Kyocera begins operations at its first manufacturing facility in India
Kyocera Corporation has completed construction on the Kyocera Group’s first manufacturing plant in India and held completion ceremony on February 17 to mark the start of trial operations at “Kyocera CTC Precision Tools Private Limited.” The establishment of Kyocera CTC Precision Tools will strengthen the company’s cutting tools business in the Indian market, where demand for industrial cutting tools is expanding rapidly. The industrial cutting tool market in India is expected to grow the fastest of all newly developing countries based on the growth in the automotive, industrial machinery, energy, and infrastructure markets. Furthermore, with price competition intensifying among automotive manufacturers in India, there is a growing priority for purchasing domestically made products.
Centorr Vacuum Industries celebrates its 60th year in business in the vacuum furnace industry
2014 marks a major milestone for Centorr Vacuum Industries in the vacuum furnace industry. Today’s CVI is the combination of two companies, Vacuum Industries, founded in 1954 in Somerville, Mass., and the Centorr Furnace Company, founded in 1962 in Suncook, N.H. It has a long history in the design and building of production size furnaces, primarily for the metals and hardmetals industry. Centorr Furnaces was a laboratory and R&D furnace manufacturer, and was known for doing some of the first high temperature 3000°C furnaces for the growing ceramics market. In later years Centorr was known as a world leader in fiber optics and high-temperature hydrogen sintering furnaces for the lighting industry. Centorr Vacuum Industries manufactures custom and standardized vacuum furnaces manufacturers.
Supreme Court to hear industry challenge to new EPA regulations
The general counsel for the Glass Association of North America says he’s “guardedly optimistic” that the Supreme Court will favorably view the challenge by GANA and other members of the National Association of Manufacturers to the proposed new Environmental Protection Agency standards dealing with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. NAM will be heading a consortium of various associations when it begins oral arguments before the nation’s highest court on February 24. NAM is expected to argue that the Clean Air Act does not authorize EPA to regulate GHG emissions from stationary sources, such as factories and plants, meaning that plants and factories should not be subjected to the state permitting regimes when companies construct or substantially rebuild or expand those facilities.
Morgan invests in global materials center of excellence
(Process and Control Today) Morgan Advanced Materials, a global manufacturer of highly engineered materials, has created a Global Materials Centre of Excellence in Stourport, Worcestershire, UK, for structural ceramics materials and applications. The Global Materials Centre of Excellence concept builds upon the success of the Group’s well-established Global Fibre Research & Development center in Bromborough, Merseyside, UK. The Global Centre of Excellence will take the lead on innovation in new formulations and processes, serve as a hub for academic collaboration on structural ceramics with key university faculties worldwide, and act as a focal point for R&D with raw material suppliers. It will allow Morgan to focus on both idea generation and execution in one integrated facility, with the ultimate aim of maximizing the performance of its customers applications and processes.
Funding opportunity: SunShot announces $25 Million for US solar manufacturing
DOE’s SunShot has announced $25 million in funding to boost domestic solar manufacturing and speed commercialization of new technologies. Awardees are expected to move technology from the development to pilot stages of manufacturing, or from pilot to full-scale manufacturing in one to four years while demonstrating cost reductions. Prior to submitting a full application for this opportunity, a brief, mandatory concept paper is due on March 14, 2014. Full applications will be due April 30, 2014.