Ceramic Industry articles from April 2004

Ceramic Industry archives from April 2004

Finding new solutions.(Inside CI)
April 1, 2004... Efficiency, flexibility, durability, quality, low maintenance--these are the buzzwords in today's ceramic manufacturing plants. Fortunately, equipment suppliers are tuned in to these needs and are developing new solutions that meet them. ...

International calendar.(Calendar)
April 1, 2004... APRIL * 18-21 ACErS 106th Annual Meeting and Exposition, Indianapolis, Ind., (614) 890-4700, fax (614) 899-6109, e-mail info@acers.org 20-21 Human Error Prevention, Denver, Colo., (845) 265-0123, e-mail benjm@optonline.net,...

IDGA Conference will focus on Auto & Air applications.(Ceramics In The News)(Institute for Defense and Government Advancement )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) will hold its Lightweight Materials for Auto & Air 2004 conference May 24-26 at the Hamilton Crowne Plaza Hotel in Washington, D.C. The conference will focus on materials technologies...

Ceramics China to offer glimpse of opportunities in Asia.(Ceramics In The News)(Ceramics China 2004 )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... With total 2003 economic growth estimated somewhere between 8.5-9.1%, China has become increasingly attractive to a number of manufacturers and suppliers worldwide that are hoping to tap into its rapidly expanding markets. Other Asian countries...

Sacmi acquires Laeis Bucher.(Ceramics In The News)(Laeis Bucher Technology GmbH )(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Bucher Industries and Sacmi Cooperativa Meccanici Imola a.r.l. have signed an agreement to sell 100% of the ownership interest in Laeis Bucher Technology GmbH to Sacmi Group. According to the companies, Sacmi has a leading position in the...

International Ceramics plans for ISO 9001 certification.(Ceramics In The News)(International Ceramic Engineering Corp.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... International Ceramic Engineering Corp. recently announced plans to attain certification for ISO 9001:2000 with design by July 2004. This decision brings the company one step closer to demonstrating its total commitment to quality and its...

Southeast Section to hold annual summer golf outing.(Ceramics In The News)(American Ceramic Society)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Southeast Section of the American Ceramic Society will hold its third annual summer golf outing on June 8, 2004, in Cumming, Ga. For additional details, call (256) 246-2146 or e-mail trincse@aol.com.

Saint-Gobain taps into new application.(Ceramics In The News)(ceramic bearings for windmills)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Wind energy companies are beginning to realize the advantages of high-performance ceramic hybrid bearings (steel races with ceramic balls), particularly in converting the 30 rpm motion of the wind blades into 2000 rpm of the rotor shaft to...

Alcan acquires remaining interest in Aluminium Dunkerque.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... On December 30, 2003, Alcan Inc. acquired the remaining 65% stake in the Aluminium Dunkerque smelter, located in Dunkerque, France, from the smelter's financial partners. The acquisition agreement was previously announced on July 9, 2003, by...

2003 Italian machinery downturn less severe than expected.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... The Italian ceramic machinery industry closed fiscal 2003 with a downturn, according to the Italian Ceramic Plant and Machinery Manufacturers' Association (ACIMAC). Preliminary estimates point to a fall in total turnover in the region of 35%,...

Conferences focus on fuel cells, Magnetics.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Two conferences scheduled to be held at the Marriott Denver Tech Center in Denver, Colo., June 9-10, 2004, will focus on fuel cells and magnetics, respectively. Fuel Cell 2004 will focus on the latest developments and integration in...

Allied Mineral Products celebrates grand opening of new facility.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Allied Mineral Products, Inc. recently announced the grand opening of its manufacturing facility in Brownsville, Texas. The plant began producing and shipping product in September 2003, primarily serving customers in Mexico and the western U.S....

Hanson announces Hong Kong joint venture.(Ceramics In The News)(Hanson Hong Kong and Anderson Asia Ltd. joint venture Alliance Construction Materials Ltd.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Hanson PLC recently announced the formation of a 50/50 joint venture, called Alliance Construction Materials Ltd., between Hanson Hong Kong and Anderson Asia Ltd., a subsidiary of Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd. (CKI). The companies...

GEAE acquires Afga-Gevaert's Nondestructive Testing business unit.(Ceramics In The News)(GE Aircraft Engines)(GE Inspection Technologies)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) has completed its acquisition of the Agfa-Gevaert Nondestructive Testing business unit, following receipt of all required regulatory approvals. Agfa NDT will be combined with GEAE's Nondestructive Testing business...

Marine Biological Laboratory.(People In The News)(Carl Zeiss MicroImaging's president James A. Sharp has been elected as a boardmember of the Marine Biological Laboratory)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... James A. Sharp, president of Carl Zeiss MicroImaging, has been elected a member of the board of the Marine Biological Laboratory. Sharp has had a 29-year career at Carl Zeiss and has worked in all aspects of microscopy. As president of Carl...

Alcoa.(People In The News)(David C. Dobson joined Alcoa Engineered Products as president)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Alcoa recently announced that David C. Dobson joined the company effective January 1, 2004, as president of Alcoa Engineered Products, the Alcoa business that supplies extruded aluminum products to customers worldwide. Dobson succeeds Veronica...

Spectrum Control, Inc.(People In The News)(appointed Margo Brown for its Power Management System Group.)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Margo Brown has joined Spectrum Control, Inc. as director of channel sales for the company's Power Management System Group. She is responsible for developing and expanding the group's VAR and distribution channels. Prior to joining Spectrum,...

William "Bill" Webster.(People In The News)(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators's board member dies)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2004... Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) board member William "Bill" Webster died February 21 in an automobile accident. He was a graduate of Penn State University with a bachelor's of science degree in engineering. He was employed by...

Improving slip preparation efficiency: next-generation milling and dispersing machines can help ceramic manufacturers significantly improve the efficiency and flexibility of their slip preparation processes.
April 1, 2004... Ceramic bodies generally consist of a mixture of clays and hard materials. In many ceramic manufacturing processes, all of the raw materials are ground together in ball mills to the required fineness. However, hard materials and clays vary in...

What are you waiting for?(International Business)
April 1, 2004... It began with raw materials. Companies imported them from China and manufactured finished products in the U.S. Then the manufacturing moved to China, so that we now import not just the raw materials, but also the finished products. This is the...

Moving materials: a new moving floor conveying system promises to increase the flexibility and efficiency of material handling operations.
April 1, 2004... Effective material handling management is more than simply transporting goods from point A point B. Moving bulk materials from one point to another creates logistical challenges at every step in the ceramic manufacturing process. Additionally,...

Interpreting data logger results.(Kiln Connection)
April 1, 2004... My normal course of consulting routinely involves analyzing periodic and tunnel kilns, adjusting combustion systems and controls, or modifying kiln designs to improve performance. Data loggers that produce the true thermal history of the firing...

Contamination-free milling: a new jet mill design facilitates cleaning, thereby minimizing cross-contamination and increasing product quality and production efficiency.
April 1, 2004... Cross-contamination is always a concern when milling ceramic powders. For highly sensitive applications, even the smallest amount of contamination can cause the finished powder to be rejected, resulting in wasted time and raw materials. How...

Capturing ferrous contaminants: magnetic metal separation equipment can help manufacturers efficiently and economically remove ferrous contaminants and ensure the purity of their finished products.
April 1, 2004... Characteristics such as stability, extreme heat resistance, chemical inertness and suitability for use in mass-produced products have placed ceramics among the most versatile of materials for today's low- and high-tech markets. However, as the...

The missing link: Ceralink Inc. is fostering developments in materials science by connecting manufacturers with practical microwave processing solutions.
April 1, 2004... While everyone likes to read and hear about new and emerging technologies, most companies in today's resource-strapped economy don't have the time and/or money required to really pursue innovative technologies for themselves. This is especially...

Advances in tape casting technology: improvements in equipment, materials and control technologies have helped tape casting become an integral part of many high-tech manufacturing operations.(Special section: advanced forming)
April 1, 2004... Tape casting was invented shortly after World War II, when Glen Howatt used the first tape casting machine to produce ceramic capacitors. This forming method has evolved significantly since then, and the past decade in particular has seen rapid...

Smart CIPping: a new generation of large "wet bag" cold isostatic presses can increase production and minimize unscheduled downtime through the use of intelligent diagnostic control.(Special section: advanced forming)
April 1, 2004... The evolution of cold isostatic pressing (CIPping) as a production technique has resulted in the development of two discrete press designs--the "wet bag," in which the pressure vessel is full of water and the rubber bag (mold) is removed each...

Silicon nitride rolling elements for bearing applications.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Ceradyne's silicon nitride rollers and balls are strong, tough and lightweight, with outstanding mechanical reliability, wear resistance and contact fatigue resistance. Silicon nitride components are proven to operate under conditions where...

CVD Diamond Corp.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... CVD Diamond Corp. uses proprietary technology to coat tungsten carbide cutting tools with a film of pure diamond. Made for the machining of non-ferrous materials, these high-quality diamond coated cutting tools last 12-20 times as long as bare...

Datapaq, Inc.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Designed specifically for the ceramic industry, the Datapaq Kiln Tracker analyzes and optimizes the firing cycle. The Kiln Tracker System monitors rates of heating and cooling across the quartz inversion point. Additionally, real-time...

Hot isostatic presses.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Mini-HIPpers[R]are compact presses for material research, product prototyping and small batch production. Work zones range from 4" dia. x 5" long to 10" dia. x 30" long. Choose from several modular furnaces for temperatures to 2000[degrees]C....

ACerS booth: 411.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... The High Temperature Materials Laboratory (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) exhibit will describe the HTML, which offers a range of materials characterization capabilities, from electron microscopy and microchemical characterization to crystal...

KEITH Mfg. Co.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... The KEITH[R] WALKING FLOOR[R] V-Floor[TM] conveying system is designed specifically for handling abrasive loads. Constructed of formed steel, the V-Floor system is designed for high-impact use The durability of the conveyor allows it to absorb...

The Kyanite experts.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Kyanite Mining Corp. is the world's oldest and largest supplier of high-quality Virginia kyanite. The company has exacting standards for consistent product quality, and its inventories are abundant. For your next hot product or your existing...

Additive-A[R] clay conditioners.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Additive-A clay conditioners from LignoTech are the industry standard, delivering consistent performance, easier extrusion, improved production rates and reduced losses. Additive-A routinely provides financial returns five to 10 times its cost....

AutoPore IV Series porosimeters.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Micromeritics' new AutoPore IV Series mercury porosimeters deliver fast, accurate pore structure data, including pore size distributions, total pore volume and area, median and average pore diameters, and bulk and apparent density. ...

Visit the screening website--www.midwesternind.com.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Visit Midwestern Industries' interactive website at www.midwesternind.com to view the company's full line of round and rectangular vibrating screening equipment; round separator replacement screens and parts; electric screen heating for...

Metal-free mini mills from NETZSCH.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... To meet the needs of the metal-free grinding product development markets, the Grinding & Dispersion Division of NETZSCH Inc. has expanded its proven MiniZETA[R] laboratory-sized equipment line to include two new non-metal versions, the MiniCer...

Pred Materials International, Inc.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Pred Materials represents Taimei Chemicals of Japan, a leading producer of submicron 99.99% alumina powders. Various grades are available for use in transparent/translucent ceramics, electronic and semiconductor manufacturing parts, lamp...

PremaTech Chand Advanced Ceramics.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... PremaTech Chand Advanced Ceramics, formerly Chand Kare Technical Ceramics, continues a tradition of excellence in precision ceramic machining. The company is ISO 9001:2000 registered (certificate number 951042358) and specializes in...

Quantachrome Instruments: particle technology news.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... The current edition of Quantachrome Instruments' newsletter is now available in print and on the Internet. For the latest information on the company's upcoming events and innovative particle characterization instrumentation, as well as...

Rath Performance Fibers.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Rath specializes in innovative thermal process refractory solutions, offering a premium line of refractory materials for ceramic firing and sintering processes up to 1850[degrees]C. The company's line includes dense refractories, insulating...

Retsch, Inc.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Retsch's new flier describes typical applications in the ceramic industry with the company's proven high-quality devices for laboratory sample preparation. All over the world, quality control managers and research engineers rely on Retsch when...

Russell Finex Inc.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... The Russell compact screener enables ceramic powders to be screened down to 20 microns with greater accuracy than ever before. The unit is ideal for check screening, sizing and grading The screener helps ensure that the final product is of the...

Saint-Gobain Ceramics.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Saint-Gobain Silit[R] SKD ceramic radiant tubes systems reduce energy consumption increase firing efficiency and offer reduced maintenance costs when compared to alloy steel tubes. Each radiant tube is shipped from Saint-Gobain's manufacturing...

Sonic-Mill.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Sonic- Mill's on site, state-of-the art contract machine shop can machine special parts for customers R&D, low volume and full production quantity needs. The company has capabilities for a variety of unique applications in technical ceramic and...

Standard tube furnaces ship in 10 days.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... Thermcraft an industry leader in tube furnace applications for R&D, laboratories and industrial use, is proud to introduce its new standard line of tube furnaces. The new S line of standard tube furnaces features operating temperatures to...

Grinding media from Union Process.(Literature Showcase)
April 1, 2004... A new literature sheet with updated information on grinding media is available from Union Process, a manufacturer of grinding and dispersing equipment for a broad range of industrial applications. The sheet outlines grinding media...

Laboratory attritors.(New Products)
April 1, 2004... Union Process, Inc. The 1-S batch attritor (shown on the cover of this issue) is a laboratory size machine designed to meet a variety of grinding and dispersing needs--either wet of dry. It reportedly allows easy and precise scale-up to...

Cold isostatic press.(New Products)
April 1, 2004... Engineered Pressure Systems, Inc. (EPSI) This company's cold isostatic press (CIP) production unit is designed for high productivity and low maintenance. The CIP is capable of operating at pressures up to 100,000 psi (approximately 700 MPa)...

Surface area and porosimetry system.(New Products)
April 1, 2004... Micromeritics Instrument Corp. The ASAP 2020 accelerated surface area and porosimetry system reportedly makes it easy to obtain high-quality data for a broad range of applications. The system contains a multitude of data reduction methods...

Separators.(New Products)
April 1, 2004... Midwestern Industries Inc. This company offers its GyraVib separators in two models--the ME Series and the MR Series. The ME Series is designed for projects that require an almost unlimited range of vertical and horizontal action...

Nanoparticle media mill.(New Products)
April 1, 2004... Premier Mill, a Unit of SPX Process Equipment According to the company, its Precious Metal Media Mill System uses a proprietary agitation configuration to provide the perfect amount of mechanical force in conjunction with hydraulic forces....