Ceramic Industry articles from September 2006

Ceramic Industry archives from September 2006

Hot, hot, hot.
September 1, 2006... Where in the world did the summer go? I distinctly remember, like they were yesterday, the last day of school, the first visit to the swimming pool, the Fourth of July. I realize that conventional wisdom tells us that time passes more quickly...

Evaluating new Environmental Regulations.(Ceramic Manufacturers Association)(Letter to the editor)
September 1, 2006... In mid-July, the Ceramic Manufacturers Association (CerMA) was made aware of a new draft of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards for the clay ceramics manufacturing industry. We obtained a draft of the document, titled "Area Source...

International calendar.(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... SEPTEMBER 18-20 Commercialization of NanoMaterials 2006, Pittsburgh, Pa., e-mail ncommella@tms.org, www.tms.org 19-21 China Magnetics 2006, Sofitel Hyland Hotel, Shanghai, China, (207) 781-9615, www.intertechusa.com/ChinaMag.html ...

Oneida signs letter of intent for acquisition by private investment firms.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Oneida Ltd. has signed a letter of intent to be acquired by an entity to be formed by D. E. Shaw Laminar Portfolios, L.L.C. and Xerion Capital Partners LLC, both current Oneida shareholders. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, Laminar...

LAEIS supplies presses for Haicheng Houying Group.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In the first stage of updating its pressing technology, Haicheng Houying Group recently ordered five HPF IV 2000 presses from LAEIS GmbH. "If you change your process, you better do it with a partner that is competent and able to help you;...

Ceralink receives DOE grant.(CERAMICS IN THE News)
September 1, 2006... Ceralink Inc. has received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Inventions & Innovation grant program for its patent-pending radio frequency (RF) heating glass lamination technology. This innovation reportedly brings...

Ceradyne to develop armored truck cab prototype for Mack Trucks.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Ceradyne, Inc. has received a purchase order from Mack Trucks, Inc. for a prototype lightweight ceramic armored truck cab incorporating technology specifically designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Army's recently announced Long Term...

LECO introduces redesigned website.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... LECO Corp. has redesigned its website for easier access to the information consumers need. A variety of user-friendly features, including pull-down menus, instrument displays and navigation buttons, reportedly ensures that all product...

Dyson announces agreement with Beijing Trend Industrial Ceramics.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Dyson Thermal Technologies)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Dyson Thermal Technologies has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with China's Beijing Trend Industrial Ceramics Co. Ltd. Dyson Thermal TechnologiesKiln Furniture is now the sole distributor for Beijing Trend products in Europe, Africa...

AMT opens regional office in San Antonio.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Applied Manufacturing Technologies Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT) has opened a new regional office in San Antonio, Texas, that will support the growing Southwest market as well as AMT's key local customers. The office will be headed by AMT veteran Crystal Parrott...

GranitiFiandre Partners with Jenkins Brick and Tile.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Italian stone and tile manufacturer GranitiFiandre has partnered with Jenkins Brick and Tile, headquartered in Montgomery, Ala., to exclusively market and distribute GranitiFiandre and TCL brand products in Alabama, Southern Georgia, Northern...

Laguna Clay completes Axner Pottery acquisition.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... In a joint press release, Laguna Clay Co.'s president, Jon Brooks, and Axner Pottery Supply's founder, Howard Axner, announced Laguna's asset purchase of Axner's company. "It is with great enthusiasm that I welcome Howard Axner and 28 years of...

Asylum Research expands operations in the UK and Ireland.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Asylum Research recently announced the formation of Asylum Research UK Ltd., a company that will distribute and support the company's atomic force microscope (AFM) products in the UK and Ireland. The new company is headquartered in the Oxford...

ORNL Wins Nanotechnology Awards.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Oak Ridge National Laboratory)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Two Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) inventions--NanoFermenation and a high-temperature superconducting wire technology--have won nanotechnology awards in separate contests. R&D Magazine's inaugural MICRO/NANO 25 award recognized...

ArmorWorks receives Manufacturer of the Year Award from AAI.(CERAMICS IN THE News)(Arizona Association of Industries)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... ArmorWorks is the 2006 Arizona Association of Industries (AAI) Manufacturer of the Year in the medium-size company category. This statewide competition serves to bring attention and acknowledgment to Arizona's manufacturing community and the...

Sacmi Whiteware.(People IN THE NEWS)(appointed Pietro Cassani)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Pietro Cassani has been appointed general manager of Sacmi Whiteware. A graduate in mechanical engineering, Cassani began his career with Sacmi in 1993, and has since expanded his skills with a master's degree in business administration. He...

Farr Air Pollution Control (APC).(People IN THE NEWS)(named Lee Morgan)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Lee Morgan has been named president of Farr Air Pollution Control (APC). He will oversee all activities of the Farr APC operating unit, which has been consolidated and expanded to include all of North America. Morgan joined Farr in 1997 and has...

Robinson Brick Co.(People IN THE NEWS)(named Mike Gomez)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Robinson Brick Co. recently named Mike Gomez vice president of Manufacturing for its national and local operations. Gomez will draw on his 10 years of manufacturing operations experience with Robinson to further extend the company's...

Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath.(People IN THE NEWS)(named Brett Mueller)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Brett Mueller has been named vice president of engineering and Western manufacturing for Jacuzzi Whirlpool Bath. In announcing this appointment, Phil Weeks, president, said, "Mueller's combined expertise in both engineering and manufacturing...

Two ceramic engineering professors in the New York State College of Ceramics, the state-supported unit of Alfred University, were among the four faculty members who received State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Awards for Excellence.(People IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Two ceramic engineering professors in the New York State College of Ceramics, the state-supported unit of Alfred University, were among the four faculty members who received State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor's Awards for...

Alcoa.(People IN THE NEWS)(named Rudolph P. Huber)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Alcoa has named Rudolph P. (Rudi) Huber president--Alcoa European Region, with responsibility for the coordination of human resources, media, and legal and government affairs for Alcoa's operations in the European region, including Russia. He...

FEI Co.(People IN THE NEWS)(appointed Don R. Kania)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... FEI Co. recently announced that Don R. Kania, Ph.D., has been named by the board of directors as president, chief executive officer and a board member of the company. Kania most recently served as president and chief operating officer of Veeco...

Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT).(People IN THE NEWS)(appointed Chris Lohr)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT) recently announced the appointment of Chris Lohr as its newest regional sales manager. He will be responsible for sales in the Midwest and Southeast regions of the U.S. "Chris brings over 15 years...

Persistence pays off.(KILN CONNECTION)
September 1, 2006... I have talked about energy conservation in this column many times over the past several years. For those of you who are tired of my litany of energy tips, directions and summaries, you will be pleased to know that this installment is not about...

Investing in ceramics: manufacturing milestone: celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, CM Furnaces is poised for continued success.(Company overview)
September 1, 2006... In today's quick-fix, short-attention-span world, it is hard to believe that anything can stand the test of time. Between remote controls and highspeed Internet connections, we're free to zip along to the next big thing. The worldwide economy...

Developments in microwave heating technology: microwave-assisted technology can provide time and energy savings compared to traditional radiant heating.
September 1, 2006... Percy Spencer, Ph.D., of Raytheon Corp. famously discovered microwave heating by accident when a chocolate bar mysteriously melted in his pocket while he was working on a new device for radar applications during World War II. Given the length...

Pulse combustion: spray drying: powers that undergo pulse combustion spray drying often feature improved particle characteristics and size distributions compared to conventionally spray-dried materials.
September 1, 2006... Users of ceramic powders have spray dried their slurries for many years. Compared to conventional spray drying, however, pulse combustion drying often produces superior powders. Pulse-dried powders are uniformly atomized and quickly dried,...

High-temperature rotary calcining: rotary calciners and kilns effectively and efficiently calcine a variety of materials for a wide range of applications.
September 1, 2006... Differences of opinion exist concerning what should be considered a calciner or a kiln. Some industries refer to all high-temperature rotary units, direct and indirect, as kilns. Others refer to both indirect and direct units as calciners....

Cutting-edge global technology: tens of thousands of visitors will flock to Tecnargilla 2006 this month to preview the latest technologies for the ceramic and brick industries.(SPECIAL REPORT: TECNARGILLA 2006 PREVIEW)(Event overview)
September 1, 2006... Tecnargilla 2006, the 20th International Exhibition of Technology and Supplies for the Ceramic and Brick Industries, will be held September 28-October 2 at the New Expo Center in Rimini, Italy. Billing itself as "the most important information...

Outsourcing: your job and theirs.(Company overview)
September 1, 2006... Not long ago, I stood in front of a group of manufacturing executives and made the following statement: "If your organization does not have 'first-time' 1.33 Cpk production, you have no right to outsource." The group was silent, and I...

Product profile: transparent tube furnace: users can visually check how their process is reacting at operating temperatures through the use of a transparent tube furnace.
September 1, 2006... In the fall of 2001, Thermcraft acquired technology enabling the development of a transparent tube furnace that allows users to visually check how their process is reacting while at operating temperatures. From initial limited sizes, Thermcraft...

Drying and firing systems.(NEW Products)
September 1, 2006... Sacmi A leading producer of ceramic wall and floor tiles decided to extend its porcelain floor tile size range and simultaneously achieve higher technical standards, and it chose this company's drying and firing systems to help achieve...

Corporate brochure.(NEW Products)
September 1, 2006... Union Process A new eight-page brochure showcases the company's range of products and services, along with its history and growth over the past 60 years. "The Evolution of Milling Technology" outlines the process of solving a size...

Rotary-Tray dryer.(NEW Products)
September 1, 2006... Wyssmont Co., Inc. The TURBO-DRYER[R] is being successfully used to continuously dry and calcine a metal compound to produce an extremely pure oxide. According to the company, the TURBO-DRYER was selected after extensive testing of...

Dual-Chamber furnaces.(NEW Products)(Lucifer Furnaces Inc.)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. A complete line of Space Saver dual-chamber furnaces, featuring low-mass, energy-efficient ceramic fiber insulation, is available. Through the use of lightweight, low-mass ceramic insulation instead of traditional...

Air filtering.(NEW Products)
September 1, 2006... DeVilbiss CleanAir[TM] air filtering units help avoid costly pinholes, blushing, fisheyes and dulling by reportedly filtering out water and oil aerosols, as well as dirt particulates. In addition, these air filtering units and regulators...

Abrasive material shredder.(NEW Products)
September 1, 2006... Munson Machinery According to the company, its Maxum 30 shredder shreds blocks up to 2 x 2 x 6 ft (610 x 610 x 3658 mm) of highly abrasive materials into particles of narrow size ranges with minimum fines. Each of two rotors is configured...