Ceramic Industry articles from May 2008

Ceramic Industry archives from May 2008

Hurry up and wait.(INSIDE CI)
May 1, 2008... At a recent checkup, my doctor recommended a series of tests to determine if I had an ailment that in her view could range from "very serious" to "not a big deal." She said that she wasn't terribly concerned, but I should have the tests taken...

Just desserts?(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I commend Mr. Davis for writing and Ceramic Industry for publishing "U.S. Must Prepare for Day of Reckoning" (CI March 2008, pp. 1_2-13). The content of the article is of utmost importance to all of us, and I am sure most readers will agree...

Dark days ahead.(LETTERS TO THE EDITOR)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2008... I couldn't agree more with Jack Davis's March article. Like Jack, I believe very dark days are ahead for this country. Our trade policies are a joke; many times I have visited China and marveled at the "playing field" that tilts on a...

International calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2008... * May 6-8 PTXi International: Process Technology for Industry * Rosemont (Chicago), Ill., www.devicelink.com/expo/ptxi08 May 10-13 10th Annual NAHB National Green Building Conference * New Orleans, La.,...

Oneida to sell its Australian business.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Oneida Ltd. has reached an agreement to sell its business in Australia to McPherson's Limited, a leading consumer products company based in Sydney. As part of the sale, Oneida has also agreed to license certain trademarks to McPherson's for its...

PPG presents automotive glass design awards.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Top designers in an annual automotive glass design contest sponsored by PPG Industries took inspiration from golf, bamboo char coal and catamaran boats to create concepts for vehicles that show the versatility of glass in providing unique...

Poco Graphite granted new patents.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The U.S. and European Patent and Trademark Offices have approved the issuance of a patent for Poco Graphite, Inc.'s manufacturing, method and design of a dual gas delivery electrode. In leading-edge applications, two gases must be mixed and...

RHI announces preliminary 2007 results.(IN THE NEWS)(Financial report)
May 1, 2008... According to preliminary results, RHI AG increased revenue from continuing operations by more than 11% to 1,485.8 [euro] million (~$2,342.3 million) and the operating result by approximately 23% to 164.3 million [euro](~$259.0 million) in 2007....

[GEO.sub.2] certified in phase one of VFT-1.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... [GEO.sub.2] Technologies Inc. recently announced that its patented diesel particulate filters (DPFs) have passed phase one of the VERT Filter Test (VFT-1). VFT-1 certification is well-regarded as the industry standard for measuring the...

Rio Tinto to invest in modernization of Boyne Smelters.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Rio Tinto (59.4%) and its joint venture partners (40.6%) will spend approximately $617 million on two projects that will modernize and extend the life of the Boyne Island aluminum smelters in Australia. The first project, construction of a new...

Metso to expand former B.E.S.T. operations in Northeast Ohio.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Metso Minerals Industries, Inc. has announced plans for a major expansion of its manufacturing operations in Northeast Ohio, near the company's existing state-of-the-art engineering and manufacturing facility in Brunswick (formerly B.E.S.T.,...

Control Instruments launches online store.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Control Instruments Corp. has launched an online store on its website to provide fast, secure and easy ordering for its customers. Visitors can buy their spare parts and experience no-hassle ordering, 24-hour service, fast delivery and secure...

NNI budget summary released.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... A summary of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Fiscal Year 2009 Budget has been released by the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council's Committee on...

CerMA to focus on maximizing economies.(IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... The Ceramic Manufacturers Association (CerMA) will hold its annual Manufacturing Conference May 14-16, 2008, at the Westin Great Southern Hotel in Columbus, Ohio. The theme for this year's event is "Maximizing Economies in Ceramic...

Tony Neeves.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Tony Neeves, Acme Brick Co.'s Midwest region production manager, was recently named the recipient of the company's President's Award. The award is presented annually to the Acme Brick employee whose efforts reflect...

Kyocera America, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] Kyocera America, Inc. recently announced two executive-level promotions. Kenji Aonuma, currently general manager, International Sales Division, Semiconductor Components Group, at Kyocera Corp. of Kyoto, Japan, will...

Setaram Instrumentation.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)(appointed Gary Etherington as Marketing director)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Setaram Instrumentation recently announced the appointment of Gary Etherington as Marketing director and vice president, International Sales. Since July 2006, Etherington has managed Setaram Inc., the U.S. operation of Setaram, where he was...

Alcoa.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Alcoa recently announced that Kenneth Wisnoski has been named president, Global Primary Products--Growth, Energy, Bauxite and Africa. Wisnoski had been vice president of this business unit, which is involved in smelting, bauxite and energy...

Ceradyne, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Thomas A. Cole was recently named corporate vice president of Business Development at Ceradyne, Inc. In this position, he will be responsible for a wide range of strategic duties, including acquisitions, strategic expansion and ad hoc corporate...

Lifetime Brands, Inc.(PEOPLE IN THE NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Lifetime Brands, Inc. recently announced the appointment of Jeffrey M. Berman to the newly established position of president--Retail Direct. In this role, Berman will be responsible for the operations of the Internet and catalog segments of...

Sleight of hand heat recovery.(KILN CONNECTION)
May 1, 2008... Heat recovery has been a hot topic among my clients who fire both periodic and tunnel kilns, and a range of projects are currently under consideration in the various companies that I serve. Interestingly, most of these clients are in other...

"Renewable" zirconia coating: the zirconia in a new coating for jet engine turbine blades chemically converts sand and other corrosive particles that build up on the blade into a new, protective outer coating.(CERAMIC innovations)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Engineers at The Ohio State University are developing a technology to coat jet engine turbine blades with zirconium dioxide to combat high-temperature corrosion. The zirconia chemically converts sand and other...

Press upgrade.(PRODUCT PROFILE)(hydraulic presses)(Cover story)
May 1, 2008... Sacmi recently launched the latest generation of hydraulic presses in its Imola series. The product line has been fully redesigned and features cutting-edge technology. The updates to the press' formal look, which were developed along with...

Extrusion basics: many factors must be considered in order to maximize the extrusion process.
May 1, 2008... By definition, extrusion is "the act or process of shaping by forcing through a die." When pelletizing or specialty-forming a product, one must give consideration to the advantages of extrusion. The various methods of extrusion include ram,...

Forming porcelain insulators: understanding the effects of forming process and firing temperature on the mechanical and thermal properties of porcelain insulators can help increase their life cycles.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Electrical insulators are devices used in electricity supply networks, and porcelain has long been used as an electrical insulator. The advantages of porcelain insulators include superior electrical properties, good...

Spark plasma sintering: the spark plasma sintering process offers significant improvements over conventional hot press and hot isostatic press sintering.
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Spark plasma sintering (SPS) is a high-speed powder consolidation/ sintering technology capable of processing conductive and nonconductive materials. Theories on the SPS process vary, but most commonly accepted is...

Thermal techniques for material characterization: thermal characterization and testing are employed to evaluate and optimize the chemical and physical properties of ceramic and glass materials.
May 1, 2008... Many different thermal techniques can be employed for material characterization, including thermomechanical analysis (TMA), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). These...

A handmade tradition: every clay building has its own appeal, but handmade brick offer a traditional look from the start.(special section: brick & clay record)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The history of brickwork as detailed in books by authors such as Nicholas Pevsner and Nathaniel Lloyd highlights the huge variety of sizes and formats of brick that have been used over time. Handmade brick are often...

Fine-tuned firing: the fine-tuning of kiln firing cycles can improve productivity while decreasing overall costs.(special section: brick & clay record)
May 1, 2008... The firing process is arguably the most important stage in ceramic and brick manufacturing. Naturally, continuous kilns are the principal means of firing due to their higher efficiency compared to intermittent kilns, but there is always room...

Acme acquires assets of Ochs Brick, McFarlane Stone.(BRICK NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Acme Brick Co. announced the purchase of a Minnesota brick plant and sales office owned by Ochs Brick Co., effective February 2, 2008. In a related transaction, Acme also acquired the natural stone fabrication assets of McFarlane Stone. ...

Wienerberger enters Serbian market.(BRICK NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Wienerberger AG is continuing its international growth course with market entry in Serbia. The company has acquired 100% of the shares of IGM Backa Nova, which operates a hollow brick plant in Mali Idjos, roughly 130 km north of Belgrade and 50...

Book focuses on brick and roof tile.(BRICK NEWS)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Clay Bricks and Roof Tiles, Manufacturing and Properties was written by Michel Kornmann, Ph.D., former technical manager of the Technical Centre for Roof Tiles and Bricks (CTTB) in Paris, France, with the help of a...

Boral announces half-year profit.(BRICK NEWS)(Financial report)
May 1, 2008... Boral Limited recently announced a profit after tax (PAT) of $132 million (~ $122 million U.S.) for the half-year ended December 31, 2007, a 10% or $15 million (~ $14 million U.S.) decrease on the PAT for the half-year ended December 21, 2006....

Housing starts continue to decline.(BRICK NEWS)
May 1, 2008... Single-family housing starts continued on a downward trajectory in February, posting a 6.7% decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 707,000 units, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department. Meanwhile, production in...

Pressure sorption analyzer.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Micromeritics Instrument Corp. The ASAP 2050 Xtended pressure sorption analyzer is reportedly an easy-to-use instrument capable of collecting high-resolution, high-pressure adsorptive isotherms from vacuum to 10 atmospheres. While...

Borescopes.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Schoelly Imaging [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High-temperature borescopes for operating temperatures up to 1800[degrees]C (3272[degrees]F) are available in diameters from 10 mm and lengths up to 2000 mm. Options include water cooling,...

Sanitaryware casting solutions.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Sacmi Whiteware [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] According to this company, its multi-part mold, high-pressure casting technology for the production of bowls and bidets guarantees unrivalled precision and reliability, as well as production...

High-precision products.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Rubis Precis [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] High-precision products are available in high-tech materials such as fine ceramics, synthetic sapphire, quartz, tungsten carbide, stainless steel, gold and platinum. These ultra-hard materials can be...

Magnesium hydroxide.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Cimbar Performance Minerals This company recently announced that it now manufactures magnesium hydroxide, a naturally ground white powder that compares to alumina trihydrate and acts as a flame retardant/ smoke suppressant in many...

DC-DC converter.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Murata Electronics North America Developed with advanced circuit design techniques, the new MPD6S022S DC-DC converter reportedly offers quality performance at a low cost. This point-of-load (POL), non-isolated converter measures 21 x 9 x...

Thermal analysis systems.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... Setaram Inc. The design of the new EVO line of thermal analysis systems was developed by one of Europe's leading design houses and allows the integration of different sensors, including DSC, TGA, DTA, STA and MicroDSC. The new CALISTO...

E-commerce services.(WHAT'S NEW)
May 1, 2008... EARBid This company has expanded its offering to include Buy-It-Now e-commerce services. The Buy-It-Now feature lists semiconductor and related equipment for sale at a fixed price, and items are offered for limited times only. As equipment...