Ceramic Industry articles from June 2004

Ceramic Industry archives from June 2004

Collaborating for success.(Inside CI)
June 1, 2004... Everyone has undoubtedly heard the old adage, "Two heads are better than one." But when it comes to sharing ideas for advancing technology or improving the industry, companies are increasingly reluctant to reach outside their own boundaries to...

International calendar.(Calendar)
June 1, 2004... JUNE * 9-10 Fuel Cell 2004, Marriott Denver Tech Center, Denver, Colo., (720) 528-3770, e-mail marshah@infowebcom.com, www.infoweb.com/conferences.htm 9-10 Magnetics 2004, Marriott Denver Tech Center, Denver, Colo., (720) 528-3770,...

Permascand sells engineering ceramics operation to Vesta.(Ceramics in the News)(Permascand AB)(Vesta Ceramics AB)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... On March 31, 2004, Permascand AB sold its silicon (Si) and silicon nitride ([Si.sub.3][N.sub.4]) fine ground ceramic manufacturing operation in Ljungaverk, Sweden, to Vesta Ceramics, LLC, based in San Diego, Calif. Permascand AB acquired the...

NexTech announces new projects.(Ceramics in the News)(NexTech Materials, Ltd.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... NexTech Materials, Ltd. has been awarded several new private and governmental development contracts through the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, NASA and the Ohio Department of...

Oneida completes sale of Buffalo China dinnerware facility.(Ceramics in the News)(Oneida Ltd.)(Niagara Ceramics Corp.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Oneida Ltd. has completed its sale of certain assets of its Buffalo China dinnerware factory in Buffalo, N.Y., to Niagara Ceramics Corp. of Buffalo for $5.5 million in cash. Oneida previously announced on January 20, 2004, an agreement to sell...

Saint-Gobain provides ceramic armor plates for U.S. troops.(Ceramics in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Saint-Gobain Ceramics recently finalized a multi-million dollar contract to supply 38,000 ceramic plates to a major armor integrator that will use the plates to reinforce its Interceptor body armor vests. The contract is a result of a...

Burton-Apta acquired by Imerys.(Ceramics in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Imerys recently announced that it has acquired Burton-Apta in Hungary. Burton-Apta will operate under the new name of Imerys Magyarorszag Tuzalloanyagyarto Kft as a fully integrated member of the existing Imerys Kiln Furniture organization....

Corning opens diesel products facility.(Ceramics in the News)(Corning Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Corning Inc. recently celebrated the opening of its new clean-air products plant in Erwin, N.Y. New York Governor George Pataki helped lead the grand opening of the $200 million production facility. Production of large Corning diesel substrates...

CeramTec enhances its thin ceramic substrate production.(Ceramics in the News)(CeramTec North America)(Double disc grinding process)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... CeramTec North America has completed installation of a new double disc grinding process that ranks among the most advanced equipment in the world for the production of ultra-thin ceramic substrate technology. The new equipment, valued at more...

CRADA partnership advances SiC armor.(News highlight: ceramic armor)(Cooperative Research and Development Agreements)(silicon carbide)
June 1, 2004... Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) were established and authorized under the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 as a vehicle to improve the transfer of commercially useful technologies from federal laboratories to the...

Sonic-Mill.(People in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Sonic-Mill, a member of The Bell Group, recently announced that Monika Sandoval has joined its sales and marketing department. She has 15 years of experience in the ceramic industry. "We're thrilled to have Monika on board at Sonic-Mill," said...

Gregory J. Del Corso, manager-Powder Products Inc.(People in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Gregory J. Del Corso, manager-Powder Products R&D for Carpenter Powder Products Inc., was honored recently by the Lehigh Valley chapter of ASM International with the 2004 Bradley Stoughton Award, given annually by the chapter to recognize...

Alfred University.(People in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... David Earl, Ph.D., assistant professor of ceramic engineering and materials science in the School of Engineering at Alfred University (AU), has been appointed director of the AU Center for Environmental and Energy Research (CEER). Earl has been...

Murata Electronics North America.(People in the News)
June 1, 2004... Murata Electronics North America recently appointed John Denslinger executive vice president of sales and marketing. In this expanded role, Denslinger will leverage over 25 years of experience with Murata to continue advancing the company's...

Alcoa.(People in the News)(Alcoa Inc.)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Alcoa recently announced that Tomas Mar Sigurdsson has been named managing director of Fjardaal, Alcoa's planned new primary aluminum plant in East Iceland. Sigurdsson joins Alcoa from Nordural (Nordic Aluminum), a primary aluminum manufacturer...

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers.(People in the News)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... The Society of Manufacturing Engineers recently named Mark C. Tomlinson director of membership. Formerly with Cincinnati/Lamb (previously Lamb Technicon Machining), Tomlinson has more than 30 years of manufacturing experience.

Protecting intellectual property rights at home.(IP In-depth)
June 1, 2004... My last "IP In Depth" column (February 2004) addressed protecting intellectual property rights (IPRs) in China. While doing business in China exposes companies to technology theft, clandestine production runs that are diverted to the black...

Powerful powders: material advances will continue to play a large role in the enhanced performance and commercialization of solid oxide fuel cells.
June 1, 2004... There has been a widespread and growing interest in fuel cells over the past several years. All major automotive manufacturers are involved in the development of fuel cell vehicles, and numerous other companies are working on various aspects of...

The power of plasma; innovative plasma spray techniques and cost savings in the sequential formation of multi-layered SOFC structures.(Special focus: solid oxide fuel cells)
June 1, 2004... Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) offer a highly efficient, pollution-free means to generate electricity through electrochemical and chemical reactions between hydrogen/-hydrocarbon fuels and oxygen. The modular and distributive nature of SOFCs...

Expanding markets on a miniature scale; high-precision laser micro-machining is enabling the cost-effective creation of extremely small features in a wide range of ceramic components.
June 1, 2004... Components made from alumina ([A1.sub.2][O.sub.3]), silicon nitride ([Si.sub.3][N.sub.4]), aluminum nitride (AIN) and other ceramic materials are used in a wide range of electronic, automotive, aerospace, medical and other high-tech...

Are your kilns in compliance? Part 1: general requirements for fuel gas safety shutoff valves.(NFPA 86, Standard for Ovens and Furnaces, 2003 Edition)
June 1, 2004... NFPA 86, Standard for Ovens and Furnaces, 2003 Edition is the current version of the standard addressing the safety aspects of the design, construction, and operation of gas- and oil-fired furnaces. Published by the NFPA (an international...

What's happening in China?(Refractories Review)
June 1, 2004... Following the historic meeting on February 21, 1972, of President Richard M. Nixon and Chairman Mao Xe Deng in Beijing, China began increasing its worldwide business activities in the 1980s. Since then, it has become a huge engine for economic...

Ceramic fluid regulator.(New Products)
June 1, 2004... The 84-120 ceramic regulator provides a more uniform finish than has been previously possible in the ceramic finishing field. The regulator's unique design provides faster production and uniform finishes. It allows for controlled flow of...

Material testing system.(New Products)
June 1, 2004... EXAKT Technologies, Inc. The EXAKT 6000 material testing system is used for bending and fracture testing advanced ceramics, ceramic composites and other brittle materials. The compact desktop machine reportedly provides the same standards of...

Microwave processing equipment.(New Products)(Gerling Applied Engineering, Inc.)
June 1, 2004... Gerling Applied Engineering, Inc. This company offers a selection of standard components designed specifically for 5.8 GHz materials and process research applications. Microwave systems designed with these components reportedly offer a number...

Laser level transmitters.(New Products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... K-TEK Lightweight and corrosion-resistant, SureShot[TM] laser level transmitters are designed to deliver high performance for complex level and positioning applications, including pellets, slurries, and opaque liquids in bins and silos....

Screen performance monitor.(New Products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Sweco The SentryScan is a patent-pending warning system that notifies operators of poor screen performance by using microwaves to detect most breaks, holes or tears in a separator's wire-mesh screens. This early warning enables processors...

Stacked screens.(New Products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... Derrick Corp. The Stack Sizer[TM] features five screens in a parallel configuration to provide a high screening capacity with minimal floor space requirements, Full scale tests with various materials have reportedly demonstrated that one...

Laser particle size analyzer.(New Products)
June 1, 2004... The new 1180 laser particle size analyzer features Particle Expert 6.0 software, which allows users to view particle shape along with the traditional particle size distribution data. Extended calculation models are provided for shape...

Testing facility.(New Products)(Brief Article)
June 1, 2004... BuzzMac Software This company has opened a new testing facility at its Glendale, Wis., location. Customers can send samples for dynamic elastic property measurement, including Young's modulus, shear modulus and Poisson's ratio. The elastic...

Access Diamond.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Access Diamond guarantees quality and excellence in its diamond and abrasive products. With over 20 years in the tech industry, Access Diamond can trouble shoot applications and provide finishes, tool design and tech support for its customers'...

Ceradyne, Inc.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Advanced Technical Ceramics Ceradyne, Inc., founded in 1967, is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of non oxide ceramic components from silicon nitride, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, boron carbide and other materials for the auto...

CVD Diamond Corporation.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... CVD Diamond Corp. uses proprietary technology to produce adherent films of pure diamond on tungsten carbide cutting tools. These long-lasting tools are for use in non-ferrous, abrasive materials. Results in the machining of ceramics in the...

Engineered Ceramics.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... A Division of SELEE Corp. Engineered Ceramics manufactures refractory shapes for high temperature and molten metal applications. The company specializes in custom shapes to satisfy its customers' refractory needs. Products can be...

Flow Autoclave Systems, Inc.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Isostatic presses are used by companies around the world to form, densify, and heal defects in any number of materials and composites. Year after year, Flow Autoclave Systems sells more hot and cold isostatic presses than any other manufacturer...

The Kanthal Corporation.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Specially formulated elements are Kanthal's new SUPER stars. The four new formulations better handle specific applications and atmospheres, further broadening SUPER's range of problem-solving capabilities. The new versions of Mo[Si.sub.2]...

Pred Materials International, Inc.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Pred Materials distributes specialty chemicals for next-generation technologies. The company represents some of the finest manufacturers from around the world--especially from Japan--but also from Europe, China, South Korea and Taiwan. Pred's...

Quantachrome[R] Instruments.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Quantachrome Instruments is an ISO 9001 manufacturer of particle characterization instruments serving the research and quality control needs of industrial, academic and government laboratories worldwide. Born with a spirit of inventiveness and...

Rath Performance Fibers.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Rath Performance Fibers supplies refractory materials, for use as kiln linings, car insulation, and furniture, capable of withstanding operating temperatures of 1800[degrees]C in reducing, oxidizing and corrosive atmospheres. These high...

Russell Finex.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Russell Finex provides equipment to check-screen and separate powders at all stages of ceramic production. Established in 1965, the company has extensive experience in screening high-value ceramics to ensure that the final product is of the...

Thermcraft, Inc.(Supplier Spotlight)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... Thermcraft, Inc., the industry leader in the development of custom heat treating systems, is pleased to announce the release of the new S line of furnaces. This new S line of standard tube furnaces has been developed with the same precision and...

Tosoh Usa, Inc.(Supplier Spotlight)(Nikkato Corporation)(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
June 1, 2004... YTZ[R] Grinding Media Tosoh USA, Inc., is the North American sales and marketing arm for YTZ[R] Grinding Media. Tosoh USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Tosoh Corp., Tokyo. The grinding media is manufactured in Japan by the Nikkato...