Oukajji  /  Nucor Tubular Products South

• Decarbonization Liaison:  Frank Baumgardner  /  Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

PTTC chair Frank Baumgardner presented Mike Patzke and Nora Oukajji with a plaque of appreciation for hosting the PTTC’s tour of Nucor Tubular Products Inc. – Birmingham on 26 January 2022 (left to right): Scott Loudon, Patzke, Oukajji and Baumgardner.

The PPTC met 25–26 January 2022, Birmingham, Ala., USA
Frank Baumgardner, PTTC chair, opened the meeting and welcomed everyone both online and in person.  With the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, committee members were asked to explain safety procedures that are changing within their organizations to continually provide a safe and effective operation atmosphere. Members from Quaker Houghton shared an extensive explanation of company policies and practices in place that are effectively demonstrating an embedded safety culture at their organization.
Papers chair Susan Conley reviewed the abstracts received for the PTTC’s sessions for AISTech 2022. This led to a discussion assessing new and incoming abstracts with a decision to select candidates comprising one complete session.
Roundup chair Roger Chmura reported that the latest Pipe and Tube Roundup was published in the September 2021 issue of Iron & Steel Technology. Chmura noted new capital projects within the industry that will require vetting and research of the details before being included in the next year’s Roundup.
Education chair David Johnson set a deadline by the next meeting at AISTech to finalize a proposed date of Sep-tember 2023 for the next Pipe & Tube Technology Training Conference.
Dan Cunningham, PTTC liaison to the Digital Transformation Subcommittee, discussed the upcoming Digital Trans-formation Forum for the Steel Industry scheduled for 14–16 March 2022 in Indianapolis, Ind., USA.
Presentations:

• “Nucor Tubular Products Inc. – Birmingham: Process Overview,” by Nora Oukajji, Nucor Tubular Products Inc. – Birmingham.

• “On-Line Optical Assessment of Tube Dimensions and Surface Quality,” by George 

Burnet, Bültmann US LP.
John Cline, SABIC, then led an open discussion on the information gap between pipeline operators and producers and how to help close the gap.
The next day the committee toured Nucor Tubular Products Inc. – Birmingham.

The PTTC met 28 September 2021, virtual.
Frank Baumgardner, PTTC chair, opened the virtual meeting and welcomed everyone. The details of the known steel industry fatalities were discussed, which led to a roundtable discussion on lessons learned. The safety discussion continued with each attendee explaining the COVID-19 protocols being used at their facilities. The attendees also shared any new safety practices that were being used. 
Susan Conley reviewed the abstracts received for the PTTC so far and solicited additional abstracts from the members in the meeting. Roger Chmura reported that the latest Pipe & Tube Mill Roundup was published in the September 2021 issue of Iron & Steel Technology. 
David Johnson of Paragon Industries reported on the planning of the next Pipe & Tube Training, which will be scheduled for March or September 2023. 
Presentations:

• “Heavy-Gauge X70/80 Spiral Line Pipe Developments,” by Michael Gaudet, EVRAZ North America. 

• “The Analysis of Metals and Inclusions With OE Spectrometers,” by Neal Ross, Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

Allen Schaneman (left) and David Johnson (right) presented Frank Baumgardner (center) with the PTTC service plaque.

The PTTC met 30 June 2021, Nashville, TN USA.
The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

• Vice Chair: Allen Schaneman, Nucor Steel–Arkansas

• Papers Chair: Susan Conley, Quaker Houghton

• Education Chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Roger Chmura, Quaker Houghton

• Study Tour and Young Professional Chair: Bridget Darby

The PTTC held a virtual meeting 24 February 2021.
The PTTC began their meeting by reviewing the latest Steel Mill Fatalities Report, which led into a safety discussion about COVID-19 protocols and current safety practices.
Papers chair Susan Conley reviewed the abstracts received by the PTTC for AISTech 2021. They will be organized into one session on Wednesday morning.
Roundup chair Roger Chmura gave a update on revisions to the 2021 AIST North American Pipe and Tube Roundup, which will be published in the September 2021 edition of Iron & Steel Technology.
The proposed location for the 2022 Pipe and Tube Fundamentals training seminar was discussed, with several cities making the short list.
Presentation:

• “Digitalization in Pipe and Tube,” by Danilo Butkus and Ben Zimmerman, SMS group Inc.

The PTTC held a virtual meeting 7 October 2020.
Attendees of the PTTC meeting logged in from around the world, from countries such as Japan, Australia and Switzerland. 
Frank Baumgardner, PTTC chair, reviewed the Steel Industry Fatalities report and led an in-depth safety discussion in which each of the attendees offered helpful tips and directives that are being employed at their facilities. 
The AISTech 2021 abstract submittals were reviewed, with four abstracts accepted for a PTTC session. 
The PTTC thanked Roger Chmura, PTTC roundup chair, for his hard work in pulling together the 2020 Pipe and Tube Roundup, which was published in the September 2020 issue of Iron & Steel Technology. 
The next Pipe and Tube Training Conference was discussed, and the committee decided to plan it for the fall of 2022 along with a domestic Pipe and Tube Study Tour. 
Michael Gaudet of EVRAZ North America presented his AISTech 2020 paper, titled “Development of Heavy-Gauge X80 Spiral Line Pipe With Low-Temperature Toughness.” 

The PTTC held a virtual meeting 29 April 2020.
The PTTC kicked off their meeting with Allen Schaneman reviewing the PTTC papers that have been selected for AISTech 2020. PTTC chair David Johnson gave a recap of the 2019 Pipe & Tube Training Seminar, which took place in Birmingham, Ala., USA, in October 2019 with 52 attendees. He also advised that the next training seminar is tentatively scheduled for the fall of 2021 with a location to be determined.
Roger Chmura reported on the status of the AIST North American Pipe & Tube Roundup, which will be printed in the September issue of Iron & Steel Technology.
Bridget Darby reported that the Pipe & Tube International Study Tour planning has been derailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The committee explored possible alternative study tour programs.
The following officers were confirmed by the committee for the 2020–2021 term:

• Chair: Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC.

• Vice chair: Allen Schaneman, Nucor Steel–Arkansas.

• Papers chair: Susan Conley, Quaker Houghton.

• Education chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

• Roundup chair: Roger Chmura, Quaker Houghton.

• Study Tour chair and Young Professional chair: Bridget Darby, ANDRITZ Herr-Voss Stamco Inc.

• Digitalization liaison: Dan Cunningham, Consero Inc.

The PTTC and CCTC met jointly 11–12 February 2020, Mobile, Ala., USA.
The two committees reviewed the AIST Steel Industry Fatalities report. During the discussion, a suggestion was made for the creation of a safety app. Attendees gave examples of safety “toolbox talks” that take place at their facilities.
Rick Besich gave an update on AISTech 2020. He re-emphasized the role of session chair and papers chair.
The committees nominated officers for the upcoming term.
The CCTC and the PTTC then reviewed their respective roundups.
The CCTC recapped the 2019 Continuous Casting seminar, which was held in Memphis, Tenn., USA. The seminar had 94 attendees. This year’s Continuous Casting seminar will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, with tours of ArcelorMittal Cleveland (slab) and TimkenSteel Corp. (bar).
The PTTC reviewed its 2019 Pipe and Tube seminar, which was held in Birmingham, Ala., USA. The event had 52 attendees. The next Pipe and Tube seminar will be held in the fall of 2021.
Presentations:

• “Quantitative Assessment of Centerline Segregation in As-Cast Products,” by Sunday Abraham, SSAB Iowa Inc.

• “Machine Design Overview of New SMS group Inc. Continuous Casters in the USA,” by Joseph Laughlin, SMS group Inc.

• “Slab Quality Improvements for Line Pipe Applications,” by Rudolf Moravec and Rick Besich, ArcelorMittal USA.

The committees also held an open discussion on American Petroleum Institute (API) requirements.
The two groups then planned their fall 2020 and spring 2021 meetings. The CCTC will hold its fall 2020 meeting in conjunction with the Continuous Casting training conference, and its spring 2021 meeting in either San Antonio, Texas, USA, or Birmingham/Tuscaloosa, Ala., USA. The PTTC’s meetings are yet to be determined.
The next day the committees toured Berg Pipe Mobile and SSAB Alabama.

Rudolf Moravec (left) presented Greg Manfredi (right), SSAB Alabama, with a plaque of appreciation for hosting the CCTC and PTTC’s tour.

Frank Baumgardner (right) presented a plaque of appreciation to Paul Weber (left), Berg Pipe Co., for hosting a tour for the CCTC and PTTC.

The PTTC met 23 September 2019, Birmingham, Ala., USA.
The PTTC reviewed the 2019 Steel Industry Fatalities report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
Allen Schaneman, papers chair, led the discussion on the PTTC’s AISTech 2020 session development. Two sessions are scheduled, one of which is a panel discussion. Session chairs were determined, and the roles of papers chair and session chair were reviewed.
It was noted that the position of PTTC Study Tour chair is open. Those interested in volunteering should contact David Johnson.
Roger Chmura, Roundup chair, gave an update on the Pipe and Tube Roundup. Going forward, the diameter size will aim at 4 inches or larger. Chmura stressed the importance of year-round updates to the Roundup statistics. It was suggested to expand beyond oil country tubular goods to include structural and mechanical.
David Johnson gave an update on Pipe and Tube — A Practical Training Seminar, which was being held concurrently. A recap of the event appears on pages 156–157 of this issue. The next Pipe and Tube seminar will be held in September 2021.

The PTTC met 7 May 2019, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
The following officers were elected:

Chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

Vice chair: Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

Papers chair: Allen Schaneman, Nucor Steel–Arkansas

Education chair: Susan Conley, Quaker Chemical Corp.

Roundup chair: Roger Chmura, Quaker Chemical Corp.

Study tour chair: Bridget Darby

The PTTC met 7 May 2019, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
The following officers were elected:

Chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

Vice chair: Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

Papers chair: Allen Schaneman, Nucor Steel–Arkansas

Education chair: Susan Conley, Quaker Chemical Corp.

Roundup chair: Roger Chmura, Quaker Chemical Corp.

Study tour chair: Bridget Darby

David Johnson, PTTC chair, presented a plaque of appreciation to Kamalesh Mandal, plant metallurgist, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Columbus Division (left to right): Dan Nicholson; Susan Conley, PTTC education chair; Scott Stanley; Johnson; Frank Baumgardner, PTTC vice chair, Mandal; and Roger Chmura, PTTC roundup chair.

The PTTC met 30–31 January 2019, Columbus, Miss., USA. The PTTC reviewed the 2018 Steel Industry Fatalities, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
Allen Schaneman, papers chair, reviewed the PTTC’s technical sessions for AISTech 2019. The PTTC has scheduled two sessions on Tuesday, 7 May. The roles of session chair and papers chair were reviewed.
Nominations for PTTC officers for the 2019–2020 term were taken.
Roger Chmura gave an update on the Pipe and Tube Roundup. The 2019 edition will be published in the August issue of Iron & Steel Technology. 
The 2019 Pipe and Tube training seminar will be held on 23–26 September 2019 in Birmingham, Ala., USA. American Cast Iron Pipe Co. will serve as the host plant.
The 2020 Italy Pipe and Tube Study Tour was discussed. It will be held on 1–7 November 2020. Bridget Darby will develop the program for review during the PTTC meeting at AISTech 2019. Registration will open with the PTTC’s Fall 2019 meeting.
The following technical presentations were given:

• “Advancements in Pipe Technology,” by Jack Srail, Scan Systems Corp.

• “SDI Columbus Pipe and Tube Production,” by Dmitry Tsvetkov, Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Columbus Division.

• “Laser Measurement Innovations,” by Bridget Darby, LAP Laser LLC.

The attendees were then given a tour of Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Columbus Division from the meltshop to the hot strip mill.

The PTTC met 24 September 2018, Houston, Texas, USA. The PTTC reviewed the 2018 Steel Industry Fatalities  report, followed by a roundtable discussion.
Allen Schaneman, PTTC papers chair, led the discussion on AISTech 2019 technical session development. Eight abstracts had been selected as of the meeting, and grouped into two sessions.
Session chairs were nominated, and the instructions for papers chair and session chair were reviewed, along with details on how to access the Hubb Abstract Management System.
Roger Chmura, Roundup chair, reviewed the 2018 Pipe and Tube Roundup, which was published in the August 2018 issue of Iron & Steel Technology. 
David Johnson gave an update on Pipe and Tube —A Practical Training Seminar. A recap of the conference can be found on pages 140–141 of this issue.
George Burnet, Braun Machine Technologies and Bueltmann LP, gave a presentation titled “Abrasive Cut-Off and Deburring Machines for Seamless API and Tube Markets.” Harold Marks, Mair Research SpA, then discussed Benteler Steel Tube.
The 2019 Italy Pipe and Tube Study Tour will take place on 1–7 December 2019. The tour route will follow closely the previous study tour routes established by the Electric Steelmaking Technology Committee and the Long Products Technology Committee. Harold Marks will head up the effort to organize this study tour.
The committee discussed its next meeting and potential technical topics and presentations.

Frank Baumgardner (left) and David Johnson (right) presented Susan Conley (center) with the PTTC service plaque at AISTech 2018.

The PTTC met 8 May 2018, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
The following officers were elected:

• Chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

• Vice chair: Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC

• Papers chair: Allen Schaneman, Nucor Steel–Arkansas

• Education co-chairs: John Cline, Vectren Energy Delivery, and Susan Conley, Quaker Chemical Corp.

• Roundup chair: Roger Chmura, Quaker Chemical Corp.

The PTTC met 31 January–1 February 2018, Memphis, Tenn., USA
The PTTC reviewed the 2017 Steel Industry Fatalities  report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
Mark Rheinlander, PTTC papers chair, finalized  the committee’s AISTech 2018 technical sessions. The PTTC has scheduled two sessions. The roles of session chair and papers chair were reviewed.
Nominations were taken for PTTC officers for the 2018–2019 term.
The group reviewed the 2017 AIST Pipe and Tube Roundup, which was published in the August 2017 issue of Iron & Steel Technology.
Frank Baumgardner discussed Pipe and Tube — A Practical Training Seminar, which will be held 24–27 September 2018 in Houston, Texas, USA. TMK IPSCO will serve as tour host. The final program outline was reviewed with the group.
The Fall 2018 PTTC meeting location and time were discussed. The meeting will be held on Monday, 24 September 2018, prior to registration for the Pipe and Tube seminar.
Tom Campbell of LAP Laser presented, “Laser Measurement of Tube and Pipe in the Production Process.”
On Thursday, 1 February 2018, the group toured Big River Steel.

Susan Conley (left), PTTC chair, presented a tour plaque to Steve Pienaar (center), logistics manager, and Denis Hennessy (right), director, product development for Big River Steel.

The PTTC met 9 May 2017, Nashville, Tenn., USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Susan Conley, Quaker Chemical Corp.

• Vice chair: David Johnson, Paragon Industries Inc.

• Papers chair: George Boy, SMS Technical Services LLC

The PTTC and PRTC met jointly 28–29 March 2017, Birmingham, Ala., USA. The committees reviewed the 2016 Steel Industry Fatalities Report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion. Afterwards the groups split to work on individual committee business.
The Plate Rolling Committee reviewed its AISTech 2017 paper sessions and discussed Hot Flat Rolling Fundamentals — A Practical Training Seminar, which will take place in spring 2018.
The AIST Process Benchmarker^® was discussed. The Plate Rolling Module has remained stagnant and the PRTC agreed to revisit the program. Suggested was a free trial period from which to get feedback from users.
The 2nd International Symposium on the Recent Developments in Plate Steels will be held 3–6 June 2018 in Orlando, Fla., USA. The group was reminded to submit their abstracts by 15 October 2017.
Presentation topics for the fall PRTC meeting were discussed. Charlie Romberger volunteered to present on descale systems. Other topics suggested were flatness strategies, corrosion prevention, preventive maintenance practices for levelers and accelerated cooling.
The PTTC reviewed its session for AISTech 2017. The nominations for the 2017–2018 officers were made (see page 82 of this issue for the full list of PTTC officers).
Pipe and Tube — A Practical Training Seminar, to be held in 2018, was discussed. A planning subcommittee was created. It was also decided that the papers chair role should have high involvement in the conference planning.
At the time of the meeting, the PTTC had 96 members. Steve Marzina agreed to bring an analysis of members and participation to the committee’s fall meeting. A LinkedIn account has been created for the PTTC as a place for technical discussion and committee-related talk. It is open to PTTC members only and is managed by the social media and membership chairs. Attendees were reminded to review the Pipe and Tube Roundup and send any suggestions and edits to Frank Baumgardner by the next meeting.
There was an extensive discussion on the goals of the committee and its members. Keith Tuma requested the creation of a subcommittee with representatives from the various factions (producers, manufacturers, OEMs, consumable suppliers, buyers and end users, etc.) Volunteers for the subcommittee were Tuma, Baumgardner, Jack Srail and Susan Conley. This group will first develop a list of technologies that encompasses what the PTTC represents and what is important to each segment.
The PRTC and PTTC rejoined for the rest of the afternoon for a networking lunch and technical presentations, which included:

• “Accelerated Cooling System — Direct Quench Project,” by Jacob Lewis, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc.

• “Advanced Ceramics for Pipe and Tube Manufacturing,” by Jimmy Estrada, Kyocera.

• “Coupling Makeup Machines,” by Marco Zanardi, Lazzari Group.

• “Non-Destructive Testing Technologies — High-Temperature Weld Inspection for ERW Mills,” by David Mann, Innerspec.

Blane Vines gave a brief preview and instructions for the plant tours and the meeting was adjourned.
The two committees had a full day of plant tours starting with Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc., who also provided lunch. The group then headed over to Southland Tube where they were welcomed by Barney Hatten, director of quality, who gave a presentation on the company and plant before the tour commenced.

Blane Vines (left), PRTC chair, presented a plaque of appreciation to Lane Swan (right), manager of manufacturing, Southland Tube, for hosting a tour on 29 March 2017.

Keith Tuma (right), PTTC chair, presented Blane Vines (left), Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc., with a plaque of appreciation for hosting a tour of the facility during the PTTC and PRTC joint meeting.

	The PTTC got a close look at the steelmaking operations at U. S. Steel – Gary Works (left to right): Martin Plut, Mark Rheinlander, Hiroshi Watanabe, Keith Tuma, Bridget Darby, Susan Conley, Adam Trinks and Mariachristina Pilla.

The PTTC met 28–29 September 2016, Chicago, IL, USA.  The PTTC reviewed the 2016 Steel Industry Fatalities report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
The committee reviewed its AISTech 2017 technical sessions, and session chairs were identified. A slight amendment was made to the PTTC’s AISTech 2018 Call for Papers verbiage to increase applications-based papers.
The PTTC decided to table discussion on its specialty training conference until market conditions improve.
The 2016 North American Pipe and Tube Roundup was published for the first time in 2016. The committee gave kudos to all who worked so hard on the project, notably Frank Baumgardner, Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC, and Martin Plut, NDT Technologies. All PTTC members were asked to review the roundup for accuracy and to bring their suggestions for improvement to the committee’s next meeting.
The PTTC discussed items to be brought up at the AIST Leadership Conference, which led to a productive brainstorming session to increase PTTC membership and involvement. The committee will be AIST’s first Technology Committee to utilize social media to increase committee participation, initiate technical discussions and increase attendance. A new officer position was created, the PTTC social media chair, and Martin Plut will hold this position and manage the new AIST Pipe and Tube Group on LinkedIn. George Boy will be aiding in the efforts to increase committee participation as the PTTC members chair. 
The group also decided to create a more robust agenda for future meetings, including adding the PTTC’s mission statement, safety discussions and a more detailed structure for the meeting discussion topics. The committee would like to hold more joint meetings with other technology committees; a meeting with the Plate Rolling Technology Committee (PRTC) is scheduled for the spring of 2017 and a joint meeting with the CCTC was discussed as an option for the fall 2017 meeting.  

This discussion was followed by technical presentations:

• “Quality Improvements and Energy Optimization in the Pipe and Tube Industry,” by Adam Trinks, Silvent InTech.

• “Laser Inspection for Tube and Pipe Straightness,” by Tom Campbell, LAP Laser.

• “Seamless Tube Technology Modules,” by George Boy, SMS.

The PTTC spent the following day attending two excellent plant tours at U. S. Steel – Gary Works and Midwest Pipe Coatings. Al Klinger and Carey Crisman gave the group an in-depth tour of U. S. Steel – Gary Works from steelmaking through the hot strip mill. The group stopped for lunch and went on to Midwest Pipe Coating Inc., where operations manager Steve Rodda presented the group with an overview of the company and a detailed tour of the facility.

1. PTTC chair Keith Tuma presented Al Klinger and Carey Crisman with a plaque of appreciation for hosting the PTTC’s tour of U. S. Steel – Gary Works (left to right): Susan Conley, Mariachristina Pilla, Adam Trinks, Crisman, Klinger, Tuma, Mark Rheinlander, Martin Plut and Hiroshi Watanabe. 2. Keith Tuma presented Steve Rodda with a plaque of appreciation for hosting the PTTC’s tour of Midwest Pipe Coating Inc. (left to right): Susan Conley, Mariachristina Pilla, Adam Trinks, Rodda, Tuma, George Boy and Hiroshi Watanabe.

The PTTC service plaque was presented for Keith Tuma in his absence (left to right): David Johnson, Susan Conley and Frank Baumgardner.

The PTTC met 18 May 2016, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

The PTTC and EUTC met 27–28 January 2016, Houston, Texas, USA. The committees reviewed the 2015 Steel Industry Fatalities report, followed by a safety roundtable discussion.
The committees finalized their respective AISTech 2016 technical sessions. Each has three sessions scheduled. The role of the session chair was reviewed with both committees.
Nominations for PTTC and EUTC officers for the 2016–2017 term were accepted and approved.
The 2016 AIST Pipe and Tube Roundup was discussed. The Roundup parameters were revised and finalized. The PTTC plans to publish the Roundup in the August 2016 issue of Iron & Steel Technology.
The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) have invited AIST to be a supporting organization for Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC) 2016, to be held 1–3 August 2016 in San Antonio, Texas, USA. URTeC is a science and technology event for unconventional resource development, which brings together geologists, geophysicists, engineers and business managers. Unconventional energy exploration and production includes horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking.” 
The AIST Energy Achievement Award was discussed. Three candidates are being considered for this award, which will be announced before AISTech 2016.
The following presentations were given:

• “Recent Changes in the Natural Gas and Shale Gas Plays,” by Richard Ricks of NiSource/Columbia Gas.

• “Cartacci Straighteners and Drawbenches — Productivity and Energy Consumption,” by Fabrizio Mamoli of Cartacci S.r.l.

• “Combustion Safety — Standards and Burner Management Systems,” by Mark Kampe of CEC Combustion Safety.

• “Heat Recovery Systems,” by Jared Kaufman of Tenova Core.

The committees were given tours of Axalta Coatings and NACE International. 

1. Matt Miller (center), chief operating officer of NACE International, was presented with a plaque of appreciation from Mark Kampe (left), EUTC chair, and Keith Tuma (right), PTTC chair, for hosting a tour of NACE International. 2. Scott Denny (center, left) and Meghan Hodge (center, right) of Axalta Coatings were presented with a tour plaque from Keith Tuma (left) and Mark Kampe (right).