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Ceramics and glass business news of the week
Here’s what we are hearing (some information from news releases):
China’s first commercial high-emperature reactor in the province of Shandong will be one of the most modern nuclear power plants in the world. Employing only the safest and most reliable technology available today, Schott has been selected to supply its hermetic glass-to-metal sealed Electrical Penetration Assemblies. The first feedthrough has now been delivered to the Institute of Nuclear and New Energy Technology at Tsinghua University for testing and training purposes.
DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions announces price increase
In a release, officials from DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions announced a price increase of 6 percent for all DuPont Butacite, Butacite G, Spallshield, The Wedge polyvinyl butyral and SentryGlas ionoplast products globally. The price increases, which go into effect Jan. 1, 2012, are in response to sustained high raw material and transportation costs, according to the release.
CPSC postpones making changes to mandatory ‘reasonable testing programs’ applicable to safety glass
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission has abandoned, at least for the immediate future, its plan to specify and regulate the required content of “reasonable testing programs” of manufacturers of non-children’s consumer products, including architectural glass, that are subject to CPSC safety standards, such as 16 CFR 1201, and that must containcertifications of compliance with those standards. This will bode well for safety glazing manufacturers, says Kim Mann, general counsel of Glass Association of North America.
Ballard Power Systems announced that it has, together with consortium partners BAE Systems and ElDorado National Inc., successfully deployed a “Buy America”-compliant, zero-emission fuel cell bus for SunLine Transit Agency in Palm Springs, Calif. The “Buy America” regulation requires the manufacturing of the bus and key components in the United States, in alignment with objectives set out by the Federal Government. This bus was developed under the Federal Transit Administration’s) National Fuel Cell Bus Program, which facilitates the development of commercially viable fuel cell bus technologies and related infrastructure for deployment in revenue service.
Appleton, a leading manufacturer of electrical products for hazardous and non-hazardous applications, has brought the superior efficiency, long life and reliability of Light Emitting Diodes technology to industrial emergency lighting with the introduction of its new FDBAES Series of flameproof, self-contained emergency luminaries, the latest addition to Appleton’s growing LED product line.
Andersen cutting 250 jobs mostly in Bayport
A continued slump in the housing market translates to another round of layoffs at Andersen Corp. The Bayport-based door and window giant said Tuesday it will 250 jobs by the end of December.
US and Japanese companies begin $37 million Smart Grid project in Hawaii
Hitachi, Cyber Defence Institute, and Mizuho Corporate Bank recently announced that the companies have been selected as contractors for a smart grid demonstration project on Maui Island in Hawaii, spearheaded by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization as the result of feasibility study which was conducted from May to September this year by Hitachi and other companies. Serving as the project leader, Hitachi will take a leading role and coordinate the entire project.
Siemens increases stake in Marine Current Turbines
British tidal energy company, Marine Current Turbines Ltd, today announces that Siemens is increasing its share in the company to 45%. MCT has evolved from a pioneer to a technology leader in horizontal axis marine current turbines and now has 25 employees. In February 2010 Siemens acquired a minor stake in the Bristol-based company and thus entered the marine tidal current market. Financial details of the announcement are not disclosed.
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Ceramics and glass business news of the week
Screenshot from video of Gorilla Glass 2M ‘ball drop’ test: 1.18 lb ball, dropped from 1.8 meters at 13.6 mph. Credit: Corning Inc.
Here’s what we are hearing (some info from news releases):
Glasstech looks ahead to its next 40 years with confidence
Glasstech, Inc.’s first four decades have seen the company transform from a small, one-idea operation into the world’s premier designer and supplier of glass processing systems. The company’s innovative systems have earned their reputation for rugged dependability in the automotive and architectural markets and now are expanding into a market the company helped create, solar-energy production. With its legacy of innovation and pioneering, Glasstech is responsible for numerous critical developments that made possible machine bending, shaping and tempering or annealing of glass parts, large and small. Now at the top of its game, one can only wonder what the next 40 years hold in store for Glasstech and the glass processing industry.
Rockwood reports very strong third quarter results
Rockwood Holdings Inc., a global producer of specialty chemicals and advanced materials, today reported earnings per share from continuing operations of $0.95 for the third quarter of 2011 as compared to $0.49 for the same period in the prior year. Rockwood’s as adjusted earnings per share increased to $1.06 in the third quarter of 2011 from $0.51 for the same period in the prior year. Seifi Ghasemi, chair and CEI, said, “This quarter’s superior results are further confirmation of the fundamental strength of Rockwood’s unique portfolio of inorganic specialty chemicals. Continued strong volume growth in our lithium, surface treatment and clay-based additives businesses, combined with improved pricing in titanium dioxide and lithium, enabled us to more than double our adjusted EPS for the quarter.
Groundbreaking ceremony for CS Energy Materials plant in Minamata, Japan
An official groundbreaking ceremony started the construction work for the CS Energy Materials Ltd (CSEM) plant in Minamata. CSEM is a joint venture between H.C. Starck and Japan New Chisso (JNC) Corp. for the development and production of cathode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries used to power electric and hybrid cars. The ceremony was attended by representatives from JNC Corp., H.C. Starck and CSEM as well as by government representatives. The joint venture intends to commence production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries in 2012.
GreenCell, Inc. Announces the Development of an UltraTemp-C Based Firing System
GreenCell, Incorporated announced the development of an UltraTempTM-C based firing system for its line of igniters, sensors and fuel cells. The unique design provides for easy manufacture of sensors and igniters at temperatures beyond 1400°C. The system provides for handling ease for all high temperature operations and is completely silica free. The unique “interlocking” block design is accomplished through software based manufacturing with no requirement for hard tooling.
This Gorilla Glass Stock Is Riding The Smartphone Boom
Corning has a market cap of $21.5 billion fed mostly by the television and mobile device markets, including companies like Sony, Dell, HTC and LG, which utilize Corning’s Gorilla Glass, in their products. Although Corning has experienced a tough few months recently, it has proven resilient and maintains good long-term prospects.
Ceramic PCBs for electric vehicles
Siemens and its partners are developing a new type of ceramic printed circuit board for use in integrated power converters destined for electric vehicles. The converters have a modular design, and are physically close to control and power electronics in the vehicle’s transmission. The ceramic electronics project is being funded by Germany’s Ministry of Education and Research. The first step is to develop a high voltage electricity and signal transmission system between the circuit boards.
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Ceramics and glass business news of the week
Here is what we are hearing:
Unifrax announces three more acquisitions
Unifrax, the Niagara Falls, NY based manufacturer of ceramic fiber insulation products, announced today that it had acquired three leading North American vacuum forming businesses: Refractory Specialties Incorporated, Specialty Ceramics Incorporated and VacuForm Incorporated.
The three businesses specialize in the development, manufacture and sale of fiber-based, value-add shapes used in a wide variety of applications in both the industrial and hearth products markets.
Ceramic Gas Products announces first large order in India for Ultralite
Ceramic Gas Products, part of the Mantec Group’s Technical Ceramics Division, has just announced its very first independent order in India. Anchor Sanitaryware, one of India’s leading brands in the sector, has placed an initial order for 80m3 of Ultralite, a unique lightweight refractory material for kiln car loose fill insulation and is set to roll out a programme of Ultralite use across its entire sanitaryware manufacturing operation to save energy and improve profits. This is a substantial prospect as Anchor operates two major facilities which produce around 4,000 pieces per day.
TA Instruments acquires Anter Corporation
TA Instruments announces the acquisition of Anter Corporation and Anter Laboratories (Pittsburgh, PA), a privately held manufacturer of high performance systems that measure thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and heat capacity of a wide range of materials. The combination of TA and Anter technologies and the integration into TA’s worldwide sales and technical support organizations will greatly benefit scientists who need to characterize the thermophysical properties of high temperature materials.
Strong demand for electronic components companies, according to UBS Investment Bank senior analyst
The Wall Street Transcript has just published Electronic Components Report offering a timely review of the sector. This special report contains expert industry commentary through in-depth interviews with public company CEOs, equity analysts and money managers. The report was written by Amitabh Passi, a technology analyst at UBS Investment Bank, where he covers the technology supply chain and North American wireless sectors.
In an effort to meet the growing demand of its integrated analytical solutions, Siemens Industry’s Process Instrumentation and Analytics, based in Houston, announces a strategic partnership with S&B Plant Services Ltd. to support companies in the oil & gas, energy, water and wastewater and minerals industries. A teaming and marketing agreement was executed to result in an improved ability to meet market demand with a total integrated solution based on Siemens analytical products/services and S&B’s field construction/maintenance services.
A123 Systems to supply advanced energy storage system to Dongfang Electric Corporation
A123 Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced Nanophosphate lithium ion batteries and systems, today announced a contract to supply a 500kW advanced energy storage solution to Dongfang Electric Corporation, the third largest manufacturer of wind turbines in the People’s Republic of China and the country’s largest exporter of power equipment. Expected to be installed at DEC’s manufacturing facility in Hangzhou city, China Zhejiang Province, by the end of 2011, the system is designed as a demonstration project to help the corporation evaluate how advanced energy storage can address the challenges associated with the rapid growth of wind power in China.
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Ceramics and glass business news this week
New JEOL large angle EDS. Credit: JEOL.
Here’s what we are hearing:
Horiba Scientific offers new instruments for partical analysis
The new SZ-100 series instruments analyze key particle physical properties including size and zeta potential. In addition, it can be used to determine protein and polymer molecular weight, and second virial coefficient (A2). Particle size analysis is performed by dynamic light scattering. Zeta potential is measured by electrophoretic light scattering. Molecular weight and A2 are analyzed by static light scattering using a Debye plot. Typical applications include nanoparticles, colloids, proteins, biomolecules, and emulsions.
JEOL offers new large angle EDS for ultrafast elemental mapping of S/TEM samples
JEOL has developed a new generation of energy dispersive spectrometers for ultrafast, ultrasensitive collection of X-rays through analysis with its Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopes. Centurio from JEOL is a novel Silicon Drift Detector EDS that collects X-rays from samples at an unprecedented large solid angle of up to 0.98 steradians from a detection area of 100 mm2. The larger the solid angle of measurement, the more data the EDS collects to construct detailed analytical maps of the elements in the sample.
Siemens and Lynas to form a joint rare earth venture
Lynas Corp. (Sydney, Australia) is pleased to announce the signing of a Letter of Intent with the Siemens Drive Technologies Division of Germany to establish a joint venture company for the sustainable production of neodymium based rare earth magnets to serve Siemens’ production requirements for energy-efficient drive applications and wind-turbine generators.
A free 24-page white paper, based on analysis performed by the Architectural Energy Corporation, compares modeled energy savings for neutral-reflective, low-e glass in two building types—a three-story middle school and a 15-story office building— in 12 North American cities. The study showed that, when compared to the leading and next-best-performing neutral-reflective, low-e glass, Solarban R100 glass provided substantial energy and equipment savings over a building’s lifetime, regardless of climate.
Teledyne Hastings Instruments announces new power supply/display
THI recently introduced the THCD-100, a fully integrated five-digit display and power supply for a wide choice of gas mass flow meters, gas mass flow controllers and pressure transducers. The THCD features a bright graphical VFD display which allows the user to display the relevant units as well as navigate the easy-to-use interface. The THCD offers many user-convenient features including digital communications, alarm outputs with relays, configurable display units, multiple transducer supplies, etc. The instrument can also be customized for a particular application by the supply of custom firmware.
By optimizing product structure and developing new materials, Murata succeeded in reducing distortion and upgrading the sound pressure level, while maintaining the small product size. With the recent growing trend to use mobile devices continuously for longer and longer periods of time, built-in batteries for these devices are becoming larger and larger. As the size of their batteries increases, the amount of space left for auditory and mechanical parts decreases, creating the need for even smaller and thinner speakers.
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Gaining the competitive edge: economic outlook and the ceramic industry
From CLS 2010: Rodney Lanthorne (Kyocera) , Joel Moskowitz (Ceradyne) and David Morse (Corning) jointly spoke on the topic, “Emerging Business and Technology Opportunities and Challenges for the Ceramics Community.” Similarly, representatives of small, medium and large enterprises will be featured in the CLS 2011 program.
Last week we reported that the employment outlook for engineers is looking rosier than it has for a long time. GlobalSpec just released a white paper, “2011 Economic Outlook Survey: Improving Conditions Present Market Opportunity for Suppliers” (pdf), which fills in some detail about the economic mood from the perspective of over 1,000 engineering, technical, manufacturing and industrial professionals representing 23 industries.
Over half of the companies that responded expect sales to be up in 2011; in contrast, less than half of the 2010 respondents expected sales to be up last year. In two industrial sectors that are important to the ceramic materials industry, for example, 65 percent of the automotive industry is expecting increased sales; aerospace and defense are expecting 48 percent more sales. According to the report, “Departmental budgets are also increasing, with 30 percent of engineers and technical professionals stating their departments will increase budgets in 2011, compared to only 18 percent in 2010. Engineers and technical professionals also are working on more projects than in the past.”
About half of all respondents reported they plan to invest more in 2011 in three key activities: researching future projects, product design and development and entering new markets.
A good manufacturing economy for is good for ceramics, but how good, and in what sectors will it be best? For what broad investment opportunities that companies are looking at this year will ceramic materials be critical? Are there emerging technologies that are dependent on breakthroughs in ceramic materials engineering? How does a ceramic manufacturer break into new markets domestically and abroad?
It can be difficult to extract meaning out of reports like these for industries like ours because so much of the visible manufactured world is coupled to less visible ceramic technology: steelmaking and refractories; automobiles and glass science, sensors; aerospace and thermal barrier coatings; electronics and capacitors, piezoelectrics, insulators; energy and PV materials, batteries, capacitors; etc.
How can you get reliable information on the prevailing business trends and best position your company?
ACerS is sponsoring its 2nd annual Ceramic Leadership Summit to provide strategic business information specific to ceramic businesses. Deliberately designed not to be a technical meeting, all speakers are known leaders in their fields and will focus on the business and strategic issues facing the industry today in three program tracks: energy innovations, business of ceramics and innovative application for ceramic materials.
Here is a small sampling of presentation titles:
- Advanced Ceramics for Sustainability — View from Siemens Corporate Technology
- Case Study: A Small U.S. Company’s Approach to China
- Emerging Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology Applications, Industry Trends and Current and Future Markets
- Raw Materials Trends Impacting the Ceramics and Glass Community
- The Market Outlook for Energy-Related Technologies
- Connecting Research, Technology and Manufacturing
There are a lot of great sources of general business information, but only one that can deliver business information specific to the ceramic materials industry. Timed perfectly to coincide with FY 2012 budget cycles, CLS 2011 will help you map a strategy in your business for growth.
Ceramic Leadership Summit 2011
August 1-3, Baltimore, Md.
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