Ceramic Industry articles from February 2006

Ceramic Industry archives from February 2006

Density solutions: ceramics & structural materials.(glass materials)
February 1, 2006... True (skeletal) density is best determined by automatic gas expansion pycnometers; there are no solubility issues, solvent disposal problems, or density limitations as might be encountered with liquid pycnometers and/or flotation (buoyancy)...

Beyond the minimum.(ceramic products)
February 1, 2006... Over the past decade, as U.S. and European manufacturers have struggled to find a competitive edge in the throes of enormous pricing pressures, it has become all too easy to relegate the idea of quality to a lesser status. Sure, it would be...

International calendar.(calendar )(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... 20-23 Conception, Design and Implementation of Plant Safety Systems, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, (31) 20638-2806, e-mail amsterdam@cf-pa.com, www.cfpa.com 21-23 Seminar for Ceramics, Nashville, Tenn., e-mail jjlukacs@namfg.com or...

Lenox announces expansion.(business exapnsion)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Lenox will add 100 jobs and spend $2.5 million to expand its plant in Kinston, N.C., which will have the distinction of being the only Lenox manufacturing facility in the U.S. As an incentive for job creation, Lenoir County will pay Lenox...

Cevisama launches H2Show.(trade shows )(Cevisama)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... H2Show is the name for Cevisama's new venture, which will highlight the trends that exhibitors are showing in bathroom and kitchen furnishings. Cevisama will be held February 7-11, 2006, in Valencia, Spain. H2Show is part of the Cevisama Indi...

Ceradyne receives $9.3 million armor order.(contracts)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Ceradyne, Inc. has received a $9.3 million order for its lightweight ceramic body armor system for use by the U.S. Marine Corps. Shipments were expected to commence in January 2006 and be completed in the second quarter of the year. "The...

ACM receives ONR Contract.(contracts)(Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing)(Office of Naval Research)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Office of Naval Research (ONR) recently awarded a new nanoceramics research and development program to Advanced Ceramics Manufacturing (ACM) to develop wear-resistant ceramic materials for use in industrial cutting tools. The 18-month...

Eriez breaks ground for new China plant.(foreign operations by Eriez)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Eriez recently broke ground on a new manufacturing facility situated on five acres of land in Qinhuangdao, Hebei Province, about 200 miles north of Beijing, China. This will be Eriez' second plant in China (the first was opened in Shanghai in...

Penn State develops new niobium molding process.(research on ceramic products)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... According to Penn State, its researchers have developed the first powder injection molding process for pure niobium, a biocompatible material similar to platinum and titanium, but cheaper. The researchers, who are based in the university's...

CM Furnaces, Inc.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... CM Furnaces, Inc. has appointed Gur Yang as its new international sales manager. His responsibilities include the supervision and management of international sales of the company's line of high-temperature laboratory and production furnaces....

Orton Ceramic Foundation.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... William Duderstadt has joined the Orton Ceramic Foundation in the newly created position of marketing coordinator. His primary focus will be working to stimulate the sales of all Orton products using various advertising media. Duderstadt has...

Blasch Precision Ceramics.(People IN THE NEWS)
February 1, 2006... Blasch Precision Ceramics has named Jeff Bolebruch senior market manager. He is responsible for serving the petrochemical and chemical process industries with Blasch's solutions for chemically difficult or high-temperature applications....

Imagine Tile.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Thomas W. Gunuskey has joined Imagine Tile as vice president of sales. In this newly created position, he is charged with all aspects of Imagine Tile branded product sales in both commercial and residential markets worldwide. Gunuskey joins the...

Frankoma Pottery.(appointments)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Ken Taylor was recently appointed national sales manager for Frankoma Pottery. "Mr. Taylor is assuming immediate responsibility for the development of our new Frankoma Private Label division (FPL), as well as restructuring the national sales...

Characterizing particles: choosing the right particle analysis instrument requires an understanding of the basic operating principles of the different analysis techniques, as well as how variations in size and shape affect the results.(properties )(Cover Story)
February 1, 2006... A basic idea of particle size and shape can be gained by microscopically examining the particles in a sample. However, reducing this visual perception to quantitative values is not straightforward and requires the right selection of specialized...

How to save America's ceramic industries that is--the ones that are left.(industry forecasts)
February 1, 2006... We are not deaf, dumb or blind. Why can't we comprehend that when we lose our manufacturing industries we weaken our economy and our ability to defend our country. Domestic production is the economic activity that creates useful products,...

Efficient quality analysis: gas pycnometry and powder displacement techniques can help ceramic manufacturers quickly, easily and accurately analyze product quality.
February 1, 2006... Ceramic products are designed to meet certain performance criteria based on the needs of the application, and it is the responsibility of manufacturing and quality operations to ensure that the final goods meet those criteria. Testing for total...

Optimizing green machining: following some basic guidelines can help manufacturers optimize cutting quality and productivity in green ceramic machining operations.(equipment supply)
February 1, 2006... Machining unfired aluminum oxide, tungsten carbide, silicon carbide and other green ceramics can be challenging. The abrasive nature of these ceramic materials severely limits the life of carbide tools. While polycrystalline diamond (PCD) tools...

Weighing your insulation options: upgrading your furnace insulation can mean the difference between saving energy and pouring profits down the drain.(energy management)
February 1, 2006... Natural gas future prices have doubled since May 2005 to reach $12 per million BTU by December, with no relief from the increasing prices in sight. Now is the time for owners and operators of high-temperature furnaces to reexamine their options...

Practical pottery: for potter Danny Meisinger, creating functional and non-functional ware is just one part of the person he strives to be.(employees)
February 1, 2006... Danny Meisinger has spent his entire life in Kansas. He's seen his hometown of Gardner grow from a small town with 1200 residents to a bedroom community 10 times that size. He's seen one family business crumble only to be replaced by another....

Controlled firings: kiln design matters Part 1: refractories.(refractories)
February 1, 2006... Every aspect of a kiln's design is a tool that can be used in its operation and control. Whether you decide to build or buy your next gas-fired pottery kiln, keep in mind that features such as the insulation and kiln furniture, burner...

Stoneware: clay body formulas: Part 3: plasticity: clay body additives and the right mixing techniques can be used to accelerate the aging process and achieve an optimum level of plasticity.(ceramic materials)
February 1, 2006... When creating a stoneware clay body formula, one of the most important characteristics is plasticity. The unique attributes displayed by clay/water structures contribute to the plastic qualities of moist clay. Under magnification, clay...

Harnessing the power of air: air release dies allow for greater production quantities and often a more consistent quality, with longer-lasting tooling and considerably less tooling inventory than more traditional clay forming methods.(production processes)
February 1, 2006... Plasters are synonymous with clay processing, both for their water absorption and self-cleaning properties. Most tooling for clay products is based on the premise that the ability of plasters to absorb water depends on the porosity of the...

NCECA 2006 to focus on "Explorations and Navigations".(National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts)(conferences)
February 1, 2006... Thousands of ceramic artists and pottery producers are expected to gather at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., March 8-11, 2006, for the 40th annual conference of the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts (NCECA)....