Ceramic Industry articles from May 2002

Ceramic Industry archives from May 2002

Counting the costs. (Inside CI).(purchasing decision information for kilns and furnaces)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Imagine you're looking for a new car, and your budget is $20,000. You have a long commute to and from work every day, so you're looking for a reliable vehicle that gets excellent gas mileage. One day, a salesman approaches you and says he has...

Engelhard buys O. Hommel's ceramic coating business. (Ceramics in the News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Engelhard Corp. recently announced that it has acquired the ceramic coating business of Pittsburgh-based O.Hommel Co. The new business is complementary to Engelhard's existing glass coatings line and will allow the company to offer customers a...

Kirk & Blum appoints Basic Machinery Co. as representative. (Ceramics in the News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Kirk & Blum, Greensboro, N.C., a division of CECO Environmental Corp., has appointed Basic Machinery Co., Siler City, N.C., as its exclusive representative for dust collection systems, hoods and ductwork components sold to the brick industry....

PSC revamps its testing facility. (Ceramics in the News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... PSC, Inc. has updated its radio frequency (RF) heating and drying laboratory to assist in product feasibility studies. The lab, which features three RF systems--parallel plate, stray-field and staggered stray-field--enables PSC to provide...

Keith appoints TES Technologies its new sales representative. (Ceramics in the News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Keith Co. recently appointed TES Technologies of Moorestown, N.J., as its exclusive sales and technical services representative for the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, West...

USGS reports decline of U.S. output of mineral-based materials. (Ceramics in the News).(United States Geological Survey)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... U.S. output of mineral-based materials dropped to $374 billion in 2001, down 8% from the previous year, according to a recent report from the U.S. Geological Survey. The U.S. recession led to the reduction in output. Especially hard hit were...

RCFC and OSHA introduce PSP 2002 program. (Ceramics in the News).(Refractory Ceramic Fibers Coalition and Occupational Safety and Health Administration introduce voluntary worker protection program)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... The Refractory Ceramic Fibers Coalition (RCFC) and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently introduced a voluntary worker protection program entitled PSP 2002. This product stewardship program is a comprehensive,...

PNW Capital to acquire Industrial Minerals. (Ceramics in the News).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... PNW Capital recently announced that it has finalized an agreement to acquire at least 90% of the outstanding privately held shares of Industrial Minerals Inc. of East Aurora, N.Y., in an all stock transaction. PNW will issue 31.5 million of its...

Troy Smith. (People in the News).(appointed regional manager of Premier Mill)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Troy Smith has been named southeastern regional manager for Premier Mill, a Lightnin Company. He graduated from Clemson University with a degree in ceramic engineering and also holds a degree in engineering from Greenville Tec. With over 11...

Sauereisen Inc. recently announced the appointment of three corporate officers. (People in the News).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Sauereisen Inc. recently announced the appointment of three corporate officers. The company's board of directors has elected J. Eric Sauereisen president, C. Karl Sauereisen vice president/corporate secretary, and Patrick E. Connell chief...

Keith Blakely. (People in the News).(appointed chief operating officer and president of TechSys Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... Keith Blakely has been appointed president and chief operating officer of TechSys, Inc. An experienced manager, Blakely founded Advanced Refractory Technologies, Inc. (ART), a company focusing on the development of a new technology for...

Josef Pausch. (People in the News).(president and chairman of General Resource Corp.)(Brief Article)(Obituary)
May 1, 2002... Josef Pausch, president and chairman of the board of General Resource Corp., recently passed away. He was a pioneer in the development of modern pneumatic conveying and bulk material handling, having been awarded more than 50 U.S. and foreign...

Continuing a colorful family tradition: a recently completed plant expansion is allowing Mason Color Works to continue its tradition of providing high-quality colors at low prices with immediate deliveries. (Investing in Ceramics).(Mason Color Works Inc.)(Company Profile)
May 1, 2002... This year marks the 160th anniversary of Mason Color Works Inc., a well-known manufacturer of glaze and body stains, underglaze stains, porcelain enamel colors and brick coatings. While the company's product line has changed and expanded over...

Burner ratio control. (Kiln Connection).(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Fuel fired kilns depend on a variety of means to control the burner air-to-fuel ratio. These systems vary considerably, but all of them require a good understanding of the concepts of flow and pressure. Over the next several columns, we'll...

A refractory coating from outer space: a new coating originally developed by NASA for space applications promises to significantly extend the life of refractories while also decreasing the energy use of kilns and other heat-related processes.(National Aeronautics and Space Administration Ames Research Center)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... "Thermal shock" and "chemical attack" are two phrases certain to strike fear into the hearts of any kiln operator or refractory engineer. No two elements can more quickly degrade refractories and cause them to fail. With most of today's...

Ultra-lightweight kiln cars: a new kiln car base system offers all of the advantages of both ceramic fiber and dense refractory bases, with none of their disadvantages.(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... It has long been recognized that low-thermal-mass kiln cars can provide ceramic manufacturers with greater control of their firing schedules and significantly reduced process fuel costs. Refractory ceramic fiber can provide one of the most...

Cutting your firing losses: choosing the right solution to a firing problem can save your plant a great deal of time and money in the long run.(kiln product information)(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Of all of the problems experienced in a typical ceramic manufacturing plant, firing problems usually top the list. Companies are often unhappy with the amount of second-quality ware or rejects that emerge from their kiln, and are unhappier...

Heating elements for higher productivity: experiments have shown that manufacturers can often increase their productivity and quickly recoup their initial furnace investment by choosing higher temperature heating elements.(Statistical Data Included)
May 1, 2002... Several types of heating element materials are commonly used in electric furnaces, including metallic, silicon carbide and molybdenum disilicide (Mo[Si.sub.2]). The maximum temperatures to which each element can be used are shown in Table 1 (P....

Choosing the right furnace: following are some considerations to keep in mind when choosing a furnace or kiln using an electric heating system. (Heating Elements).(Brief Article)
May 1, 2002... * Resist the temptation to purchase a system with much more capability than you can realistically expect to use. It is prudent to have margins of safety with respect to processing capacity (furnace volume and maximum thermal input) and maximum...

Decorators project modest sales increases in 2002. (Ceramic Decorating).(Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators survey results)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)(Polling Data)
May 1, 2002... Every year, the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators (SGCD) conducts a State of the Decorating Industry Survey to track general trends in the decorating market. Results for 2001 indicated that decorators faced economic problems that were...

Trends in decorative finishes. (Special Section: Decorative Finishes).
May 1, 2002... What trends are emerging in decorative finishes, and what factors are driving those trends? To answer those questions, CI talked with several leading suppliers of colors, glazes, precious metals and other decorating technologies. While many...

Advances in porcelain enameling: the 2002 PEI Technical Forum will highlight new developments in porcelain enamel formulations and application techniques, as well as practical tips for day-to-day operations. (Special Section: Decorative Finishes).
May 1, 2002... Porcelain enamel suppliers and end users from around the world will gather in Cincinnati, Ohio, May 13-16, for the 2002 PEI Technical Forum, hosted by the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI). The forum will include a small exhibition, called the...

Lightweight cordierite material. (New Products).(Dyson Ceramic Systems product information)(advertisement)
May 1, 2002... Dyson Ceramic Systems Dylite is a new cordierite material that is almost half the weight of standard cordierite. The new material gives kiln furniture users the potential to obtain refractory weight savings of up to 50%, achieve faster...

Polishing diamonds. (New Products).(GE Superabrasives product information)(advertisement)
May 1, 2002... GE Superabrasives The new MBP[TM] diamond product line has been developed to meet the industry's growing demand for high performing, continuous quality tools for trimming, roughing, calibrating and polishing stone, ceramic, concrete and...

Direct laser marking system. (New Products).(MARKEM Corp. product information)(advertisement)
May 1, 2002... MARKEM Corp. The models 3004 and 3005 direct laser marking systems produce laser energy in the green (532 nm) range of the spectral field, which is suited for optimal marking on silicon, metal and a variety of other surfaces used in the...

Pottery wheels. (New Products).(advertisement)
May 1, 2002... Shimpo Ceramics The heavy-duty steel constructed Velocity line of pottery wheels offers the same resilience, power and durability of the company's other models, yet also features a built-in splash pan and table in one workstation. The V35...