The AIKW is a registered association with the aim of informing its members about current developments in rolling technology and the associated plant technology.

The board of the AIKW works on a voluntary basis and does not receive any remuneration for its work and the organization of the conferences.As the meetings are organized by a small circle of members, it may take some time to respond to inquiries or process business transactions.

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.

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The AIKW is a registered professional organization for roll pass designers and rolling mill engineers with a main emphasis in the field of hot rolled long products. The aim of the Association is to maintain and to deepen the members' skills acquired during theit basic training and subsequent practical work and to promote the exchange of experience between members.

In this respect, regular scientific conferences with presentations on specific topical subjects and plant visits make an important contribution. International speakers are invited to these conferences to give presentations on specific subjects of rolling mill technology and adjacent areas of production engineering, plant engineering and organization.

In addition to members, any interested individual working in the steel industry or in the field of mechanical engineering, plant engineering or in the supplying industry, as well as university and polytechnic students and students from technical and master craftspeople schools may participate in the conferences and visits offered.

The Association is a non-profit organisation and does not pursue own financial interests.

AIKW Membership

Only natural persons working as roll pass designers, engineers, technicians or masters in rolling mills or adjacent fields, regardless of their nationality or affiliation to parties or other associations, may become members of the AIKW. For detailed information please refer to our statutes, which are available for download.

AIKW Statutes

The statutes are available for download here:

Application to become a member of the AIKW

The application to become a registered member of the AIKW needs to be submitted in writing using the application form provided. Please download the application form here:

Application form for membership

Please return the completed and signed form to:

• Geschäftsstelle der AIKW
• Herr Dr.-Ing. Lars Detlef Hentschel
• Von-Neuenstein-Weg 9
• D-77876 Kappelrodeck / Deutschland
• e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.