Since its founding in 1898 by brick manufacturers who saw a need to apply scientific methods and insights to manufacturing, The American Ceramic Society has served as a unique meeting point for manufacturers, suppliers, vendors, researchers, professionals, and students to exchange ideas, solve common problems, and build business relationships. ACerS is a proud founding partner of Ceramics Expo, which comes to Cleveland, Ohio, April 28–30. Presented by Smarter Shows (Brighton, U.K.), the inaugural trade show includes a free-to-attend exhibition and two-track conference, providing a “one-stop” marketplace for all of the raw materials, equipment, machinery, and technology used within the ceramic manufacturing supply chain.
Over the next weeks leading up the expo and conference, we will preview a handful of the 150-plus manufacturers and suppliers who have signed on for the first Ceramics Expo.
Today, we turn the pre-show spotlight to Mo-Sci Corporation and talk to the company’s president Ted Day.
| Mo-Sci Corp, Booth 116 |
MO-SCI Corporation is a world leader in high quality precision glass technology working with many Fortune 500 companies as their priority or sole provider of specialty glasses. MO-SCI’s glass microspheres, fibers, and frit have many uses including internationally recognized healthcare applications. Engineers at MO-SCI are recognized world-wide for revolutionary research, development and manufacturing of glass for specialty applications. Companies seek out MO-SCI with seemingly improbable ideas to research and develop into an application that the company then takes to market. Mo-Sci Corporation has more than 60,000 square feet of space, which houses state-of-the-art laboratories and production facilities for research and production. Additional manufacturing space of 22,000 sq ft was added in 2013 to provide vertical integration capabilities for the growing company. MO-SCI is headquarted in Rolla, Missouri, home to Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T), where the idea of MO-SCI originated in 1985 with company founder, Dr. Delbert Day, Curators Professor Emeritus in Materials Science and Engineering, at Missouri S&T. It started as a means to supply glass and ceramic products for niche market applications that couldn’t support the normal volume requirements of the glass industry and has grown into the global supplier it is today.
Q: How did your company get its start?
A: The company was started in 1985 to produce glass bead products for inoperable liver cancer that no other company would make. Dr. Delbert Day and Dr. Gary Erhardt collaborated to develop a new internal radiation platform (TheraSphere®) that was very successful clinically but had no identified means to produce it. Dr. Day used this situation as his vision to start Mo-Sci and supply companies that needed highly specialized glass or ceramic products that were not available elsewhere.
Q: How have technology and innovation changed the nature of your business?
A: Technology and innovation continually change our business from what it was originally to what it is today. Mo-Sci tries to stay on the technological forefront within the glass materials industry. Our bioactive glasses are used throughout the world and we continue to develop the only inorganic glass-based wound care dressing in the world. We try to be the “go-to” company when a customer is faced with a problem that requires development, analysis, and production capabilities.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge facing industry today?
A: The biggest challenge facing our industry is making sure that the products we’re producing continue to meet our customers requirements and expectations. As products continue to become more complex, the component requirements and tolerances stretch our capabilities for the manufacturing processes used today. The miniturization of electronics requiring ever smaller bond line spacers continues to pose challenges in sizing and classification techniques.
Q: Tell us one thing most people don’t know or understand about your business.
A: The one thing that most people don’t know is the extent of our capabilities as a small company. While we are a small volume manufacturer compared to the well-known glass giants like Corning and Schott, we have the capability to identify, develop, and produce new types of glasses for customers everyday, we just don’t have the ability to manufacture multiple tons per day quantities … yet.
Q: What are you most looking forward to at Ceramics Expo? Why is CEX so important to industry?
A: We’re looking forward to CEX to network with our industry collegues and find out what is new and interesting, while at the same time provide updates on our capabilities and products. CEX is important because it provides a venue for highly diverse groups within the industry the opportunity to come together and network.
To learn more about Mo-Sci Corporation, one of 150 manufacturers and suppliers exhibiting at the very first Ceramics Expo, visit them April 28–30 in Booth 116.
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