Apr. 17, 2026 - At the 12th Steel meets Refractory (SMR) industry dialogue, 56 technology experts from the steel and refractory industries first met at the Ceramics Museum in Höhr-Grenzhausen. A factory tour took place the following day at Refratechnik in Bendorf. The eleven presentations and intensive discussions once again demonstrated the future of this format for technical exchange between customers and system suppliers.

90 The ceramics museum was packed: 56 participants attended the industry dialogue “Steel-meets-Refractory”

Aaron Skudlarek (Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Economic Affairs) continuedits patronage tothis industry dialogue, andemphasized the importance of this event for deriving product developments and application alternatives through technological exchange.

These SMR topics are always developed in collaboration with the two industry sectors through multiple web meetings and are determined by the curatorial team of Dr. Andus Buhr (Global Technical Director at Almatis GmbH) and Dr. Annika Mertke (Head of Metallurgical Analysis and Refractory Technology at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH).

SMR speakers and moderators

This time, the following topics were discussed:
* Lances for pig iron and steel treatment
* RH plant design development, refractory concepts and new developments
* Permanent lining and insulation concepts for steel ladles and other equipment

The subsequent factory tour at Refratechnik in Bendorf the following day was another highlight, featuring a spraying demonstration and a climb to the top of the raw material silos. Unshaped refractory products are manufactured in Bendorf. Since the new administration building and the new research and development department were commissioned in 2006, this site has formed the basis for new developments and innovations in the field of unshaped products – with an annual capacity of over 30,000 tons – and also provides space for training courses and workshops.

Factory tour at Refratechnik in Bendorf

The next SMR will take place on September 15, 2026, in Aachen. On the eve of the International Colloquium on Refractories (ICR), arguably the world's largest refractory event with over 60 scientific presentations, an accompanying trade exhibition, and some 700 participants, Ulf Frohneberg, Chairman of the German Refractory Industry Association (Wirtschaftsverband Deutsche Feuerfest-Industrie e.V.), welcomed participants from the steel industry to the ICR Colloquium free of charge to learn about current scientific developments.