Keeping a ‘heat work’ check on technical ceramics processes

British’s Mantec Technical Ceramics, owner of the Bullers brand, has introduced high temperature Bullers Process Control Discs. Important in all ceramic manufacturing, when it comes to technical ceramics, ferrites, MLCCs, refractories, grinding wheels, compacts and powder injected components then ensuring a uniform and controlled ‘heat work’ profile is absolutely critical. Manufactured to ISO 9001:2008 quality standards, the BPCD-HT discs are for firing/sintering temperatures between 1200°C and 1550°C.  and the BPCD-VHT, cover the range from 1500°C up to 1770°. Accurate and reliable pyrometry is guaranteed because the ceramic discs (unlike thermocouples, for instance) experience the same thermal effects as the payload. For any particular point in any zone, measuring the disc shrinkage after firing/sintering will tell the user exactly what quantity of heat from all sources has been absorbed through the kiln, furnace or oven cycle.

3M announces receipt of final antitrust clearance regarding acquisition of Ceradyne

3M announced that on November 15, 2012, it received clearance from the Austrian Federal Competition Authority with respect to its previously announced tender offer for all issued and outstanding shares of common stock of Ceradyne, Inc. at a price of $35.00 per share (the “Offer”). The US Federal Trade Commission previously granted early termination of the required waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, on October 15, 2012, and 3M received clearance from the German Federal Cartel Office on October 30, 2012. With the receipt of the above clearances, the condition of the Offer with respect to clearance under applicable antitrust and competition laws has been completely satisfied. The Offer remains subject to the satisfaction of certain other conditions. The Offer is scheduled to expire at 5:00 P.M. (New York City time) on Tuesday, November 27, 2012, unless the Offer is extended.

Plibrico announces international brand of refractory materials

Plibrico Company, LLC announced the introduction of Plico—Plibrico’s international brand of monolithic refractory materials. Effective immediately, Plico products will be available to customers throughout all parts of the world. Plico refractory materials are produced from the highest-quality raw materials, and subject to Plibrico’s strict quality control and extensive testing procedures. They are available directly from Plibrico, or through its global network of distributors, contractors and exporters.

Rolls-Royce to build second plant in Virginia

Rolls-Royce announced that construction will begin on a new advanced manufacturing facility at its manufacturing campus in Prince George County (Virginia). The aerospace firm is investing $136 million to develop an Advanced Airfoil Machining Facility, which will create 140 new, highly skilled jobs. The new plant will be located alongside the company’s rotatives manufacturing facility on the 1,000-acre Rolls-Royce Crosspointe campus and represents the second advanced manufacturing plant that will be built on the property. The site work on the plant could start in a matter of weeks, with construction slated for early next year and perhaps even before the end of year. Construction would continue through 2013 with an opening expected in 2014. The 90,000-square-foot facility will produce turbine blades and nozzle guide vanes for Rolls-Royce engines, including the Trent 900, Trent 1000 and Trent XWB engines. These advanced aero engines are used on some of the most sophisticated aircraft in the world, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, Airbus A380 and Airbus A350.

Ferro announces CEO transition

Ferro Corporation announced on Nov. 13, 2012, that James F. Kirsch has stepped down as president and CEO. Peter T. Thomas, operating vice president of polymer and ceramic engineered materials, has been named interim president and CEO. The board of directors has engaged a third-party search firm to assist in the search for a permanent successor to Kirsch and will consider both internal and external candidates. William B. Lawrence, a member of Ferro’s board of directors, is serving as acting chairman of the board. Interim president and CEO, Peter Thomas, has more than 30 years of experience in the chemicals and materials manufacturing industries and has a track record at Ferro of enhancing value through cost reductions and improved leverage on existing capital. He also has led successful growth initiatives at Ferro, including the development of the pigmented inks business for digital tile printing.

Ancora Group reports strong sales results in Brazil

Brazil continues to be an important market for Ancora Group, an international provider of plant and machinery for the end-of-line stage of ceramic production. The company has secured a number of major orders in the country, most recently during the exhibition Tecnargilla held in September in Rimini. Two complete lapping and squaring lines, one for 600×600 mm and the other for sizes from 300×300 mm to 1000×1000 mm, were sold to the Portobello ceramic company located in the state of Santa Caterina and will begin operating in February 2013. These orders follow on from a recent delivery of a lapping machine. In October the engineers from Ancora do Brasil started up a second score-and-snap and squaring line for the production of long listels. Portobello was also one of the first Brazilian companies to adopt Ancora’s new energy-saving dryer, immediately noting the cost reductions of up to 40% and the quality of the end result.

Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials, Edition No. 2

The environmental degradation and corrosion of materials is inevitable and affects most aspects of life. In industrial settings, this inescapable fact has very significant financial, safety and environmental implications. “The Handbook of Environmental Degradation of Materials” explains how to measure, analyse, and control environmental degradation for a wide range of industrial materials including metals, polymers, ceramics, concrete, wood and textiles exposed to environmental factors such as weather, seawater, and fire. Divided into sections which deal with analysis, types of degradation, protection and surface engineering respectively, the reader is introduced to the wide variety of environmental effects and what can be done to control them. The expert contributors to this book provide a wealth of insider knowledge and engineering knowhow, complementing their explanations and advice with Case Studies from areas such as pipelines, tankers, packaging and chemical processing equipment ensures that the reader understands the practical measures that can be put in place to save money, lives and the environment


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