Ceramic and glass business news of the week for July 25, 2022

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

China’s Keda Industrial to spend $67 million expanding ceramics output in Africa

Keda Industrial Group plans to invest $67.1 million to expand its ceramic products production in two African nations as the Chinese company seeks to fill local supply gaps. Keda will spend $42.5 million to expand floor tile production in Ghana and $24.5 million to build a new sanitary ware plant in Kenya.

Brighton renewable energy firm opens retail storefront for solar panels, EV chargers

Brighton-based renewable energy firm The Green Panel is growing with new showrooms. It is a first for the company to have brick-and-mortar stores, where customers can view solar panel arrays, backup power storage batteries, and electric vehicle charging stations before placing orders.

PHP Float Glass to double production

PHP Float Glass Industries is set to double its production capacity to 300 tonnes a day in two years to meet growing local demand in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The factory currently manufactures float glass with thickness ranging from 2.5–12 mm and will be able to produce up to 15-mm glass after the expansion.

Şişecam to build $193 million Turkish glass manufacturing facility

Turkish glassmaker Şişecam is to build a frosted glass furnace and processing line in Mersin, Turkey. It will establish a second frosted glass furnace and processing line on the same land where it is building a new flat glass line in Mersin province.

Toshiba Materials makes investment to increase silicon nitride ball production capacity

Toshiba Materials Co., Ltd. announced a major investment in a new manufacturing facility for silicon nitride balls on the same site as its headquarters in Yokohama, Japan. The project has a budget of more than 5 billion yen (US$38 million) and is expected to see production starting November 2023.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

ASM to acquire LPE, entering high-growth silicon carbide epitaxy equipment business

ASM International N.V. reached an agreement under which ASM will acquire all outstanding shares of LPE S.p.A., a manufacturer of epitaxial reactors for silicon carbide and silicon, based in Italy.

Nano Dimension Ltd. to acquire Formatec Holding B.V. and its subsidiaries

Nano Dimension Ltd., a pioneer in the additively manufactured electronics market and a builder of metal and ceramic 3D printers, announced plans to acquire Formatec Holding B.V. and its subsidiaries, Admatec Europe B.V. and Formatec Technical Ceramics B.V.

Nano Dimension continues expansion with 12.12% stake in Stratasys

Nano Dimension acquired a 12.12% stake in fellow 3D printer manufacturer Stratasys. The companies may both be based in Israel, but their market segments could not be more different: Nano Dimension specializes in additively manufactured electronics while Stratasys operates almost exclusively in the polymer space.

Safelite Group acquires Henderson Glass

Safelite Group, a national vehicle glass services and recalibration company and owner of Safelite AutoGlass, announced an agreement to acquire Henderson Glass in Michigan. The transaction closed on Friday, July 15.

Qcells to secure solar glass from Canada for its US manufacturing operation

South Korea-based Hanwha Group, parent corporation of Qcells, is establishing a low-carbon supply chain to support its solar energy growth in North America, where it is constructing a manufacturing facility in Georgia. The company signed an agreement to source solar glass domestically from Canadian Premium Sand.

OTHER STORIES

Compromise version of COMPETES Act set for final votes

The United States Senate released a thousand-page legislative package last week that represents a major compromise with the House on how to revamp the U.S. research system in response to growing competition with China and other countries. An FYI article has the details.

Critical Minerals Association calls on UK gov to facilitate responsible supply chains

The Critical Minerals Association called on the U.K. government to take urgent action to facilitate development of secure supply chains for responsibly sourced critical minerals, in its “Breaking Down Barriers for Responsible Sourcing of Critical Minerals” report released July 18.

Heinz-Glas uses plastic-free packaging

German bottle manufacturer Heinz‐Glas will use fiber-cast packaging from renewable raw materials to protect its premium glass bottles in transit in Upper Franconia, Germany. According to  Heinz‐Glas, the fiber-cast packaging developed together with the cologne-based companies PAPACKS Sales and Coty has more than fulfilled expectations.

Fairmat to recycle 30% of industry’s carbon fiber waste in Europe one year after inception

Fairmat, a deep-tech company committed to the recycling of carbon fiber composites, announced on July 11 that it will be recycling more than 30% of Europe’s carbon fiber composite production waste since its inception more than a year ago. This waste originates mainly from the aeronautics and wind energy markets.

France invests over €5 billion in semiconductors

France unveiled a €5 billion investment plan to develop and produce cutting-edge electronics technology by 2030. “Electronique 2030” is an integral part of “France 2030,” an investment plan launched in October 2021 to revive France’s industrial economy and to create future technological champions in strategic sectors.

Bosch to invest €3 billion to increase semiconductor supply

Germany’s Robert Bosch, one of the world’s most important automotive suppliers, will invest €3 billion through 2026 to expand its production of semiconductor chips.

DOE awards $3 million to polySpectra and Fortify to advance 3D-printed tooling

The U.S. Department of Energy awarded $3 million to polySpectra and Fortify, along with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, MPI Systems, RePliForm Inc, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, to develop durable direct additive tooling for automotive lightweighting via cyclic olefin resin-based composites.

Plibrico welcomes new engineering manager

The Plibrico Company welcomed Shawn Story as its new engineering manager. During Story’s 16 years in the refractory industry, he held various engineering and development positions, including in engineering, product development, and thermal application support for a wide range of industries, such as aluminum, steel, iron, and glass.

MARKET TRENDS

Solar panel recycling is about to become big business

In a recent report, Rystad Energy predicts that demand for recycled solar photovoltaic panel components is set to skyrocket in the coming years as the number of installations surges and the threat of a supply bottleneck looms.

Global alumina, aluminum markets face headwinds

Australia’s ban on export of alumina to Russia following the war in Ukraine sent prices on a rollercoaster ride in the first half of 2022. Uncertainties surrounding the supply–demand dynamics and policies continue to loom ahead.

The unsinkable potential of autonomous boats

Autonomous boats are beginning to traverse the world’s waterways. A Vox article considers how these vehicles could not only make it easier to traverse the world’s waterways, but also do so with a smaller carbon footprint than crewed boats.

Semiconductor shares sink as chip stockpiles grow

The Wall Street Journal looks at how investors have soured on semiconductor stocks, anticipating an industry downturn due to slowing customer demand and inventory buildups at some of the world’s largest chip makers.

NEW PRODUCTS

HydroGraph launches patented graphene ink

HydroGraph Clean Power Inc., a commercial manufacturer of high-quality nanomaterials and alternative-energy fuels, launched its patented graphene ink, an entirely new and novel form of “conductive ink” that maintains the valuable qualities of graphene including strength, nontoxicity, flexibility, and optical transparency.

Meta Materials granted two new US patents for next-generation battery separators

Meta Materials Inc., a developer of high-performance functional materials and nanocomposites, announced that two new U.S. patents were recently granted directed to second and third generation nanoporous ceramic battery separators.