Clemson University lab naming brings together national leaders in optical fiber
A partnership between two national leaders in optical fiber took center stage Wednesday when Clemson University named a lab after a company that has made a series of donations valued at more than $25,000. The lab will be named for Verrillon-AFL of North Grafton, Mass. The company, which is a subsidiary of AFL of Spartanburg, develops, manufactures, and markets specialty optical fiber and cables for the oil-and-gas, industrial and military markets. The lab naming is a show of appreciation for Verrillon’s support of Clemson’s world-class Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies (COMSET). Researchers at the center develop specialty optical fibers that transmit light and can be used in a range of products, including military lasers, medical devices and precision manufacturing equipment.
Morgan Advanced Materials and Magma Ceramics and Catalysts have come together to create an international presence in the field of advanced ceramic and catalyst technology. The joint venture between Morgan and Magma will see Morgan’s UK Fired Refractory Shapes business, based in Bromborough, merge with Magma Ceramics and Catalysts. The merger will create a significantly larger and more effective combined business with access to a broader technology base, enabling it to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities already identified by both organizations across multiple markets. The joint venture will operate under the Magma name, and Morgan will take a 35 per cent shareholding in the combined business.
Corning Incorporated and Atmel Corporation, a provider of microcontroller and touch technology, are collaborating to develop ultrathin capacitive touchscreens with superior multitouch performance for next-generation applications. This collaboration combines Atmel XSense flexible touch sensors with 0.4mm damage-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass. Together, they deliver outstanding capacitive touch performance through thinner flat or curved cover glass. Additionally, the unique circuit design of XSense enables narrower device borders, allowing for a more optimal viewing area. The combination enables industrial designers to create phones, tablets, notebooks, and other multitouch devices with sleeker, lighter, and more contemporary touch interfaces without sacrificing reliability or performance.
Owens-Illinois invests more than 30 million euros in Alloa to support Scottish spirits industry
Owens-Illinois, Inc. has invested 30 million Euro in its Alloa facility located in the heart of Scotland’s distilled spirits industry. During an event attended by O-I chairman and CEO Al Stroucken, customers, employees and government officials, the company highlighted the plant’s upgraded capabilities to better serve the Scotch whisky industry and other drinks businesses. The investment includes a £3.9 million Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise. The investment builds on a heritage of 260 years of glassmaking on this site and on the company’s 600-strong expert workforce. The investment included upgrading Alloa’s design, new product development, glass color and decoration facilities.
Babcock & Wilcox announces restructuring of small modular reactor program
The Babcock & Wilcox Company plans to restructure its mPower Small Modular Reactor program to focus on technology development. Without the ability to secure significant additional investors or customer engineering, procurement, and construction contracts to provide the financial support necessary to develop and deploy mPower reactors, the current development pace will be slowed. B&W notified the U.S. Department of Energy on April 9 of its plans for reduced spending, indicating it would work with the DOE and other stakeholders during the next one to two months to confirm the best path forward to develop a mutually agreeable plan including program milestones for continuing the cost-shared industry partnership program. B&W expects to invest up to $15 million annually, beginning the third quarter of 2014.