Ceramic Industry articles from August 2008

Ceramic Industry archives from August 2008

Focus on the positive.(inside magazine)(Editorial)
August 1, 2008... It's times like these that I really wish I could get into meditation. Between economy woes, natural disasters and various wars and conflicts around the world, the news can be a little overwhelming these days. A few minutes of quiet time without...

Ceradyne acquires technology for oil drill bearings.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Ceradyne, Inc. has acquired certain patents and intellectual property covering a proprietary technical ceramic bearing solution for "down hole" oil drilling. This intellectual property was acquired from a privately owned business located in...

Saint-Gobain's Construction Products sector moves into Japan.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Saint-Gobain's Construction Products sector has gained a foot-hold in the Japanese insulation market through its acquisition of the 43.64% stake held by Nippon Sheet Glass in MAG. The acquisition was made for 1750 million yen (about $17...

CoorsTek acquires DEW Engineering and Development.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... CoorsTek, Inc. has acquired DEW Engineering and Development Limited, an armor solutions provider of vehicle ballistic protection, specialty vehicles, and vehicle refurbishing and repurposing services. Incorporated in 1978, DEW Engineering is...

Lifetime Brands acquires Mikasa.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Lifetime Brands, Inc. has acquired the business and certain assets of Mikasa, Inc. from Arc International SA. Mikasa is a leading provider of dinnerware, crystal stemware, barware, flatware and decorative accessories. "We are very pleased to...

International calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
August 1, 2008... Aug 10-14 Canadian Gift and Tableware Association (CGTA) Fall 2008 Gift Show > Toronto, Canada, www.cgta.org Aug 11-15 Thermographic Applications Level I > San Diego, Calif., www.snellinfrared.com * Aug 16-17 North American Thermal...

SME initiative outlines what's hot, what's now and what's "green".(IN THE NEWS)(Society of Manufacturing Engineers)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME) has launched an initiative called Innovations That Could Change The Way You Manufacture. This member-driven initiative outlines the emerging technologies that are making a positive impact on...

Ferro announces additional restructuring initiatives.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Ferro Corp. recently took additional actions to rationalize manufacturing and reduce expenses worldwide. The company announced that it discontinued manufacturing tile frits and tile color products at its facilities in Americana, Brazil, at the...

Seramiksan to install new Sacmi machines.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Based in Turgultu, Turkey, Seramiksan will turn to Sacmi-made machines when upgrading the pressing and drying department in a plant that has three single-fire floor tile production lines. This department, which flanks the glazed porcelain tile...

Rio Tinto to invest $270 million in molybdenum.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Rio Tinto recently announced plans to invest $270 million in the construction of a new molybdenum autoclave process (MAP) facility at its Kennecott Utah Copper (KUC) Bingham Canyon operation in Salt Lake City. The facility will enable...

Advanced Cerametrics receives $12 million contract from U.S. Army Research Laboratory.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Advanced Cerametrics Inc. (ACI) recently announced the receipt of a five-year cooperative agreement contract from the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to develop and scale-up large-volume continuous fiber process technology to manufacture...

Searles Valley Minerals acquired by Nirma Limited.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Sun Capital Partners, Inc. recently announced that two of its affiliated portfolio companies, Searles Valley Minerals Operations Inc. and Searles Valley Minerals Inc., have been sold to Nirma Limited, reportedly one of the largest producers of...

Prices on the rise.(IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Unprecedented increases in energy and fuel costs are pushing manufacturers and suppliers to increase their prices and surcharges for a broad range of products. For example, Imerys Performance Minerals North America increased its previous energy...

Acme Brick Co. announced winners of the company's Plant Manager of the Year competition.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Acme Brick Co. announced winners of the company's Plant Manager of the Year competition. John Spence, manager of Acme's Oklahoma City plant, received the Plant Manager of the Year award, while Steve Howard of the...

Setaram Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Bruce Jamieson has been appointed chief executive officer and vice president of Setaram Inc. Jamieson has over 20 years of experience in the life sciences and laboratory automation industries, including liquid handling instruments, reagents and...

Control Instruments Corp.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Control Instruments Corp. announced that Brian Barrett has been named a direct regional sales manager for the company's Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana territories. He has over 10 years of sales and marketing experience in the gas detection...

Ferro Corp.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... John Bingle has been promoted to the position of treasurer of Ferro Corp. Bingle, who joined Ferro in 2004, most recently served as director, treasury. He will have overall responsibilities for cash management, capital structure management,...

NSL Analytical.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... NSL Analytical announced that Craig Mikin has joined the company as quality assurance manager. Mikin has 17 years of experience in quality assurance and quality control functions at companies including Fusion Inc., Oglebay Norton Engineered...

Praxair, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Ray Roberge, formerly president, Praxair Electronics, has been named corporate vice president and chief technology officer of Praxair, Inc. In his new role, Roberge will be responsible for setting the strategic direction for corporate-wide...

Minteq International Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Brian J. Seelig has joined Minerals Technologies Inc. as vice president, Global Manufacturing, Minteq International Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary that produces refractory materials and systems. He will be responsible for Minteq's worldwide...

Ceralink Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Patricia Strickland has been appointed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Patricia Strickland has been promoted to the position of chief executive officer (CEO) of Ceralink Inc. Strickland has served as Ceralink's business manager since the company launched operations in 2001. As CEO, Strickland is responsible for...

NSG Group.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Tomoaki Abe has been appointed)(Katsuji Fujimoto has been appointed)(Yozo Izuhara has been appointed)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The board of NSG Group recently announced several changes in the senior management of its board. Yozo Izuhara has been appointed chairman of the board, Katsuji Fujimoto was named chairman of the NSG Group and Tomoaki Abe has been appointed...

Applied Materials, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... James E. Rogers has been appointed to serve on the board of directors of Applied Materials, Inc. He will also serve as a member of the board's Human Resources and Compensation Committee and the Strategy Committee. Rogers is chairman of the...

Alcoa.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Alcoa's board of directors has elected Klaus Kleinfeld president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the company. He succeeds Alain Belda, who will continue as chairman of the board, as CEO. Kleinfeld was named president and chief operating...

Calcarb Ltd.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
August 1, 2008... Calcarb Ltd. has hired David Nimmo as its international sales and marketing manager. Most recently, Nimmo served as director of sales and marketing for Frontier Semiconductor. His experience also includes positions as vice president of sales...

Eriez Magnetics.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(Eriez Magnetics Europe Ltd. appoints Andy Lewis and Paul Fears )(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Eriez[R] Magnetics announced the appointment of Andy Lewis to the newly created position of vice president-International. Lewis joined Eriez in 1976 and has served as managing director of Eriez-Europe since 1995,...

SGCD announces formation of Regulatory and Technical Panel.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)
August 1, 2008... The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) has formed a new Regulatory and Technical Panel headed by former SGCD president Paul Duffer, Ph.D., who recently retired from PPG Industries. Duffer brings many years of technical expertise to...

CPSC legislation to affect glass and ceramic industries.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)
August 1, 2008... The industry is struggling to understand the meaning of recently passed legislation in the U.S. House and Senate regarding use of lead in children's products. The Senate legislation calls for lead content of no more than 300 ppm in children's...

Coca-Cola finalizes record settlement in Prop 65 case.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)
August 1, 2008... The Coca-Cola Co. and the California Attorney General have finalized a $2 million settlement that includes the largest civil penalty in Proposition 65 history. Finalized on April 29, the settlement includes provisions whereby Coca-Cola will...

Jacobs to retire.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)(Richard Jacobs of Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Richard Jacobs has announced that he will retire from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this year. Jacobs has long been associated with the glass and ceramic industries and has worked closely with the SGCD and other groups to develop...

Decorators seek additional sources of production.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... With the situation in China changing daily, decorators and manufacturers are increasingly looking to other Asian countries to remain competitive. Wages in China have increased by 25% in the past year, and the cost and instability of the...

Pfaltzgraff ware recalled.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)
August 1, 2008... Lifetime Brands has announced the voluntary recall of its Villa della Luna and Nautica patterns produced overseas. The announcement appears on the company's website. The ware was recalled because it may violate the FDA standard for lead and/or...

SGCD creates new member class.(CERAMIC DECORATING: News from the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators creates new class of membership)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... The SGCD has created a new class of membership for decorators with 10 or fewer employees. Small decorators can now join the society for $195 per year and will enjoy preferential rates at Deco '09 in Las Vegas, Nev. To qualify for this special...

Shake it up! Atomic force microscopy shows that liquids adjust viscosity when confined and shaken.(TECHNOLOGY innovations)
August 1, 2008... Getting ketchup out of the bottle isn't always easy. However, shaking the bottle before trying to pour allows the thick, gooey ketchup to flow more freely because it becomes more fluid when agitated. The opposite is not typically true; a liquid...

Consolidating shipments.(FREIGHT FOCUS)(Column)
August 1, 2008... For years, a company's freight expenses were a gray area that "those guys in shipping" dealt with. However, since freight costs are usually a major cost center at most manufacturers and distributors, many chief financial officers and presidents...

Working without a "break": an international competitor in the decorative glass industry recently discovered robotic solutions to its glass handling problems.(CASE STUDY)
August 1, 2008... Nachi Robotic Systems Inc. (NRS) produces robotic solutions for industry and enjoys an installation base of more than 25,000 robots in North America. NRS robots have long been a familiar sight in the automobile industry, but their entry into...

Managing mobile workforces and assets: GPS-enabled mobile resource management systems can help manufacturers boost employee productivity, control costs and manage risks.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The term mobile resource management (MRM) refers to the products or services used to manage mobile field workers and assets, such as vehicles, delivery trucks or trailers. As global positioning system (GPS)...

Lean manufacturing as a growth creator: lean is a business strategy, and strategies usually give you ways to improve your company financially and aid in its future growth.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As a lean practitioner and consultant, I need to be a salesman, selling the idea of lean manufacturing and kaizen principles to potential customers. This part of the job is not as fun as guiding my clients through...

Advancing ceramic & glass technology: CI's annual Ceramic and Glass R&D Overview highlights technology advances from around the globe.
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A self-healing ceramic, crystals grown from aqueous solutions, lunar construction materials produced through a self-propagating high-temperature synthesis reaction--these are but a few of the technology advances...

2008 Discovery Awards: the annual Discovery Awards competition recognizes outstanding design and technical achievements in the decoration of ceramic and glassware.
August 1, 2008... Sponsored by the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD), the annual Discovery Awards competition recognizes outstanding decorating ceramic and glassware design and technical achievements. All entries were displayed in the SGCD's...

Testing alternative fuels in brick manufacturing: as the interest in alternative fuels continues to rise, calorimetery will become increasingly necessary for kiln operations to test for quality and emissions.(special section: brick & clay record)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] While natural gas is the most frequently used fuel for kiln firing, some brick manufacturers are beginning to utilize readily available alternative solid fuels like coal or sawdust. These alternative solid fuel...

Reliable dust collection: as we learn more about the effects of dust and pollutants on our environment, it is apparent that removing dust is vital to our health and the quality of the products we produce.(special section: brick & clay record)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Removing and controlling the dust generated by our manufacturing processes has become an issue that is forefront in the minds of employees and regulators. As we learn more about the effects of dust and pollutants on...

Building green: the Brick Industry Association has taken several major steps in promoting clay brick for green building design and sustainability.(special section: brick & clay record)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Green building, energy efficiency, sustainability: These concepts have made their way into the thinking of architects, builders and consumers--and for good reason. Those who choose to construct a building according...

Baby steps: consumption of clay brick is forecast to increase 1.8% annually to 10.8 billion units valued at $2.6 billion in 2012.(special section: brick & clay record)
August 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Demand for brick and block products is projected to increase 2.2% annually to 15.9 billion units valued at $7.9 billion in 2012. Growth will be greatest in concrete products, reflecting stronger growth in key...

"Precious Metal Compounds and Catalysts" catalog.(WHAT'S NEW)
August 1, 2008... Alfa Aesar [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A new"Precious Metal Compounds and Catalysts" catalog is now available. The 80-page publication lists a full range of precious metal (platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, gold, silver and...

Round seperator.(WHAT'S NEW)
August 1, 2008... Sweco [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The MX separator is a new-generation unit that reportedly increases safety and improves cleanup and maintenance. The totally enclosed weight guard prevents "reach-in" injuries and complies with European CE...

Vacuum suction cup suspensions.(WHAT'S NEW)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Anver Corp. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A line of vacuum suction cup suspensions that are infinitely adjustable to compensate for uneven loads during the final setup of high-speed automation equipment is available. VX series suction cup...

Software selection tool kit.(WHAT'S NEW)
August 1, 2008... Technology Group International This company recently announced an update to its free software selection tool kit. The reference guide is free to all manufactur ing and distribution companies that are engaged in a technology evaluation...

Knoop/Vickers testers.(WHAT'S NEW)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Wilson Instruments [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 400 series of Knoop/Vickers testers reportedly provides an affordable, dependable microhardness testing solution ideal for Knoop and Vickers testing of metals, ceramics and other...

Onboard pump intelligence.(WHAT'S NEW)
August 1, 2008... ITT Goulds [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Onboard pump intelligence is now a standard feature of the ANSI model 3196 process pump. The new i-Frame[TM] provides operations personnel, maintenance managers and reliability engineers with an early...

2008 catalog.(WHAT'S NEW)
August 1, 2008... Adams Magnetic Products Co. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A 2008 catalog introduces this company's neodymium magnetic assemblies with new mounting configurations, as well as its new MAG-branded flexible magnetic products. Along with a...