ABB participated in the 2011 AISTech (Association of Iron and Steel Technology) technology conference and exposition May 2 - 5, 2011 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The annual conference and exhibition is sponsored by the Association of Iron and Steel Technology based in Warrendale, Pennsylvania, and is one of the largest professional societies in the steel industry.
This year more than 5,000 participants ranging from students to steel producers to suppliers attend the four day event which showcases the latest advancements in the steel industry. At this year's event there were 430 supplier exhibitors and 434 technical paper presentations given by the steel making community, including ABB.
Multiple businesses from ABB, including Transformers, Power Electronics, FACTS, TRES, Force Measurement, and Metals collaborated to present a One ABB approach to the steel industry at this year's event. ABB offers systems, components, and service along the entire production chain, ranging from electrical equipment to maximize the critical energy supply for the melting process to automation solutions used to ensure quality in the finishing processes inside the steelmaking facility.
At the conference FACTS presented a white paper titled "A STATCOM for Maintaining Power Quality in a Grid Feeding a Steel Plant." The paper discusses the electric arc furnace and its impact on the grid, and how STATCOM can help mitigate flicker emanating from the operation of an electric arc furnace.
Next year's event will take place May 7-10 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit the AISTech website at http://www.aist.org/.
