Thanks to Tim DeWeese, Chris Rusk, David Allen and Jake Buzard and everyone at Vallourec Star for providing an overview of the project and tour of their facilities.

Reliability Achievement Award

►Nomination Form
►Award Recipients

History and Purpose

The Maintenance Reliability Technology Committee has established the AIST Reliability Achievement Award to recognize iron and steel producing companies for reliability improvements and achievements that can be demonstrated as unique or first in the industry. The AIST Reliability Achievement Award shall be awarded to recognize those organizations and the individuals within them that have developed, applied and proved a new practice, policy or procedure that significantly improves iron and steelmaking reliability in North America. The award will be given on three levels — gold, silver and bronze, with additional honorable mention to other nominees. Only iron and steel producers can receive these awards. Reliability improvements or achievements must be documented using some acceptable form of measurement. Award finalists will be invited to present papers on their achievements at an AIST conference.

Nomination Process

Steel producing companies and suppliers to the industry are invited to submit nominations in accordance with the format established. Nominations do not require substantial documentation to support the net results, but the effects must be verifiable.

Qualifications

To be considered for an award, the reliability improvement or achievement should be unique or be a first in the industry. It may result from "out of the box" thinking. Effects must be verifiable in terms of improved product quality, customer satisfaction, production throughput, cost per ton produced, worker productivity, or other measurable result that has positively influenced profitability, image, customer satisfaction or similar factors important to a company’s competitive standing. The achievement should be worthy of consideration by others inside or outside the iron and steel industry interested in attaining a similar outcome.

When considering the award, the selection committee will want to know and be able to verify:

Criteria for Judging

  • The practice, policy or procedure.

  • Metrics used to determine the positive outcome.

  • Why and how the improvement was implemented.

  • Enablers used to ensure its success.

  • Results achieved to date.

  • Whether it has potential for broad-based application throughout the industry.

Deadline for all entries is 31 May

Audit expenses for travel outside North America may be incurred and would be the responsibility of the applicant company, not to exceed US$2,500.