Ceramic and glass business news of the week for August 30, 2021

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

Sakuu to start pilot line for solid-state batteries

Sakuu Corporation started the construction of a pilot line for the production of solid-state batteries with an annual capacity of 2.5 MWh. In May, the company announced a 3D industrial printer to enable the rapid mass production of solid-state traction batteries.

Guardian Glass plots Russian expansion

Guardian Glass is to add a jumbo laminated glass production line at its Ryazan, Russia plant. It said the investment supports the region’s strong growth in the commercial, residential, and interior sectors and, from within those sectors, the call for glass products that address safety, security, and acoustic performance.

Flexicon relocates, expands Australian operations

Flexicon Corporation (Australia) Pty Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Flexicon Corporation (Bethlehem, Pa.), more than doubled the size of its manufacturing and sales operation in July 2021.

CeraFab 7500 ceramic 3D printer installed remotely in Australia

A partnership between Lithoz, University of Wollongong, and Australasian 3D printing provider Objective3D allowed the remote installation of a high-resolution ceramic printer to occur, which will be used for a broad range of applications in the development of bioprinting hardware.

Vidrio Formas starts second glass manufacturing facility

Mexican manufacturer Vidrio Formas started a second production facility to increase its capacity to deliver glass containers to its customer base. The new facility is located in Lerma, about one hour away from Mexico City and 10 minutes away from the original Vidrio Formas glassworks.

Pilkington UK architectural glass production powered by hydrogen

Pilkington UK manufactured architectural glass at its St Helens, U.K. facility using hydrogen power in a world-first trial. The switch means that the float glass furnace—which accounts for the majority of the company’s overall carbon emissions—would be able to run with hugely lower emissions.

Aerojet Rocketdyne expands Canoga Park facility for NASA’s Moon and Mars rocket

Aerojet Rocketdyne finished the expansion of its state-of-the-art facility in Canoga Park used for manufacturing of new-generation engines for NASA’s Space Launch System. The $59-million expansion includes renovations to existing facilities, building additional 30,000 square feet of manufacturing space along with new testing and storage facilities.

Peekay Group to set up 3D printing technology facility at Bengaluru Airport City

Peekay Group signed an agreement with Bengaluru Airport City to develop a 3D Printing technology facility at the Airport City that is being developed in the BLR Airport premises. The facility will house a production center as well as an experience zone to learn 3D printing and ideate for innovative solutions.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Buckeye acquires OCI Solar Power’s 270 MW solar project in Texas

Buckeye Partners acquired OCI Solar Power’s 270 MW construction-ready solar project, dubbed Project Parker, located in Falls County, Texas. OCI Solar Power is a U.S. subsidiary of Korea-based OCI Company, which is engaged in developing, building, financing, owning, and operating solar photovoltaic facilities.

Fortify and Tethon 3D partner to develop technical ceramics for 3D printing

Fortify, a Boston-based 3D printing startup, and Tethon 3D, a leader in ceramic 3D-printed materials, are collaborating to advance adoption of ceramics in a variety of additive manufacturing applications. The partnership allows both companies to serve a broad range of industrial applications as well as classified projects with government agencies.

UKAEA and STFC to accelerate fusion energy research using advanced computing

The UK Atomic Energy Authority said that the UK program to deliver fusion energy was given a boost by a new collaboration with the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Under the collaboration, the groups will launch a Centre of Excellence in Extreme Scale Computing in Fusion at the Daresbury Laboratory in the northwest of England.

Kyocera, Nagasaki University develop energy harvesting smart buoy to collect ocean data

Nagasaki University and Kyocera Corporation announced their joint development of an energy harvesting smart buoy, which combines Nagasaki University’s tidal current power generation technology with Kyocera’s IoT technology to collect reliable ocean data. 

OTHER STORIES

DOE announces intent to launch new Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize

The upcoming Inclusive Energy Innovation Prize, scheduled to open for submissions in September 2021, will provide cash prizes of up to $250,000 each ($2.5 million total) to groups and organizations to support entrepreneurship and innovation in communities historically underrepresented and underserved in the energy sector.

NASA awards $500,000 to develop moon-mining tech

NASA awarded a total of $500,000 to 13 different teams via its Break the Ice Lunar Challenge, a competition designed to nurture development of moon-mining technology.  The extraction and use of lunar resources is a key priority for NASA, which is working to establish a permanent human presence on and around the moon by the end of the decade.

Meghna Group enters ceramic sector

Meghna Group of Industries in Bangladesh entered into the local ceramic sector with its brand Fresh Ceramic. Meghna Group invested nearly Tk 500 crore to set up ceramic manufacturing facilities at Ashariar Char in Narayanganj’s Sonargaon area and created around 1,000 jobs in its factory.

SINTX Armor ships first order and prepares for move to Utah

SINTX Technologies, Inc., an original equipment manufacturer of advanced ceramics, announced that its newly created and wholly-owned subsidiary, SINTX Armor, will be located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and that it has signed a 10-year lease on a facility to house development and manufacturing activities for SINTX Armor.

MARKET TRENDS

To solve space traffic woes, look to the high seas

Ruth Stilwell, the executive director of Aerospace Policy Solutions and an adjunct faculty member at Norwich University in Vermont, argues that to improve space traffic management, we should look to the maritime laws and policies that guide how ships and other vessels on the sea ought to behave.

California to mandate installation of solar panels for new, renovated buildings

State energy regulator California Energy Commission proposed the installation of solar panels and battery storage be mandatory for the construction and renovation of commercial, public, and residential buildings.

Many trends to track for Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles

Alex Holland, senior technology analyst at IDTechEx, recently published an article on the topic of Li-ion batteries in electric vehicles. Overall, worldwide electric car sales were stronger than expected in 2020. IDTechEx data shows there has been a shift toward higher nickel content NMC batteries over the past few years.

NEW PRODUCTS

XJet announces commercial availability of alumina ceramic

XJet Ltd. announced the commercial availability of alumina, adding to its portfolio of additive manufacturing materials. Alumina was chosen for development because of its wide use as a technical ceramic and the evident market demand to see parts produced with the benefits of XJet NanoParticle Jetting production.

Sisecam launches coated glass product

Şişecam Solar Control Low-E Glass Neutral 50/33 provides solutions for projects such as residences, schools, and small/medium sized commercial buildings where optimum daylight transmittance, neutral appearance, and efficient solar control are necessary. The glass reduces heat loss by 50% compared to an ordinary insulated glass unit.

AOMS Technologies introduces LumiNode Plus concrete sensing solution

AOMS Technologies launched LumiNode Plus concrete sensing solution, the newest addition to its LumiCon Smart Construction Platform product suite. The wireless LumiNode Plus offers direct cloud connectivity, enabling instant streaming of concrete temperature and maturity data directly to the cloud.