Planning to attend AISTech 2026? Here’s what you need to know.
AISTech 2026 takes place May 4-7 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Polyonics will be on the show floor with our full lineup of high-performance track-and-trace solutions for steel and aluminum mills, including live demos of our HIGHdegree labels and tags.
Stop by to see product samples in person, talk with our materials specialists about your tracking challenges, and book a one-on-one booth meeting with our engineering team.
What Is the AISTech 2026 Event and Why Does It Matter?
AISTech is the premier annual steel conference organized by the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AIST), bringing together thousands of steel and metals professionals for three days of technical sessions, networking, and hands-on exposure to technologies reshaping the industry.
Attendees include mill operators, quality managers, procurement leaders, and process engineers from across the metals sector. This is where serious conversations happen with serious buyers, and where you discover innovations that solve real operational problems.
AISTech 2026 Dates, Location, and Registration
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Event | AISTech 2026 — Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition |
| AISTech 2026 Dates | May 4–6, 2026 (Plant Tours: May 7) |
| Venue | David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh, PA |
| Polyonics Booth | Booth #219 |
| Registration | aist.org |
| Polyonics Contact | Juliet Whitehill — [email protected] | 603-903-6325 |
When and Where
AISTech 2026 runs May 4–6 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Book Your Booth Meeting
Call 603-903-6325 to reserve a time slot with our engineering team. We welcome walk-ins, but scheduled meetings get priority access.
AISTech 2026 Schedule Highlights
AISTech 2026 runs May 4–6, 2026 with optional plant tours on May 7. Here are the key events to plan around:
| Day | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 3 May | 3:00–5:15 p.m. | Women in Steel Development Program (registration required) |
| 3:00–5:15 p.m. | Young Professionals’ Development Program (registration required) | |
| Monday, 4 May | 8:00–9:00 a.m. | J. Keith Brimacombe Memorial & AIME Keynote Lecture — opens the conference |
| 8:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Open | |
| 9:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Technical Sessions | |
| 5:00–6:00 p.m. | AIST Welcome Reception — Exhibit Hall | |
| Tuesday, 5 May | 8:00–10:15 a.m. | President’s Award Breakfast |
| 10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Open | |
| 10:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. | Technical Sessions | |
| Wednesday, 6 May | 10:00 a.m.–Noon | Industry Leader Town Hall Forum |
| 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. | Exhibit Hall Open (final day) | |
| 2:30 p.m. | Vehicle Giveaway — Exhibit Hall | |
| Thursday, 7 May | 7:30 a.m.–Noon | Post-conference Plant Tours (Tenaris Koppel; Carrie Furnaces) |
The Exhibit Hall is open Monday through Wednesday, with the longest window on Monday and Tuesday. If you’re planning your trip around floor time, those are the days to prioritize.
Book your Polyonics booth meeting early. Our slots fill before the doors open.
What We’re Bringing to the Show Floor
HIGHdegree Labels and Tags for Steel and Aluminum
HIGHdegree is purpose-engineered for metals processing, built from the ground up for steel and aluminum environments. These labels maintain adhesion and readability through hot-rolling, annealing, and reheat furnace processes. Proprietary coatings resist molten metal splatter, pickling lines, and harsh mill chemistry.
Scannable barcodes follow your product from slab to shipment through every stage of production. HIGHdegree integrates with the printers and MES systems you already use through direct thermal and thermal transfer compatibility.
Apex Series: Next-Generation High-Performance Label Materials
AISTech 2026 is your first chance to see the Apex Series in person. Built for operations spanning metals processing and electronics manufacturing, it delivers 72% greater flux solder resistance vs. previous-generation materials and has been heat tested up to 572°F (300°C). ESD-safe options, ultra-thin constructions, and multi-surface adhesion make it ideal for automotive, aerospace, and EV battery producers.
Why Steel Professionals Are Switching to Barcode Tracking
- Readability: Crayons, paint sticks, and stencils fade, smear, and become unreadable under heat and contact. HIGHdegree barcodes are machine-scannable at every stage.
- Durability: Manual marks fail under the mechanical abuse of mill environments. HIGHdegree labels are engineered to survive the full process.
- Error rate: Manual marking depends on operator skill and conditions. Automated scan verification brings error rates to near-zero.
- Compliance: Hand-marking produces no digital audit trail. HIGHdegree delivers full traceability with digital records from cast to customer.
Manual marking is a liability. Crayons, paint sticks, and stencils fade, smear, and become unreadable. Every unreadable mark is a potential wrong-alloy shipment waiting to happen. HIGHdegree labels eliminate the guesswork, carrying machine-readable identification from cast to customer.
What Sets Polyonics Apart
Polyonics has been solving high-performance labeling challenges since 1995, formulating, testing, and manufacturing proprietary coating technology in-house from our headquarters in Westmoreland, NH. We serve steel and aluminum mills, automotive OEMs, aerospace and defense, and electronics manufacturing. Our products are UL Recognized, REACH compliant, and RoHS compliant.
- Single-source accountability: One call solves your problem, from formulation to fulfillment. No third-party converters, no added lead time.
- 30 years of R&D: Proven formulations addressing failure modes others are still discovering.
- Application engineering support: We don’t just sell you a label. We help you deploy it correctly.
Industry Challenges Shaping This Year’s Agenda
- Traceability mandates: Automotive and aerospace customers increasingly require full material traceability from melt to delivery. Manual systems can’t produce the digital audit trail you need.
- Mixed-alloy risk: One misidentified slab can trigger six-figure recalls as product portfolios diversify.
- Labor and automation: Barcode-based tracking reduces dependence on skilled operators for hand-marking and visual verification.
- Sustainability reporting: ESG and carbon tracking need product-level data that starts with reliable identification at the point of production.
Every one of these challenges points to the same solution: durable, scannable, automated identification. That’s exactly what we build.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is AISTech 2026 and where is it held?
AISTech 2026 takes place May 4–6, 2026 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, with optional plant tours on May 7. Register at aist.org and contact Juliet Whitehill to pre-book your booth meeting.
How much does it cost to attend AISTech 2026?
AIST hasn’t published final registration pricing yet for 2026. Historically, AISTech registration runs roughly $1,000–$1,500 for AIST members and $1,500–$2,000+ for non-members for the full conference. It’s worth checking aist.org for official 2026 rates as they’re released.
What will Polyonics be showcasing?
Live demos of HIGHdegree labels and tags for steel and aluminum mills, plus hands-on samples of the new Apex Series materials. Bring your tracking challenge and meet with our engineering team one-on-one.
Who should attend AISTech?
Mill operators, quality managers, process engineers, procurement professionals, and anyone responsible for material tracking or traceability in metals manufacturing.
Book Your Booth Meeting Now
AISTech 2026 is the one event where you can see HIGHdegree in action and meet face-to-face with the engineers who formulate them. Our calendar fills up before the doors open.Call 603-903-6325 or fill out the contact form to schedule your meeting at Booth #219. Bring your toughest tracking challenge. We’ll bring the solution.
