Review of the AIKW Conference 2024

The 92nd AIKW Conference 2024 took place from 2-4 October 2024 in San Sebastiàn in the north of Spain. The Palacio Miramar provided a stylish setting for the conference with an impressive view of the bay on the Bay of La Concha. In addition to the idyllic coastal landscape of the Basque Country, San Sebastián (Donostia in Basque) is known for its pintxos, small pieces of bread or pastry topped with delicacies, as well as for its txakoli, a sparkling dry white wine from the region. The participants were able to enjoy both during lunch.

Lecture course

The lecture course was well attended with over 170 participants from industry and academia. The lecture programme covered current developments in rolling technology, from innovative strategies for optimising the direction of H-beams to the targeted design of grooves to avoid surface defects and simulations of thermomechanical rolling processes. The presentations were held in English and there was an opportunity to ask questions after the presentations. During the coffee breaks and lunch, there were also many opportunities for personal conversations and technical discussions.

Evening event

For the evening event, several buses travelled to the Saizar Sidrería in Usurbil, a winery for the production of cider, near San Sebastián. On arrival, there was a ‘Hercules’ demonstration with the lifting of large stone weights (up to 240 kg) and a young dance group performing traditional Basque dances. Cider was served with a rustic dinner of grilled steaks. There was also the opportunity to pour the cider yourself directly from the barrel into the glass in the wine cellar next door.

Factory tours

The buses set off on Friday morning for the factory tours. This year there were two factories to visit. The first was Arcelor Mittal's medium section mill in Olaberria and the second was the new rolling mill for reinforcing steel at Celsa France in Port de Bayonne.