Ceramic Industry articles from March 2006

Ceramic Industry archives from March 2006

The energy challenge.(in ceramic industry)
March 1, 2006... Ask any manufacturer what their biggest challenges are, and the cost of energy is likely to be at or very near the top of the list. Companies in the ceramic and related industries that fire with natural gas have seen their gas prices double,...

Calendar.(Calendar)
March 1, 2006... MARCH * 12-17 PITTCON 2006, Orlando, Fla., (800) 825-3221 or (412) 825-3220, fax (412) 825-3224, e-mail expo@pittcon.org, www.pittcon.org 13-15 Hydrogenation Technology, Houston, Texas, (732) 238-1600, e-mail info@cfpa.com,...

USFCC announces survey findings.(US Fuel Cell Council )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Voluntary reporting by the fuel cell industry showed consistent sales from 2003 to 2004, with steady increases in research and development expenditures, according to the second Worldwide Fuel Cell Industry Survey conducted by the US Fuel Cell...

Rio Tinto consolidates businesses.(restructuring management)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Rio Tinto has announced that it will bring three of its industrial minerals businesses together--Rio Tinto Borax, borates; Luzenac, talc; and Dampier Salt Ltd., solar salt. These three businesses will be brought under common management to form...

Saint-Gobain and Shell to develop photovoltaic panel.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Saint-Gobain Vitrage, Saint-Gobain's flat glass sector, and Shell have signed a memorandum of understanding to produce next-generation solar panels. Shell has developed a new generation of photovoltaic panels based on copper indium selenide...

NGK Insulators buys high-efficiency power plant from FuelCell Energy.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... FuelCell Energy, Inc., a manufacturer of ultra-clean and efficient electric power generation plants for commercial and industrial customers, recently announced the sale of a 250-kilowatt (kW) Direct FuelCell[R] (DFC[R]) power plant by its Asian...

CM Furnaces reaches milestones.(60 years celeberations)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... CM Furnaces, Inc. is celebrating 60 years in business this year, and the company also announced that it shipped its 4000th high-temperature furnace in 2005. "Knowledgeable purchasers seek us out for quality and reliability" said Jim Neill, vice...

Hereaus acquires BASF's decoration color business.(In the News)
March 1, 2006... W.C. Heraeus has acquired BASF's ceramic decoration color business for glassware, ceramics and porcelain. The transaction does not include any of BASF's facilities or personnel. BASF's Sicocer[R] F stains for the floor tile industry are not...

Alcoa receives contract for military vehicle development.(In the News)
March 1, 2006... The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command has awarded Alcoa a $12.5 million, three-year, research, development and engineering contract to develop lightweight aluminum structures for military ground combat and tactical vehicles. This...

Allied Mineral Products Europe opens new facility in the Netherlands.(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Allied Mineral Products Europe B.V., a wholly owned subsidiary of Allied Mineral Products, Inc., recently celebrated the grand opening of its new manufacturing facility in Tholen, the Netherlands. The new 42,733-square-foot office and...

Emergency preparedness.(small and medium sized companies)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (USDHS) has identified a vital missing ingredient among small- to medium-sized businesses--the lack of a preparedness strategy to quickly get up and running following a disaster. Visit the Ready Business...

Ceradyne, Inc.(Thomas Juengling as chief technology officer)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Ceradyne, Inc. has appointed Thomas Juengling, Ph.D., to the newly created position of chief technology officer. His duties include the coordination of the company's research and development efforts in North America and at Ceradyne ESK...

Saint-Gobain Ceramics.(Susan Munyon appointed )(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Susan Munyon has joined Saint-Gobain Ceramics as marketing assistant, High-Performance Refractories. Munyon has a bachelor's of science degree in ceramic engineering from Alfred University. She has held several sales and sales engineering...

Carl Zeiss SMT Inc.(People IN THE NEWS)
March 1, 2006... Carl Zeiss SMT Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Carl Zeiss SMT, recently named Jeffrey Streger national director of sales for the company's nano-technology systems (NTS) in the U.S. and Canada. His responsibilities include overseeing U.S. and...

Cerbide, Inc.(appoints Dan Wilson)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Cerbide, Inc. has named Dan Wilson director of North American Sales. In addition to direct account sales, he will also be responsible for the growth and support of the company's network of manufacturing representatives and supply channel...

Basic Machinery Co.(Jack Greer appointed)(Brief article)
March 1, 2006... Jack Greer, vice president of the Ceramic Division of Basic Machinery Co., suffered a massive stroke December 1, 2005, and died a week later on December 8. His career in the brick industry spanned over 53 years, beginning in 1952 with General...

Used Kiln economics.
March 1, 2006... Many used kilns are on the market today, due to the number of plant closings that have occurred in the past few years, and their selling prices often seem very low. Whether it is a wise choice to purchase a used kiln depends, like all things,...

Taming the energy eaters: knowing where energy is being wasted in your firing process is crucial to formulating a successful energy saving strategy.(Cover story)
March 1, 2006... "I've replaced all my old burners with high-velocity burners. What else can I do to reduce energy use on my kilns? Sound familiar? Other areas pertaining to kilns can be energy eaters, but unless you know where to look, it can be difficult...

Rescuing your old dust collection system: optimizing fan performance, using high-performance filtration media and installing integrated collectors can provide an economical alternative to completely replacing an inefficient dust collection system.
March 1, 2006... Caught in the old bind of owning an overtaxed dust collection system but lacking the funds to replace the system? Instead of replacing it, try improving the performance of system components. Tweaking one thing or nudging another can often...

Choosing the right: dust collector: determining the ideal dust collection solution for a given manufacturing process is a balancing act among cost, efficiency and safety.
March 1, 2006... As health and safety data have confirmed the dangers of personnel exposure to process dust, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have continued mounting their air quality...

Investigating ceramics: new refractories for weight loss: an Israel-based company has developed new highly porous, ultra-light ceramic products that are providing the next-generation platform for low-mass, high-temperature applications.(Cellaris)
March 1, 2006... Anyone involved in kiln operation and management knows that lightweight materials for kiln furniture and setting decks can save significant energy dollars. Likewise, all kiln designers are aware that using low-mass refractory linings can save...

Designing for changing markets: SGCD's DECO '06 seminar and exhibition will highlight the opportunities and challenges facing today's ceramic and glass decorators.(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators)
March 1, 2006... Several hundred attendees are expected to gather at the Flamingo Hilton in Las Vegas, Nev., March 26-28 for the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators' (SGCD) DECO '06 seminar and exhibition. With the theme "Designing for Changing Markets,"...

Life in the fast lane: a $25 million plant expansion is helping Carolina Ceramics Brick Co. meet market demands--for now.(Editorial)
March 1, 2006... In the late 1990s, Carolina Ceramics Brick Co. in Columbia, S.C., decided to expand. The plant, which originally made 30 million brick per year (primarily architectural face brick) using two 6-ft-wide kilns, had been operating at capacity for...

The bigger the better: a new plant is helping Palmetto Brick capitalize on the increasing demand for utility-sized brick used in commercial applications.(Company overview)
March 1, 2006... Palmetto Brick is no stranger to innovation. Founded in 1919, the company has seen decades of growth as manufacturing processes have improved and consumer preferences have evolved. Palmetto's dedication to providing its customers with...

Ceramic gas diffuser.(NEW Products)
March 1, 2006... Filtros Ltd. This company has been issued a U.S. patent for an all-ceramic gas diffuser for use in water and wastewater treatment. The one-piece design is formed of a gas permeable porous alumina diffuser ceramically bonded at high...

Gas pycnometers.(NEW Products)
March 1, 2006... Quantachrome Instruments The Ultrapycnometer series of automatic gas pycnometers has been redesigned. New styling not only gives the Ultrapycnometer modern lab appeal, but also reportedly provides improved ergonomics, better accessibility to...

Fiber-based products.(NEW Products)
March 1, 2006... Thermal Ceramics This company has developed a new line of fiber-based moldable and pumpable products under the brand name Kaofil. Available materials are 2300[degrees]F rated (2000[degrees]F recommended operating temperature) and...