Ceramic Industry articles from December 2004

Ceramic Industry archives from December 2004

Reflections.(Inside CI)
December 1, 2004... As I write this column, the weather is cold and rainy, and my "holiday spirit" is stubbornly resisting all attempts to be drawn out of hiding. In typical fashion, I've over-committed myself to tasks and events, and despite my best intentions to...

International calendar.(Calendar)
December 1, 2004... JANUARY 2005 9-12 Industry Strategy Session (ISS), Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Calif., www.semi.org/issues 12-14 Strategic Materials Conference (SMC), Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay, Calif., www.semi.org/smc * 25-26 29th...

Kutayha Seramik adds new Sacmi equipment.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Kutayha Seramik of Turkey will boost its output potential with three new Sacmi PH2090 presses and three Sacmi EVA792 dryers. The ceramic producer belongs to the Kutahya Porselen Group, Turkey's oldest tableware manufacturer. To expand...

NSL acquires PerkinElmer ICP/MS.(Ceramics In The News)(NSL Analytical Services Inc. AND PerkinElmer Analytical Instruments)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... NSL Analytical Services recently announced that it has acquired a PerkinElmer Elan ICP/MS DRCe for the trace elemental analysis market of inorganic materials testing. According to NSL, this new instrument bolsters the company's high technical...

Ceralink moves to new location.(Ceramics In the News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Ceralink Inc. recently announced its move to a new location at the Rensselaer Technology Park in Troy, N.Y. This move represents a growing phase for Ceralink, as the company graduates from the Ceramics Corridor Innovation Center (CCIC)...

Ferro and TherMark reach Accord.(Ceramics In The News)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Ferro Corp. and TherMark L.L.C. have settled a dispute over patented laser marking technology and have established a license agreement allowing both parties to practice and promote laser marking technology under the applicable patents. Several...

MHI wins R&D 100 award.(Ceramics In The News)(Micropyretics Heaters International Inc. )(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Micropyretics Heaters International Inc. (MHI) has announced that its new Plasma Airtorch[TM] was recently named a recipient of an R&D 100 Award. The Plasma Airtorch belongs to the company's Airtorch family, which features ideal tools for...

Letters to the editor.(Letter to the Editor)
December 1, 2004... [In "The Coming China Crisis," September 2004, pp. 21-22] Mr. Joseph barely touches on the issue of Chinese currency manipulation in his article. Financial experts can argue about the financial advantage that this manipulation provides the...

Pure protection: controlling the surface chemistries and grain sizes of the materials during preliminary processing can help ensure fully dense armor that meets the stringent needs of body and vehicle protection applicants.
December 1, 2004... Ceramics and cermets (the bonding of ceramics to an appropriate metal or a metallic infusion into a ceramic) incorporating aluminum oxide ([Al.sub.2][O.sub.3]), silicon carbide (SIC) and boron carbide ([B.sub.4]C) are increasingly being...

Lasers: the [H.sub.2]O advantage: water jet guided lasers promise high grooving speeds, precise cutting accuracy and excellent edge quality for LTCCs.(Low-temperature co-fired ceramic)
December 1, 2004... Ceramics hold an important place in the semiconductor and electronic industries, thanks to their excellent dielectric properties, good thermal stability and conductivity, and low thermal expansion. Because they excel in high temperature...

Processing clay the easy way: a new all-in-one mixer/pugmill makes easy work of traditionally labor-intensive clay mixing, recycling and pugging processes.
December 1, 2004... Few pottery producers would say that processing clay is the favorite part of their job. For many hobbyists and small producers, the easiest way to avoid this task is to buy pre-mixed, ready-to-use clay at the nearest pottery supply shop. But in...

Automatic zone control: modern automatic zone control technology allows dynamic adjustment of electric kilns to ensure completely uniform firings.
December 1, 2004... Zone control in electric ceramic kilns has been around for a number of years. However, it has only started to become more popular among pottery producers within the past few years, as automation and improved software have made it more...

Getting personal: in 2005, consumers will be looking for colors and designs that are uniquely "theirs".(Pottery Production Practices)
December 1, 2004... How can you sell more products when consumers are increasingly focused on price? Try getting personal. According to Rebecca Bushner, owner of the color consulting firm Unlimited Color (Santa Cruz, Calif.), today's consumers are looking for ways...

Beyond Murano: decorating Murano-look glass tile is challenging but rewarding for those who develop new techniques.(Pottery Production Practices)
December 1, 2004... My last article ("Little Pieces of Murano," March 2004 PPP, pp. 28-29) discussed a technique used to create glass tiles that replicate the classic Murano look. Over the past several months, we have taken that process even further at Design...

Nanoscale alumina.(New Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Forever Chemical Co. A new high-purity nanoscale alumina called nAlumina[R] has been developed for use in applications ranging from polishing precision optics to formulating high-strength structural and engineered ceramics and coatings. An...

Injector burner.(New Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... North American Manufacturing Co., Ltd. The new 4408 VHPI Variable Heat Pattern Injector Burner reportedly provides a new dimension to the firing flexibility and performance of roof-fired tunnel kilns. Unlike conventional injector burners,...

Planetary ball mills.(New Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... Retsch, Inc. This company's extremely powerful planetary ball mills offer speeds of up to 650 rpm, allowing for continuous operation without cool down times. Other features include the patented "easysafe" clamp; balance control; a...

Refractory directory.(New Products)
December 1, 2004... Business Data International Inc. An English-Chinese bilingual edition of China Refractory Directory was recently published. The directory, which lists about 350 leading refractory enterprises in China, includes information such as the...

Heating elements.(New Products)(Brief Article)
December 1, 2004... M. E. Schupp This company recently extended its range of electric heating elements for industrial furnaces, ceramic kilns and sintering equipment with the new MolyTec 1600 fiber heater panel, an electric, modularly constructed heating...