Ceramic and glass business news of the week for March 30, 2020

PLANTS, CENTERS, AND FACILITIES

O-I Australia’s distribution center nears completion

Construction is well underway at Owens-Illinois’ distribution center in Penrith, NSW, Australia. The new purpose-built 50,000 sq.m. distribution facility is being developed next to O-I’s existing production plant.

Rare earth miner Lynas closes Malaysia plant due to coronavirus curbs

Rare earths producer Lynas Corp closed its processing plant in Malaysia temporarily after the government introduced strict measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus. Its flagship mine Mt Weld in Australia will continue to operate.

ACQUISITIONS AND COLLABORATIONS

Kyocera to acquire Showa Optronics Co., Ltd. to strengthen optical components business

Kyocera Corporation entered into a share transfer agreement with NEC Corporation to acquire all of NEC’s shares in Showa Optronics Co., Ltd., a Japan-based optical components manufacturer. SOC will begin operating as a subsidiary of Kyocera on June 1, 2020, under the name Kyocera Showa Optronics Co., Ltd.

Ardagh Group partners with O’Connor Brewing Company to supply glass beer bottles

Ardagh Group, Glass–North America, a business unit of Ardagh Group, partnered with O’Connor Brewing Company to manufacture all of its 12oz long-neck glass bottles. The bottles will be made using 100% and endlessly recyclable amber glass.

Siemens opens AM network to help produce medical equipment for COVID-19 pandemic

Siemens is making its Additive Manufacturing Network along with its 3D printers available to the global medical community to speed design and production of medical components during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

OTHER STORIES

Third coronavirus response bill includes research boost

The United States Congress passed its third and largest legislative package responding to the coronavirus pandemic, providing roughly $2 trillion in economic relief measures. An article by FYI outlines the funds planned for various government science agencies.

ACI replaces Concrete Convention with Virtual Committee Days

To ensure their technical work proceeds on schedule despite cancellation of the American Concrete Institute spring convention, ACI committees will host nearly 300 online meetings over a March 28–April 2 schedule.

Glassman Latin America postponed

In light of the rapidly evolving situation regarding COVID-19, Glassman Latin America will now take place Nov. 18–19, 2020, at the CINTERMEX Convention Center Mexico. All existing bookings, content, and visitor registrations remain in place and will be transferred automatically to the new dates.

Ten power industry events cancelled due to coronavirus

A Power Technology article looks at 10 important global industry events of 2020 that have been cancelled or rescheduled because of the coronavirus pandemic, including Start Up Energy Transition Award and Tech Festival, SolarPower Summit 2020, Sustainable Energy for All, World Nuclear Fuel Cycle, and European Commission’s Electricity Regulatory Forum.

Raytheon honors Superior Technical Ceramics with EPIC Supplier Excellence Award

Superior Technical Ceramics has been further recognized by Raytheon by earning the company’s EPIC Supplier Excellence Award for outstanding performance. Earlier in 2019, STC received Raytheon’s Three-Star Supplier Award for outstanding service and partnership in exceeding customer requirements.

Covid-19: French plants suspend production

Covid-19 has caused a number of French glass manufacturing plants to suspend production or temporarily close. Verallia, Pochet du Courval, Saverglass, Baccarat, and Arc International are among those affected.

MARKET TRENDS

Covid-19: US container glass manufacturing deemed an ‘essential’ industry

The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity Infrastructure and Security Administration federal guidelines on essential infrastructure functions were revised to include glass manufacturing. Some individual states originally decreed glass manufacturing was not essential, but intervention by the Glass Packaging Institute changed this.

Coronavirus slows U.S. push to produce electric vehicle minerals

The coronavirus pandemic is hobbling U.S. efforts to produce lithium, rare earths, and other materials used in electric vehicles and high-tech equipment. Most companies focused on U.S. strategic minerals have large cash reserves after recent stock and bond offerings, but the virus has nevertheless fueled a bunker mentality among some executives.

The growing market of redox flow battery

A new IDTechEx report looks at challenges and opportunities, and forecasts the redox flow battery market for the period 2020–2030. The report shows the Li-ion battery beginning to decline in the energy storage sector, in favour of the largely available vanadium redox flow battery, besides others.

NEW PRODUCTS

New rolling work platform offers 25% more productivity

Bricking Solutions’ new Rolling Work Platform offers 25% increased productivity over traditional rolling scaffolds and features a durable, custom-engineered design. The platform capitalizes on Bricking Solutions’ signature modular design and pin-together construction and, coupled with a hydraulic jack system, it is erected in as little as 30 minutes.

UV-3600i Plus UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer

The UV-3600i Plus UV-Vis-NIR spectrophotometer is equipped with double grating monochromators to achieve ultra low stray light levels that ensure constant optical resolution of 0.1 nm or lower in the ultraviolet and visible region and 0.4 nm in the near-infrared region.

Mobile inline rotor/stator homogenizers for efficient high shear mixing

ROSS inline high shear mixers from 1 through 250 HP accelerate mixing, emulsification, and homogenization in both recirculation and continuous modes. A mobile skid allows these machines to be used anywhere in a plant.

Uddeholm Tyrax ESR, developed for high gloss polishing

Uddeholm Tyrax ESR is a corrosion resistant steel grade designed for polishing. The Electro Slag Remelting (ESR) process enables superior cleanliness by removing almost all impurities while keeping segregations to a minimum. The high hardness of up to 58 HRC minimizes the risk of orange peel.