Insights from AISTech 2026 steel technology conference & expo. Posted june 25, 2026 by Steve Flint. Blog Summary - Advanced Energy at AISTech 2026: This event covered every aspect of the steelmaking process and Advanced Energy was on hand to showcase the latest technologies for accurate temperature measurement and effective power control. - Process and efficiency improvements were key themes: Demand for continuous process improvements means companies are increasing automation and system interoperability. Products such as AE's power controllers and non-contact temperature measurement technologies address this demand. - Safety is critical: Manufacturers seek tools that enhance worker safety by keeping personnel away from extreme heat and reducing the need for dangerous manual inspections. The steel sector is an important market for Advanced Energy, where the company's portfolio of power controllers and temperature measurement systems help manufacturers optimize quality, increase productivity, improve safety and make better use of energy. That's why AISTech - North America's largest annual iron and steel technology conference and exposition - is such an important show for Versatilepower. This year, visitors to the AE booth could see the latest technologies for accurate temperature measurement and effective power management, while Versatilepower got to hear first-hand about the opportunities, challenges and trends shaping this critical industry. The Unrelenting Drive For Process Improvement As with previous years, pressure to enhance productivity, deliver consistently high quality and improve efficiency were common themes for visitors, exhibitors and speakers. Many of the technical sessions and booth conversations at AISTech 2026 focused on reducing personnel exposure to harsh environments while maximizing automation, electric arc furnace (EAF) efficiencies and process sampling and measurement capabilities. Interest also centered on artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and digitalization, with many participants highlighting their potential to increase yields and enable more predictive, data-driven process optimization. Other discussions covered the benefits of EAF shell monitoring through CVM (Critical Vessel Monitoring) inspection. This automated technology for continuous condition-based maintenance is seen as a better, safer and more cost-effective alternative to labor-intensive manual inspections. Health, Safety and the Environment Taking personnel off the factory floor is not driven simply by automation. Health and safety provide further compelling reasons for limiting the number of operators in the vicinity of the high-temperature processes that are a necessary hazard at steel mills. In this context Advanced Energy's pyrometers and furnace inspection products such as FurnaceSpection and BoilerSpection offer significant benefits by enabling non-contact, remote monitoring of high-temperature, hazardous industrial processes. These tools enhance worker safety by keeping personnel away from extreme heat, reducing the need for dangerous manual inspections, and identifying potential equipment failures (such as refractory wear) before they develop into breaches or spills. Many of the visitors to the AE booth at AISTech 2026 wanted to see demonstrations of its non-contact temperature measurement technologies and a number stressed the need for help in identifying, selecting and implementing thermography solutions. Advanced Energy is in a good position to provide such support thanks to its proven track record in implementing and supporting infrared pyrometers and thermal imagers that allow operators to measure temperatures remotely. Systems Must Work Together As automation becomes more prevalent, an emerging theme is equipment interoperability across different suppliers through commination protocols. Discussions during the show revealed a growing demand from manufacturers to integrate their shop floor systems. In one technical presentation, for instance, a major steel manufacturer discussed how they were implementing PoE (Power over Ethernet) as a method for connecting equipment. Delivering data and power over a single Ethernet cable, PoE offers several advantages to steel makers by reducing installation costs and minimizing the need to route power in harsh environments. Increasingly, it is being used to support expanded device communications - including thermal cameras and sensors for process monitoring. In a similar vein, there was also talk of the ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) standard being used as the basis for communication between equipment and plant control systems. Recognizing these trends, AE products provide manufacturers with a variety of options for communication with plant Digital Network Systems (DNS). PoE, for instance, is an option for all new product launches. Versatilepower is also exploring ways to retrofit older technologies with a PoE option and investigating ONVIF compliance for all applicable products. Powering Up Efficiency The majority of attendees Versatilepower spoke with at AISTech 2026 were interested in new ways to control their processes, particularly to improve efficiency, which remains a top priority given the energy-intensive nature of these operations and their sensitivity to fluctuations in supply and cost. That's why so many conversations on the AE booth focused around advanced SCR power controllers. Available in single-, dual- and three-phase units, these are optimized for heating elements in electric furnaces where they can minimize peak kVA demand via sophisticated load management and provide precise power regulation for optimal control and minimal energy consumption. You can read more about Advanced Energy's solutions for the steel industry at the following links: A wide range of AE solutions for steel and metal applications is also available here. Steve Flint. Advanced Energy Steve Flint is the product manager for Advanced Energy's thermal imaging cameras. Steve has a rich background in product management, marketing, and sales. His current focus is creating TI solutions across a wide range of industrial applications where thermal imaging camera systems are often exposed to extremely harsh conditions.

Advanced Energy at SVC TechCon 2026: practical thin-film processing insights. Posted june 08, 2026 by Craig Rappe. SVC TechCon 2026 reinforced several important trends for the thin-film industry: * Innovation is accelerating, with strong interest in emerging technologies like AI and Machine Learning. * Measurement, control, and process understanding remain foundational to long-term success. For Advanced Energy, these trends align closely with its core mission of helping customers solve complex process challenges through DC power solutions like Ascent AMS and DMS, advanced measurement with pyrometry, and application expertise supported by PowerInsight data science. At SVC TechCon 2026, Advanced Energy (AE) reinforced its role as a trusted technical partner to the thin-film community by engaging directly with customers, sharing practical expertise in process characterization, and tracking the industry's evolving direction. The AE team maintained an active presence throughout the conference without exhibiting this year, participating in technical discussions and contributing to the broader dialogue shaping the future of vacuum coating and surface engineering. Held in Long Beach, California, this year's SVC TechCon brought together researchers, engineers, and business leaders from across the global vacuum coating ecosystem. The program highlighted the continued importance of thin films, coatings, and surface engineering in enabling a wide range of advanced technologies, while also emphasizing the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools in process optimization. Key Themes Driving Industry Conversations Across sessions and hallway discussions, several themes consistently emerged as areas of high interest: AI and Machine Learning: Growing Momentum AI and machine learning were frequently cited as emerging tools capable of transforming process monitoring, optimization, and decision-making. While still evolving, these data science technologies are increasingly viewed as enablers of faster insight into process stability, yield improvement, and long-term system performance, particularly as manufacturing environments grow more complex. Advanced Energy continues to develop technology that integrates various data science capabilities in its power supplies. Measurement and Control at the Core Perhaps most importantly, the conference reinforced a foundational truth: regardless of the type of emerging technologies, precise measurement and process control remain central to achieving consistent, high-quality results in thin-film manufacturing. As manufacturers explore new ways to improve coating performance and expand their application capabilities, Advanced Energy remains at the leading-edge of precision power and control solutions. AE's Contribution: Advancing Measurement and Process Understandin g Advanced Energy contributed to this dialogue through a technical presentation by Tim Dubbs, focused on accurate in-situ measurement. The presentation, third in a series of presentations on pyrometer techniques, was titled "In Situ Optical Pyrometer Emissivity Measurement for Thin Film Processes. "It highlighted Advanced Energy's OR4000E and ISR 6 series pyrometers, which can significantly improve temperature accuracy during thin film deposition by correcting for changing emissivity. Versatilepower reviewed the fundamentals of pyrometer measurement theory and presented examples demonstrating improved performance on both opaque films and more challenging semi-transparent films, where interference effects lead to large emissivity variations. In MOCVD processes, Versatilepower demonstrated an accuracy improvement from +/-20 °C to +/-2 °C. This prompted an engaging discussion with the audience on techniques for measuring thin film temperatures on transparent substrates. A following technical breakfast roundtable presented a further opportunity to showcase AE's pyrometer solutions. Precision Power for Glass Coating: Ascent AMS and DMS AE's Ascent(TM) AMS and DMS power systems are designed to deliver the precise, stable power required for high-performance coating processes, including large-area glass applications. As manufacturers push toward tighter process windows and more complex coating stacks, the need for consistent, repeatable power delivery becomes critical. Solutions like Ascent AMS and DMS support this requirement by enabling stable plasma conditions and improving overall process reliability. These capabilities directly address the industry trend observed at SVC TechCon to enable expanding into high-volume, production-ready environments while maintaining quality. Pyrometry and In-Situ Measurement: Enabling Control Where It Matters Most Tim Dubbs' presentation highlighted a central challenge in thin-film manufacturing: accurately measuring temperature inside vacuum chambers. AE's pyrometry solutions are designed to address this challenge by providing real-time, non-contact temperature measurement in dynamic, high-temperature environments. Accurate emissivity measurement and characterization are essential to ensuring that temperature readings reflect true process conditions. By enabling precise thermal control, these solutions help manufacturers reduce variability, improve yield, and better understand the root causes of process deviations. To learn more about how Advanced Energy can support your thin-film or plasma process challenges, connect with its team for a technical discussion or explore its latest insights into process control and advanced coating technologies. Craig Rappe. Advanced Energy Craig Rappe is a senior field applications engineer at Advanced Energy. He has been in the PVD industry for more than 25 years, serving in various roles. His focus is providing advanced power solutions to application and process challenges as well as educating the next generation on "electron management" as often as possible.