Plate Rolling Technology Committee Activities

The PRTC met 22–23 October 2024, Bethlehem, Pa., USA.

The Bethlehem, Pa., USA, setting is a historically rich region of the steel industry, and this meeting included a joint activity with the AIST Philadelphia Member Chapter to visit the operations of an end consumer of plate products. 

Mike Robinson volunteered to become members chair, and Jennifer Grzyb answered the call for the roundup chair position. 

Updated wording was incorporated into the Norman D. Hodgson Award criteria to acknowledge notable technology being presented through committee sessions at AISTech.

Information on the upcoming Technology Training Conference, set for fall 2025, was covered by Tanya Ros. Jake Ecklund gave an update on the Young Professionals activities.  

Two plate rolling sessions for AISTech 2025 technical sessions have been developed. 

When the meeting adjourned, the committee enjoyed a tour of the exhibits in the National Museum of Industrial History, and good weather supported a pleasant walk of the museum’s blast furnace battery. Laurent De Mey, general manager of Nucor Towers & Structures, gave an operations overview of the facility at the Philadelphia Member Chapter dinner meeting. The next day the PRTC and members of the Philadelphia Member Chapter toured Nucor Towers & Structures in West Hazleton, Pa., USA.

The PRTC met 3 April 2024, Louisville, Ky., USA.

Papers co-chairs Jake Ecklund and Joao Lino covered the content of presentations organized into two sessions at AISTech. Members accepted new volunteers for Young Professionals chair, vice chair and papers chair leadership positions. A new working subcommittee was formed to investigate a specifics of developing a new award based on best technical papers, which will complement the existing Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award. There was also an early review of the data going into the 2024 Plate/Steckel Mill Roundup.

The group received a detailed report on two conferences that are supported this year by the committee: Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals — A Practical Training Seminar and the 3rd International Symposium on the Recent Developments in Plate Steels.

In the afternoon, a technical presentation on automatic plate mill surface defect detection systems was given by Gregory Gutmann of ISRA Vision Parsytec.

The following day, the attendees had the opportunity to visit the plate mill at Nucor Steel Brandenburg.

The PRTC met 10–11 October 2023, Baytown, Texas, USA.

The PRTC opening remarks came from Mike Cooke, who reminded everyone of upcoming AIST Technology Training opportunities. The recipient of the Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award was chosen and will be announced at AISTech 2024. Work is now beginning on the next award to be given in 2026. Changes in the Young Professional chair position will be occurring as Tyler DeLong is stepping down and Jake Ecklund has expressed interest in stepping into that position. Ecklund also reviewed the AISTech 2024 PRTC technical session planning.

Details came from Qiulin Yu and Tanya Ros on the Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals — A Practical Training Seminar. An update was also given on the International Symposium on the Recent Developments in Plate Steels.

Two presentations were given: One from Dengqi Bai of SSAB R&D titled “Effect of Martensite/Retained Austenite on Mechanical Properties of Steels,” and the other was delivered by the leadership team from JSW Steel on effective safety training for new hires.

The PRTC met 8 May 2023, Detroit, MI, USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Mike Cooke - SSAB Iowa Inc.

• Vice Chair: Jacob Lewis - Nucor Steel Brandenburg

• Papers Co-Chairs: Joao Lino - Nucor Steel Brandenburg, and Jacob Ecklund - SSAB Americas

• Education Co-Chairs: Qiulin Yu  »  Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc., and Tanya Ros - Cleveland-Cliffs Research & Innovation Center

• Young Professional Co-Chairs: Jacob Ecklund - SSAB Americas, and Tyler DeLong - Allor Manufacturing Inc.

• Roundup Chair: Damian Brennan - American Heavy Plate

• Decarbonization Liaison: Matt Druciak - Tenova Inc.

The PRTC met 27–28 March 2023, Rolla, Mo., USA.

The PRTC met on the campus of Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) in Rolla, Mo., USA, as guests of the Materials Science and Engineering Department. 

Missouri S&T assistant professor Mario Buchely, who is leading plate studies on the Missouri S&T campus, invited the committee to see their new expansion of research and testing capabilities. The group completed a walking tour, with guidance from associate professor Laura Bartlett, and saw the new 18-inch-wide single-stand rolling mill test bay that is currently under construction. The group heard presentations on current research from several Missouri S&T graduate students, including Bohong Zhang, Barshan Saha, Viraj Athavale and Princewill Ojiako. Ron O’Malley opened the meeting with an overview presentation of the department’s goals.

While unable to attend the meeting in person, PRTC papers chair Doug Stalheim provided a report on the committee’s two technical sessions scheduled for AISTech 2023. The committee then solicited nominations for 2023–2024 officers. Finally, the group discussed candidates for the Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award.

The PRTC met 18–19 October 2022, Portland, Ore., USA

Conference planning co-chair Tanya Ros led a review of the Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals training course.
Papers chair Doug Stalheim requested new abstracts to be submitted for AISTech 2023 before the sessions are finalized. Volunteers were solicited for session chairs.
An in-depth safety discussion was held, with a review of the Steel Industry Fatalities Report. Decarbonization liaison Matt Druciak discussed a few specific topics of interest to the plate community. 
The PRTC plans to arrange for virtual nominees and voting to nominate a candidate for the Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award.
To fill the vacancy in the PRTC’s chair position, Michael Cooke has agreed to fill the rest of the term through AISTech.

The PRTC met 16 May 2022, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Andrew Smith  /  SSAB Alabama

• Vice Chair: Jacob Lewis  /  Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc.

• Papers Chair: Doug Stalheim  /  DGS Metallurgical Solutions

• Young Professional Chair: Tyler DeLong  /  Allor Manufacturing Inc./Plesh Industries Inc.

• Education Co-Chairs: Qiulin Yu  /  Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc., and Andrew Smith  /  SSAB Alabama

• Roundup Chair: Damian Brennan /  American Heavy Plate

• Digital Transformation Liaison: Jeffrey Mason /  Mason & Associates

• Decarbonization Liaisons: Andrew Smith  /  SSAB Alabama, and Matt Druciak  /  Tenova Inc.

The PRTC met 8 March 2022, virtual meeting

Andrew Smith, PRTC chair, opened the teleconference with a round of introductions.
PRTC papers chair Doug Stalheim then reviewed the committee’s technical session planned for AISTech 2022 and re-emphasized the duties of session chairs. With much activity in the last four months, the Surface Quality Subcommittee has developed a question-and-answer portion for one AISTech 2022 presentation which will actively solicit comments on existing ASTM A06 Section 9 and ASTM A941 standards and a re-focus on hot-rolled plate surface quality with the end-user application in mind.
Committee members were encouraged to submit nominations for the 2023 Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award.
PRTC education co-chairs Qiulin Yu and Tanya Ros covered details about the upcoming Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals — Practical Training Seminar, which is organized jointly with the HSRTC. The course is scheduled for 19–22 September 2022 in Starkville, Miss., USA, with tours of Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc. and Steel Dynamics Inc. – Flat Roll Group Columbus Division.
Instead of closing with formal technical presentations, long-time member Rich Smith led a general discussion about the newly installed leveler in the 206-inch plate mill at Cleveland-Cliffs Coatesville.

The PRTC met 5 October 2021, Panama City, Fla., USA.

PRTC chair Andrew Smith covered PRTC business items with a combination of in-person and virtual attendees. This included a review of the extensive list of abstracts submitted for AISTech 2022, which has been organized by Doug Stalheim. 
The remainder of the meeting focused on recent activity by two separate subcommittees. The first activity was to kick off the planning for Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals — Practical Training Seminar, which is now being targeted for Fall 2022. 
The second area of discussion involves extensive planning from a Surface Quality Subcommittee that is drawing on expertise from across the plate industry to capture a modern definition of plate surfaces commonly produced in today’s mills, and to establish a common descriptive terminology for the industry’s use. This initiative also intends on publishing technical papers at AISTech along with an aim to refresh earlier AIST publications such as Plates, Rolled Floor Plates, Carbon, High-Strength Low-Allow, and Alloy Steel, which was last published in December 1997. Eventually each path of activity will become a foundation for suggesting revisions to ASTM A6/A6M – 19 “Standard Specification for General Requirements for Rolled Structural Steel Bars, Plates, Shapes and Sheet Piling, Section 9.”
Presentations: 

• “Application of MULPIC at a Steckel Mill,” Dengqi Bai, SSAB Americas.

• “Pipe Mill Primer and Industry Challenges,” by Dimitrius Dimopolus, Berg Pipe.

The following day the PRTC toured the Berg Pipe seam-welded pipe facility, which included coating technology. The committee thanks tour guides Nick Virbitsky and Andy Hicks, Berg Pipe, for their organization of the tour.

The PRTC met 29 June 2021, Nashville, TN USA.

The following officers were elected:

• Chair: Andrew Smith, SSAB Alabama

• Vice Chair: Jacob Lewis, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc.

• Papers Chair: Doug Stalheim, DGS Metallurgical Solutions

• Young Professional Chair: Tyler DeLong, Allor Manufacturing Inc./Plesh Industries Inc.

• Education Co-Chairs: Qiulin Yu, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc., and Andrew Smith, SSAB Alabama

The PRTC held a virtual meeting 12February 2021.

PRTC chair Brad Sigurdson called the meeting to order, which took place following the successful completion of the virtual Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals conference co-presented by this committee.
Papers chair Jacob Lewis discussed the committee’s five planned sessions for AISTech 2021, and the roles of session chairs were emphasized. Lewis also provided an update on the ongoing work with the Surface Quality and Product Manual Subcommittee, which had been reduced due to the global pandemic but will restart and focus on the revisions for AIST publications.
Sigurdson announced selection of the committee’s bi-annual Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award. The winner will be officially recognized at AISTech 2021 in Nashville, Tenn., USA.
Training conference chair Corey Ivey gave a review of the Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals — Practical Training Seminar.
PRTC Young Professional chair Tyler DeLong reported on recent activities of the AIST Young Professional Subcommittee and upcoming virtual and in-person events.
Presentation:

• • “How to Use Mean Flow Stress During Hot Rolling to Monitor Structural Steel and API Product Quality,” by Doug Stalheim, DGS Metallurgical Solutions Inc.

The PRTC held a virtual meeting 13 August 2020.

Reports from five committee leaders were given during this meeting, including an update on coordinating activities with the Digitalization Applications Technology Committee by Eric Thokar. Thokar also spearheaded the changes to the data in the annual Plate/Steckel Mill Roundup which is published on pages 148–153 of this issue of Iron & Steel Technology.
Tyler DeLong provided an update on Young Professionals activities. Efforts are now being coordinated across all Technology Committees and Member Chapters to focus on growing this population of AIST members.
PRTC papers chair Jacob Lewis will continue to lead the Surface Quality Subcommittee, a group that works to use AIST publications as a foundation for encouraging revisions to ASTM A6/A6M – 19: Standard Specification for General Requirements for Rolled Structural Steel Bars, Plates, Shapes and Sheet Piling, Section 9.
The PRTC discussed the nomination process for the Norman D. Hodgson Outstanding Achievement Award. A selection committee will be working to name a recipient in time for AISTech 2021.
Corey Ivey outlined the work of the conference planning committee to bring the next Hot Rolling Fundamentals Training Conference to the industry. This will combine segments from both the Plate Rolling and Hot Sheet Rolling Committees. This seminar is scheduled to begin on 7 February 2021 and is targeted to be held in the Starkville, Miss., or Tuscaloosa, Ala., USA, area. Currently all past presenters from the October 2019 conference are being contacted to determine their ability to present in 2021.

The PRTC had a virtual meeting 6 May 2020.

The PRTC began their meeting by reviewing their mission statement and the AISTech 2021 Call for Papers.
The following committee officers were elected for the 2020–2021 term:

• Chair: Brad Sigurdson, EVRAZ Portland.

• Vice chair: Andrew Smith, SSAB Alabama.

• Papers chair: Jacob Lewis, Nucor Steel Tuscaloosa Inc.

• Education chair: Corey Ivey, Nucor Steel–Hertford County.

• Young Professional liaison: Tyler DeLong, Allor Manufacturing Inc./Plesh Industries Inc.

• Roundup chair and digitalization liaison: Eric Thokar, CISDI USA.

Next the committee heard a progress report from Jacob Lewis on behalf of the North American Plate Surface Quality Subcommittee. The organizers of the Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals training seminar updated the group on the status of the 2021 seminar. The next edition of this training course will take place 7–11 February 2021.
The meeting ended with a review of the AIST North American Plate/Steckel Mill Roundup, which will be published in the November issue of Iron & Steel Technology.

The PRTC and MPPATC met 3–4 March 2020, Greensboro, N.C., USA.

The committees began a joint meeting by finalizing their respective technical sessions for AISTech 2020.
Corey Ivey provided a summary of the Hot Sheet and Plate Rolling Fundamentals Technology Training conference that took place in October 2019. This conference utilized support and production by two technical committees (Hot Sheet Rolling and Plate Rolling) and was held this time in Michigan City, Ind., USA, so that attendees were able to enjoy bus tours of the ArcelorMittal Burns Harbor mill.
Presentations:

• “Insight to the Ferrous Physical Metallurgy Department at University of Pittsburgh,” by Isaac Garcia, University of Pittsburgh.

• “Transmission Electron Microscope Advances,” by Roger Maddalena, Thermo Fisher Scientific.

• “Equipment and Procedures for Laser Cutting Steel Plate,” by Brian Gibson, Amada America Inc.

The next day the group toured two facilities: Amada America Inc. and John Deere/Hitachi Construction Machinery Corp. Amada demonstrated live laser-
cutting procedures on full-scale equipment using multiple grades and thicknesses of steel samples. Questions from committee members revealed interest in defining features of “laser-cutting-grade plate,” even though non-standardized terminology is commonly used in the industry.
At the John Deere/Hitachi tour, the group found a vibrant and well-integrated joint venture between global producers of large excavator construction equipment. Finished excavators range in weight from 13 to more than 470 metric tons. Raw steel plate material enters the factory in both cut-to-length coil and discrete forms. Initial processing of the incoming material cuts shapes down to size using plasma-cutting beds, equipped with extensive environmental exhaust equipment installed for worker safety. Later in the production process, 70% of the in-process plate parts are joined with robotic welding.
At the end of the tour, the group was invited to walk the final assembly line, where they saw finished models, painted in partner-specific branding, rolling off the same assembly line.