Here is what we are hearing:
Nexceris offers materials testing services
In addition to Nexceris’ materials and process development expertise, the company has assembled an impressive suite of equipment to characterize powders, slurries and sintered ceramic parts. The Nexceris team of materials scientists, engineers and technicians has the experience and know-how to work with a wide variety of materials. We can serve as a one-stop source for the testing of the physical and electrical properties as well as the sintering and electrochemical performance of a variety of materials. Our expertise includes Physical properties and materials characterization, electrical Properties, catalyst activity testing, analysis of customer supplied catalysts for chemical reactions performance (including high temperatures), corrosion behavior and other materials testing, such as mechanical strength, fracture toughness, elastic moduli, coating transverse and adhesion strength, thermal conductivity and high-temperature strength evaluations.
Alteo: Self determination for a specialty alumina business
(Industrial Minerals) IM’s Gerry Clarke interviews the president of the newly created Alteo, Frederic Ramé, to discover what lies ahead as the Gardanne operation moves through its 120th anniversary in 2014 and towards 2020. First an engineer from Paris and second an economist from the London School of Economics, Rame joined Pechiney in 1999 and in March 2008 took control of Rio Tinto Alcan’s Specialty Aluminas business as General Manager based at Gardanne. Ramé speaks to Clarke about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, and tells him, “This is a great opportunity for the new Alteo business.”
Kyocera manufacturing plant in Fukushima receives Japan′s 2012 Minister of the Environment Award
Kyocera Corp. announced that the company’s Fukushima Tanagura Plant has received Japan’s 2012 Minister of the Environment Award for the Promotion of Measures to Cope with Global Warming (Countermeasures Category) in recognition of its comprehensive environmental protection activities. This is the third consecutive year that Kyocera has been a recipient, following the 2011 award received by the company’s central Japan manufacturing plants in the countermeasures category, and the 2010 award for Kyocera’s high-output solar module in the technology development/product category. This latest award adds to the many others Kyocera companies have received worldwide. Most recently, Kyocera Mexicana S.A. de C.V., a manufacturing plant in Tijuana, Mexico was awarded its third consecutive Industria Limpia (Clean Industry) Certification from the Mexican government. Kyocera Communications Inc., a San Diego-based provider of wireless phones in the Americas, earned a “2012 Environmental Excellence Award” from the Industrial Environmental Association in the category of Climate Change for reducing its environmental impact by fundamentally altering its freight-shipping practices. Kyocera also boasts the distinction of San Diego’s “most awarded” company for its various environmental programs, earning 19 awards from the city for recycling and other business practices as well as several Waste Reduction Awards from the state of California.
Hauck announces 2013 combustion seminars
Hauck Manufacturing Co. has announced the schedule for its 2013 Industrial Combustion Seminars. The first session will be held on March 12-14. The second session will be held from April 16-18. Hauck has updated its combustion training to create the most flexible seminar customizable to suit your training requirements. From basic combustion science to advanced computer-driven modeling of combustion applications, this seminar offers the information you need to make the most efficient use of your combustion equipment. Attend the two day or three day session depending on your training needs. Topics covered include burner sizings, system design, piping design, blowers and sound and missions. Class work is supplemented by hands-on exercises in Hauck’s Combustion Laboratory demonstrating real-world design issues. Day 3 of the seminar will focus on using e-Solutions as a tool to solve combustion design issues.
IRD Glass: World-class supplier of precision glass, optical and ceramic components.
For 30 years, IRD Glass has served the needs of the demanding optical and technical glass customer. IRD serves a broad market base that includes: aerospace, defense, sensors, laser OEMs, machine vision, illumination, process control, medical and numerous others. Its partners include a variety of global brand leaders including Boeing, Honeywell, Rockwell Collins, TDK, CyberOptics, Trumpf, Alcon, Form Factor, TSI, Boston Scientific and Gyrus. If you have an existing product or need a new component made from glass or ceramic, count on IRD to build it to your specifications, meet your specific tolerances and deliver it within your timetable. The entire time, you can depend on constant communication from IRD, your partner throughout the process. IRD Glass provides their customers with a complete line of custom optic manufacturing capabilities, including cylindrical and spherical lenses, prisms, wedges, optical filters, windows, mirrors, sub-assemblies and optical thin-film coatings. It also manufactures technical & industrial glass and ceramic components, including standard and custom pedestals, precision glass tubes, rods and substrates for use in optical and industrial applications.
Thermal Technology ships 50-ton molybdenum hot press
Thermal Technology, a leading manufacturer of vacuum and high temperature furnace systems, recently designed and manufactured a 50-ton hot press for a Northern California manufacturer of analytical instrumentation. The system will be used for diffusion bonding of highly advanced sensors. The hot press, Model HP100, offers a large usable work space with a 4-side molybdenum hot zone rated to 1,600°C and operates in an inert gas, high vacuum or partial pressure environment. Thermal Technology’s Model HP100-121214M provides a spacious 12-inch cube work area with a convenient front and rear door loading configuration, permitting direct and unrestricted access to the work area. This system offers precision force control and displacement measurement with accuracy of better than 0.5 percent of reading. The control system utilizes the Honeywell HC900 Hybrid controller and advanced HMI software to provide automatic turnkey batch control and data acquisition. Thermal Technology’s hot press systems are designed for the simultaneous application of high temperature and high force levels. Primary applications include densification of powdered materials, diffusion bonding of solid components and processing of fibrous composites.
Primoceler unveils new glass welding machine producing significantly reduced heat-affected zone
Primoceler Inc., a microfabrication company specializing in glass welding and laser scribing, announced its development of a new laser-based welding machine for microelectromechanical systems. The new machine produces an extremely small heat-affected zone during the hermetic sealing of sensitive components, improving manufacturing processes and expanding the potential for packaging sensitive components under or inside glass. A major challenge facing manufacturers has been producing packages that do not mechanically stress their MEMS while providing electrical (and also fluidic or optical) interconnects, protecting micromechanical elements and allowing for the system to interact with external environments as planned. Conventional bonding methods such as fusion bonding and anodic bonding generate large amounts of heat, which can cause damage with sensitive components. The new laser micro-welding methodology makes it possible to bond silicon and glass hermetically without adhesives or heat and presents manufacturers with an array of new possibilities for the production of electronic, engineering, medical and scientific research devices, such as chips and sensors.
Surmet wins another SBIR Phase I from the DOD
Surmet won a SBIR Phase I from the Navy for the refurbishment of infrared search and track domes that deteriorate in service. The funding will allow Surmet to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative process capable of restoring the damaged domes to a state or condition that meet all of the imaging and environmental requirements of the original dome. The first step will be to remove the damaged surface layer carefully and precisely. Then this removed layer will be replaced by a strongly adherent, durable and machinable coating layer that is sufficiently thick and IR transparent. Then the surface of the coated dome will be refigured using precision optical fabrication techniques. This will be followed by application of durable anti-reflection coating that will provide abrasion resistance while enhancing IR transmission. In addition to yielding a compliant dome, the cost effective refurbishment process may also improve the dome’s durability.