Ceramic Industry articles from March 2003

Ceramic Industry archives from March 2003

Successful strategies. (Inside CI).
March 1, 2003... Although the final figures were not yet available at press time, the U.S. trade deficit in 2002 was expected to be more than $420 billion. Some economic forecasters believe that number will rise to a staggering $511 billion in 2003. At the same...

International calendar.(ceramic industry)(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... MARCH * 9-14 Pittcon 2003, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla., (412) 825-3220, e-mail pittconinfo@pittcon.org, www.pittcon.org 10-14 Infrared Applications, Level I, Tampa, Fla., (800) 636-9820 * 12-15 NCECA 2003, 37th...

Hauck announces dates for 2003 Combustion Seminar. (News).(Hauck Manufacturing Co.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Hauck Manufacturing Co. will hold its 2003 Ceramic Industry Combustion Seminar March 31-April 1 at its Customer Technical Center in Cleona, Pa. Discussions on combustion, emissions, combustion control and firing will be included. Additionally,...

Riedhammer and Sacmi join forces. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Sacmi group and Riedhammer GmbH are forming a strategic alliance as an answer to increasing globalization and customer demands. In a move to create this alliance, Sacmi has acquired a minority participation in Riedhammer GmbH. In joining...

Harper expands testing capabilities. (News).(Harper International )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Harper International recently announced the installation of a microwave rotary furnace at its Technology Center in Lancaster, N.Y. According to Jeet Bhatia, president and CEO, "The addition of the microwave furnace demonstrates Harper's...

Franklin Industries acquires H.C. Spinks. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Franklin Industries has acquired all of the outstanding stock of H.C. Spinks Clay Co. Inc. While Spinks will operate as a subsidiary of Franklin, Franklin has emphasized that the Spinks name will be retained, and that Spinks' customers will see...

Stedman forms new company. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Stedman has formed a new affiliate, Innovative Processing Solutions, LLC, which will provide custom solutions for processing systems and specialize in enhancing bulk material handling systems. The new company will use equipment from Stedman and...

Libbey acquires Royal Leerdam. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Libbey Inc. recently announced that it has consummated the acquisition of the stock of B.V. Koninklijke Nederlandsche Glasfabriek Leerdam (Royal Leerdam) from BSN Glasspack. The deal was a cash transaction and is valued at 42.3 million euros....

Oglebay Norton acquires Erie Sand & Gravel. (News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Oglebay Norton Co. recently announced that it has completed the previously announced acquisition of Erie Sand & Gravel Co. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Erie Sand & Gravel operates a dock, a Great Lakes Flag vessel, a ready-mix concrete...

TMI moves to new offices. (News).(Testing Machines Inc.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Testing Machines Inc. (TMI) has moved its production, engineering, sales, marketing, PM&C and corporate offices to Ronkonkoma, N.Y., approximately three miles from its previous location in Islandia, N.Y. This location is also the corporate...

Micromeritics. (People in the News).(names new vice president of marketing, Timothy J. Alavosus)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Micromeritics recently announced that Timothy J. Alavosus, Ph.D., has assumed the responsibilities of vice president of marketing at the company's corporate headquarters in Norcross (Atlanta), Ga. Alavosus has over 14 years of combined...

Oxy-Gon Inc. (People in the News).(names new sales and marketing manager, William Rogers)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... William Rogers was recently appointed sales and marketing manager for Oxy-Gon Inc., responsible for sales and marketing of the company's vacuum and fiber draw furnace products to all domestic and international markets. He most recently served...

Kirk & Blum. (People in the News).(names David M. Blum president)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... David M. Blum has been appointed president of Kirk & Blum, one of five subsidiaries of air-pollution control provider CECO Environmental. Blum had been vice president of business development for the company since 1997, and continues to hold the...

Basic Machinery Co., Inc. (People in the News).(announces reorganization)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Basic Machinery Co., Inc. recently announced the reorganization of its senior management team. Appointments include Barry D. Milholen, president; Harold J. "Hal" Milholen Jr., vice president of the Industrial Equipment Division; William J....

International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (People in the News).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Technical Management board of directors for the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has appointed Robert E. Daniels as the chairman of the ISO/TC 189 Ceramic Tile Committee. Daniels, the executive director of the Tile...

Decorators must work smarter. (Ceramic Decorating).(custom glass/ceramic decorators of products for souvenir, collectible and promotional product markets)
March 1, 2003... Business conditions in the past year have had a dramatic effect on custom glass and ceramic decorators who produce ware for the promotional product, souvenir and collectible markets. Business has rebounded somewhat for many decorators; however,...

Understanding Pr-Zr-Si instability: a study of praseodymium zircon yellow pigments provides some important clues as to why these pigments lose their color intensity in high-temperature glazes.
March 1, 2003... While praseodymium is typically green in most salts, it is bright yellow in solid solution in a zircon crystal. It derives its color by being incorporated into the structure of the zircon crystal, which can be seen in the formula: ...

An open opportunity: open stock decals can give glass and ceramic decorators the competitive edge they need to succeed in today's difficult business environment.
March 1, 2003... Today's economy demands that businesses, large and small, run their operations in the most efficient, cost-effective manner possible. For glass and ceramic decorators, one of the most powerful tools available to accomplish this goal is the open...

Imitating stone: a new whole-body decoration technology can streamline the tile manufacturing process while realistically reproducing the look of natural stone in porcelain tile.
March 1, 2003... Over the past decade, stone has become an increasingly popular material in both residential and commercial building projects. Many people are attracted to it for aesthetic reasons--its natural colors and textures lend a feeling of warmth and...

Decorating trends & technical advances: SGCD's DECO 2003 will focus on decorating fundamentals, market trends and business strategies, as well as a host of other informative topics.(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... The Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) will host its DECO 2003 show and seminar in Nashville, Tenn., March 29-April 1. The seminar program will focus on marketing with added value in the glass and ceramic decorating industry and...

Cause for celebration: The Hall China Co. is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2003.(Company Profile)
March 1, 2003... Over the past several decades, many family-owned U.S. ceramic manufacturers have disappeared. Some have been swallowed by overseas conglomerates, while others have folded in the face of increasing competition and a difficult manufacturing...

Investing in ceramics: Shenango Advanced Ceramics continues a successful tradition. (Special Section: Refractories).(Company Profile)
March 1, 2003... By offering new technologies to new markets, Shenango Advanced Ceramics is carving out a promising niche for itself in the U.S. ceramic industry. During this period of uncertain economic times, particularly in the ceramic industry, it is...

A snapshot of refractories online. (Refractories Review).
March 1, 2003... Remember the days of snail-mail, card catalog searches in libraries, slide rules, graphs made with Leroy lettering sets, rapidograph pens, lantern slides, mimeographed (blue) copies, IBM correcting typewriters, Western Union cablegrams, and all...

No-hassle, low-mass kiln cars: a gunnable foam/fiber insulation system can reduce installation time and maximize fuel efficiency in low-mass kiln car applications. (Special Section: Refractories).
March 1, 2003... Low-mass kiln car designs offer significant fuel savings in tunnel kiln furnaces because of the low heat loss and heat storage properties of refractory ceramic fiber. Until recently, anchored and bonded ceramic fiber module systems were...

Acid gas control. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... McGill AirClean This company's acid gas control systems are designed to provide high-efficiency acid gas removal, even for processes with large volume flows. The company's spray-dry scrubbers distribute reagent evenly throughout the...

X-ray diffraction system. (New Products).
March 1, 2003... TEC Materials Testing Division The mobile 4000 X-ray diffraction system brings the lab to the work environment for efficient measurements. Designed for ease of use, speed, flexibility and portability, the system includes a diffractometer, a...