Technical Presentations
TechForum features a conference program of papers based on a focused topic or theme within the hot-dip galvanizing process. This year's theme is "Admin & Customer Service (including 50th Anniversary Celebration)". Presentations will address technological advancements, studies, Lessons Learned, EHS, quality, optimization, and plant management topics within the year's theme. A few presentations will always be set aside for non-theme topics that are relatively timely in nature.
Sally Buck, Alyssa Weber, Christine Kleen, and More
Valmont Coatings, AGA, and more
Panel Discussion: Navigating EHS Questions for Administrative and Customer Service Teams
Administrative and customer service teams frequently field customer inquiries on complex environmental, health, and safety (EHS) topics. This panel discussion will address frequently encountered EHS questions, with a focus on PFAS, stormwater, sustainability, waste management, and global regulatory applicability. Panelists will share real-world challenges, practical insights, and communication strategies to support accurate and consistent responses across the industry. Bring your questions!
Alexandra Densmore
Elevate Services Group
Technology & Security Improvements: A Practical Guide
This presentation provides a practical overview of five technology areas relevant to galvanizing operations: security camera systems, phone systems, company websites, electronic payment processing, and foundational cybersecurity. Attendees will learn how to evaluate their current systems, identify areas for improvement, and prioritize upgrades appropriate for their operation.
Nils Erik Faulhaber
C. H. Evensen Industriovner AS, Fredrikstad, Norway
Electrically Heated and Hybrid Furnaces for Galvanizing
The hot-dip galvanizing industry throughout North and South America is increasingly challenged to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance operational flexibility. While natural gas and other fossil fuels remain the predominant energy sources for galvanizing furnaces, growing sustainability requirements, corporate decarbonization targets, and the expansion of renewable electricity generation are driving interest in alternative heating technologies.
Electrically heated galvanizing furnaces offer significant advantages, including the elimination of direct combustion emissions, improved temperature control, enhanced thermal uniformity, and reduced maintenance associated with burner systems. In addition, electric heating can facilitate the integration of renewable energy sources and support long-term environmental objectives. However, a complete transition to fully electric operation may not yet be feasible for all facilities due to site-specific infrastructure, energy availability, and investment considerations.
Hybrid furnace systems, combining gas-fired and electrical heating technologies, provide a practical pathway toward gradual electrification while maintaining operational reliability and production flexibility. Such systems enable operators to optimize energy usage, adapt to changing utility costs, and improve energy resilience.
This paper examines the technical, environmental, and economic benefits of hybrid and fully electric galvanizing furnace technologies and discusses their potential role in supporting the industry's transition toward lower-carbon production throughout the Americas.
Alana Fossa
AGA
AGA Research & Technical Department Updates
Learn about the AGA's latest research activities and upcoming efforts to support the new strategic plans of AGA. Also get insight into the Technical Department's current and recent activities and future goals.
Mike Garcia
AZZ Galvanizing - Denver
In-Person Plant Tour Preview: AZZ Galvanizing – Denver
Come learn about what to expect on Wednesday’s plant tour of AZZ Galvanizing – Denver. AZZ Galvanizing is North America’s largest independent provider of hot-dip galvanizing services to a broad range of end-markets. The facility located in Commerce City, CO serves Denver, CO and the surrounding region. We will see galvanizing operations involving their 43 ft. kettle.
Prabath Gunasekara
LTL Galvanizers (Pvt) Ltd
Reading the Steel Before It Reaches the Kettle: Managing Reactive Steel Complaints Through MTR Analysis
Reactive steel is among the most frequent sources of customer dissatisfaction in hot-dip galvanizing, producing thick, dull, or rough coatings and driving excess zinc consumption, even when the finished coating fully conforms to ASTM A123/ISO 1461. This presentation draws on extensive plant data to connect steel chemistry, as reported on Material Test Reports (MTRs), with measurable coating outcomes. Using anonymized case studies, we examine how silicon and phosphorus levels, the Sandelin and Sebisty effects influence coating thickness, appearance, adhesion, and zinc pickup, supported by analytical results and zinc-consumption tracking. We then translate this into practical operational guidance: how to screen incoming steel using MTRs, how to set realistic customer expectations before processing, and how to communicate that appearance variation does not equal a defective coating. Attendees will leave with a repeatable framework for identifying reactive steel early, documenting it to limit liability, and turning a common complaint into a customer-education opportunity. The session is aimed at operations, quality, and customer-service personnel.
Kelsey Halonen
Steelhead Technologies
Positioning Your Galvanizing Shop for Growth in the AI Era
The galvanizing industry has navigated decades of market shifts, material cost volatility, and workforce pressure but the next wave of change is moving faster. AI is reshaping how competitive job shops operate. The galvanizers who build the right foundation now will widen the gap. The ones who wait will feel it in their margins.
But here's what most AI conversations miss: you can't layer intelligence over chaos. Before AI delivers value, your operation has to be digitized. That means every job, every part, every process step must be visible, tracked, and connected in real time across your entire production floor. This session is about what that foundation looks like, why it matters, and what becomes possible once you have it. A fully digitized production floor can automate repetitive, time-consuming, and expensive work, which frees you up to start asking real questions about your operation. Questions that used to require a spreadsheet project or just went unanswered, become instant.
Attendees will leave with a practical framework for digitizing their production floor, understanding where AI fits once that groundwork is laid, and knowing what questions to ask when evaluating whether their current systems can get them there.
Joseph Husseini
EverZinc
Connecting Zinc Pricing & the LME to Plant Operations
Zinc pricing can feel disconnected from day-to-day plant operations, yet it plays an important role in how galvanizers manage margins, production decisions, and performance expectations. Attendees will learn how LME warehousing, warrants, clearing, and settlement influence the movement and valuation of zinc, particularly when the exchange serves as a market of last resort. The session will also explain the key drivers behind LME zinc prices and regional premiums, including concentrate availability, treatment charges, transportation costs, interest rates, warehousing, inflation, geopolitical factors, and downstream demand. The presentation will conclude with a timely market update on current LME pricing and premium trends. By connecting zinc pricing to operational realities, the session will help plant teams better communicate cost pressures, production rates, and performance metrics.
Amber Jackson
V&S Galvanizing - New York
Virtual Plant Tour of V&S Galvanizing New York (Oswego, NY)
The V&S New York team provides expert consultation on design considerations, weather-considerate scheduling, and delivery coordination to ensure successful project outcomes in the demanding Northeastern construction environment. The plant's strategic location in central New York provides efficient access to major markets including (but not limited to) Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany corridors. In addition to hot-dip galvanizing and spin operations the facility also offers specialty TracZinq and RockZinq anti-slip technologies.
Brandon Jones
AGA
2025 Process Survey Results
The 2025 AGA Process Survey received responses from 126 galvanizer member facilities, the highest participation rate on record. The data received covers current industry practices regarding the galvanizing process. Info is displayed in graphs and chart to emphasize key takeaway points and represent historic trends. These results can serve as a valuable benchmarking tool for galvanizers and support process improvement across the industry.
Melissa Lindsley
AGA
AGA's 5-Year Strategic Plan
Recently, the Administrative Department of the AGA completed development of the 2026-2030 Strategic Plan. The Plan was a collaborative effort between the administrative, marketing, and technical departments of the AGA and their corresponding committees. The plan was approved by the Board of Directors in 2025 and includes an Overview, Tactics, and Milestones. This presentation will cover the plan's key objectives, with a focus on impacts on future TechForums.
Ryan Monnig
Monnig Industries & AGA’s Awards Committee Chair
Celebrating the People Behind TechForum’s Legacy: Past AGA Award Winners
This presentation will recognize individuals whose leadership, service, innovation, and contributions have helped shape the galvanizing industry and the AGA community. Presented by AGA Board Member Ryan Monnig (AGA Awards Committee Chair & TSC Member), this session will highlight past award winners and reflect on the lasting impact of their work. As TechForum marks its 50th anniversary, the presentation offers an opportunity to celebrate the people, accomplishments, and spirit of engagement that have strengthened the industry over the years and continue to inspire future leadership in hot-dip galvanizing.
Daniel B. Nothaft, PhD
Uplift Geosystems LLC
Regeneration of Hydrochloric Acid from Liquid Process Streams Containing Iron and Zinc Using Bipolar Electrodialysis
Hydrochloric acid exhibits faster pickling rates at a given temperature and a smoother resulting surface texture on the pickled steel, producing a more consistent zinc coating with less excessive zinc loss than sulfuric acid. However, sulfuric acid has better options available for regenerating acid and producing saleable byproducts such as ferrous sulfate. This results in many North American galvanizing plants trucking iron-rich hydrochloric acid from the steel pickling process offsite to deep-well injection sites as hazardous waste at considerable cost. Bipolar electrodialysis (BPED) is an energy-efficient acid/base regeneration technique that can also contribute to zero-liquid discharge operations. We are developing modular processing units that leverage BPED to regenerate hydrochloric acid and produce non-hazardous and potentially valuable iron/zinc hydroxide byproducts. The process has lower energy usage than thermal approaches and uses no consumable reagents. In addition, our electrodialysis stack innovations have led to increases in output acid concentrations twofold over electrodialysis industry standard, better meeting the needs of the galvanizing industry. To date, 14 weight% HCl production has been demonstrated in bench-scale testing. Overall, BPED shows promise for substantially lowering the costs for galvanizing plants using hydrochloric acid pickling.
Michael Patterson
Western Technologies Inc
Challenges with the Design of a Hybrid Galvanizing Furnace
This presentation justifies the benefits of a hybrid furnace and explains how it is well suited to the utilization of renewable electrical energy. At the same time, numerous technical challenges will be identified and take full advantage of the hybrid furnace concept, especially in a renewable energy context, requiring challenges to be met at the design stage.
John Roy
Race Rock / Connecticut Galvanizing
Managing Wet Storage Stain (White Rust) in Hot-Dip Galvanizing: Science, Solutions, and Customer Care
One of the most urgent, high-stress phone calls you will ever receive is from a panicked customer claiming we delivered 'defective, rusting' steel to their job site. Today, we are going to break down the phenomenon of wet storage stain so you can transform a customer crisis into a masterclass in customer service and technical expertise. By the end of this session, you will know exactly why this happens, how to prove our process wasn't defective, and how to help your customer fix it.
Jason Scarborough
AZZ Metal Coatings
Before the Dip: Customer Communication Before Galvanizing
Good customer service in hot-dip galvanizing starts before material is processed. This presentation will focus on how galvanizers can help customers understand basic design and fabrication considerations, identify potential issues when orders are received, and communicate with customers before processing material. The goal is to reduce surprises, coordinate corrective actions early, and improve the overall customer experience.
Jeff Suda
Clean Energy Steel Construction Center (CES) & AGA
Update on CES initiatives
The Clean Energy Steel Construction Center (CES) was established to expand the use of steel and zinc coatings across clean energy and utility infrastructure markets. This session will provide an update on CES's latest initiatives, including technical publications, market development activities, research projects, codes and standards participation, educational programs, and industry outreach. Learn where the CES is seeing the greatest opportunities for growth, what projects are currently underway, and how AGA members can become involved in helping drive future demand for galvanized steel.
Bob Woods & John Roy
Zaclon, LLC & Race Rock
Recognizing Peers, Elevating HDG
The AGA hosts a number of awards to recognize members and key contributors to the HDG industry. This presentation will recognize past award winners in attendance and explain which awards are currently available and AGA's nomination/award process. Finally, the new Emerging Leader in Galvanizing Award will be presented for the first time.