Here is what we are hearing:
Sudden closure of Trainor Glass likely to cause ripple effect across industry
(Glass Magazine) The news of Trainor Glass Co.’s sudden closure last week was met with mixed reaction across the glass industry-from surprise and sadness, to fear and uncertainty. Officials from the contract glazier notified employees by Feb. 21 that the company was immediately closing all locations and laying off all staff. As of June 2011, Trainor employed 676 people in offices across the country
Morgan Technical Ceramics to bring up to 80 jobs coming to Twinsburg, Ohio
(Twinsburg Bulletin) A Pinnacle Parkway manufacturing company expects to increase its workforce by as many as 80 full-time employees over the next three years, thanks to a $170,000 state income tax credit. The Ohio Tax Credit Authority approved a 50 percent, six-year income tax credit to Morgan Technical Ceramics Feb. 27 for the creation of $2.4 million in additional annual payroll, according to a press release from the Ohio Department of Development. As part of the tax credit agreement, the company must maintain operations in Twinsburg for at least nine years. The additional $2.4 million in payroll would mean an additional $54,000 in income tax revenue for the city, and company officials have said the $2.4 million in increased payroll could result in the creation of as many as 80 jobs.
Cabot launches new performance additive for advanced lithium-ion batteries
To meet the fast-growing demands of the battery market, Cabot Corp. has launched the new LITX50 carbon conductive additive, which is designed to increase the power and energy for lithium-ion batteries. The additive improves the conductivity of battery electrodes, which enables better power performance for thicker, higher energy layers. It also complements the new battery materials that developers are exploring for next generation electric vehicles and high-capacity consumer electronics. The properties of the LITX50 conductive additive promote both increased conductivity and efficiency in the battery layers at normal and cold temperatures. It also enables a more energy-dense layer coating that increases performance while lowering manufacturing cost.
Temperature-stable Oslon SSL LED with constant efficiency
The new generation of Oslon SSL-LEDs by Osram Opto Semiconductors presents a particularly temperature stable light source. The LED provides a luminous flux of typically 98 lm in warm white (3,000 K), with an operating current of 350 mA at an application temperature of 85°C in the chip. With its typical luminous efficacy of 96 lm/W, referring to the ratio between luminous flux and expended electrical output, it is among the most efficient 1 mm2-chip-LEDs presently to be found on the market. The combination of higher luminous flux and reduced forward voltage of 3.1 V equals an efficiency increase of approximately 25 percent, when compared with the previous generation. For manufacturers of lighting solutions, this makes luminaire development much easier: A smaller number of LEDs attains the same luminous flux, as well as the same efficiency as before.
NSL Analytical Services Inc. earns Nadcap re-accreditation
NSL Analytical Services Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, announces that its chemistry division has been re-certified as a Materials Testing Laboratory by Nadcap, a worldwide cooperative program that designates a reliable supply base for the global aerospace industry. NSL was originally certified in 1994, and has maintained continuous certification since. “We are audited to the Nadcap AC7101 family of checklists, encompassing a wide range of our available materials testing capabilities,” says NSL Analytical president Larry Somrack. “Capabilities included in the scope are Spark-OES, XRF, ICP-AES, ICP-MS, atomic absorption graphite furnace and wet chemistry gravimetric analyses.” NSL is an independent commercial materials testing laboratory. NSL’s analytical testing services include a broad spectrum of capabilities for chemical, metallurgical, and mechanical testing, as well as failure analysis, product testing, and material selection and characterization.