Here is what we are hearing:

Clad to meet you: MesoCoat’s metal cladding plant in Euclid is first step in growth plan

Andrew Sherman’s pipe dream is one step closer to becoming a reality. MesoCoat Inc. is almost finished setting up a $6.3 million plant intended to show the oil and gas industry there’s a faster, cheaper way to protect pipes from corrosion. The 11,000-square-foot Euclid, Ohio, plant should be up and running by mid-February, which will allow MesoCoat to start testing its metal cladding process on 40-foot-long pieces of pipe, says Sherman, MesoCoat’s CEO. So far, the company has tested the process only on 6-foot pieces at its research center in Eastlake. By midyear, MesoCoat plans to start selling that pipe. The company then wants to start building larger plants in other countries, Sherman says. The need for MesoCoat’s technology is too big to take it slow, he says. The company says its CermaClad process, which uses a plasma arc lamp to bond protective coatings onto pipes, is 40 times faster and 20% cheaper than other methods of cladding metal. The speed of the process could prove to be a big selling point: Today, oil and gas companies ordering cladded pipe often must do so six years in advance, Sherman says, adding MesoCoat aims to reduce that wait time to “a matter of months. The opportunity is just incredible right now.”

The global advanced wound care market predicted to be worth $16.3B by 2023

A new report by Visiongain, a London-based business information provider predicts the global advanced wound care market to be worth $16.3 billion by 2023. The market generated $6.5 billion in 2011, according to Advanced Wound Care: World Market Prospects 2013-2023. Clinicians and patients now prefer advanced products over the traditional ones, as they are more efficient in wound healing and reducing hospital stays. In the recent years, advanced wound care products have enjoyed strong growth mainly driven by moist wound care products and to a small extent by wound care devices and biologics. Most of the research is now being focused on wound care devices and biologics, as the moist wound care market is saturated. Wound care devices, particularly negative wound pressure therapy, have a strong place in the advanced wound care market. However, further growth in this market will be driven by low cost and easy to use models. At present, wound care biologics is the most immature market. Although, some of the biologic products have proven to be more effective than other treatment methodologies, the cost to the consumer and lack of clinical evidence are major issues. With the advanced wound care market becoming more and more competitive, the market will be driven by more cost effective and clinically significant products. Also, Visiongain’s research suggests that the advanced wound care market will also benefit from the growth of emerging economies.

Visitors from 110 countries at Tecnargilla 2012

Tecnargilla 2012 was attended by 14,822 international visitors (+1.6%) from 110 countries worldwide. The top ten countries of origin of visitors were: Spain (8.2% of total international visitors), China (7.5%), Iran (7.3%), Turkey (6.8%), Russia (5.4%), Brazil (4.9%), India (4.6%), Germany (4.1%), Poland (3.4%) and Egypt (3.2%). These were followed by Thailand (2.9%), Mexico (2.5%), France (2.2%), USA (2.1%), Indonesia (2.0%), Argentina (1.8%), Algeria (1.7%), Ukraine (1.4%), Bulgaria (1.3%), and Saudi Arabia (1.3%). The best represented continents were Asia and the Middle East, which together accounted for 34% of visitors, the European Union (27%), non-EU Europe (16%), South America (9%), Africa (8%), and North America (5%). The next Tecnargilla will be held in Rimini in September 2014.

PPG touts coatings, fiberglass and silica innovations at international auto show

PPG Industries is bringing innovation to the automotive industry, and the company’s product and technology offerings across several of its businesses help automakers and automotive suppliers enhance manufacturing efficiencies, make vehicles more corrosion-resistant, reduce energy consumption and improve fuel efficiency. These were some of the key topics discussed at a news conference held during the North American International Auto Show. Discussing the fiberglass business, PPG’s Tom Kerr outlined the evolution of composites in the auto industry and PPG’s response that has enabled designers to create auto components for overall cost and weight savings and fuel efficiency. “PPG combined proprietary chemistries for the surface coating of glass fibers and innovations in fiberglass composition to create fiberglass products that achieve optimal balances of mechanical and thermal property solutions,” he says. Finally, PPG’s Kevin Braun reviewed the latest generation of HI-SIL(R) silicas that enable tire manufacturers to simultaneously reduce rolling resistance for improved fuel efficiency and lower greenhouse gas emissions, increase traction for improved safety and handling, and increase treadwear for longer tire life.

New centrifugal fan range engineered for engineers available in the US market

A new range of centrifugal fans with forward curved impeller blades, designed to simplify specification across multiple projects and promote prompt order fulfillment, has been introduced by UK-based Air Control Industries Ltd., a leading British designer and manufacturer of industrial air movement products, and is now available in the US market via its subsidiary ACI Inc. of Maine. Based upon a common configuration for all unit sizes, it is the first in a series of product lines to be based upon the company’s new Homogeneous modular design concept. Designated “HFN” (Homogeneous Fan NEMA), the fan range conforms to a standard scalable configuration. This permits engineers to become rapidly familiar with the fans, their space envelope demands and their application capabilities. In addition, the fans cover a wide performance range with small increments between range models to ensure a more accurate fulfillment of the required duty specification.

Nanovea offers white paper on surface boundary measurement using 3D profilometery

In studies where the interface of surface features, patterns, shapes etc., are being evaluated for orientation, it will be useful to quickly identify areas of interest over the entire profile of measurement. By segmenting a surface into significant areas the user can quickly evaluate boundaries, peaks, pits, areas, volumes and many others to understand their functional role in the entire surface profile under study. For example, like that of a grain boundary imaging of metals, the importance of analysis is the interface of many structures and their overall orientation. By understanding each area of interest defects and or abnormalities within the overall area can be identified. Although grain boundary imaging is typically studied at a range surpassing profilometer capability, and is only 2D image analysis, it is a helpful reference to illustrate the concept of what will be shown here on a larger scale along with 3D surface measurement advantages.

Tokyo Gas and Panasonic launch smaller, more efficient and cheaper Ene-Farm residential fuel cell

Tokyo Gas Co. and Panasonic Corp. have announced the latest iteration of their Ene-Farm home fuel cell, which will be on sale starting April 2013. The new model will be on sale for less than ¥2 million ($22,600, including tax, but excluding installation), which is around ¥760,000 ($8,620). This is less than the price for its current model and the first time the recommended retail price of an Ene-Farm model has dipped below ¥2 million. Improvements in the unit include a reduction in overall size, which will facilitate installation in smaller houses. This has been achieved through the use of fewer components, and the separation of the backup heat source, which is now located outside the hot water unit. Overall there is a size reduction from a depth of 900mm down to 750mm, and the separation of the backup heat source allows for more flexibility during installation. The overall efficiency of the new Ene-Farm unit has increased by 5 percent to 95 percent (based on the lower heating value of hydrogen); this was achieved by increasing the efficiency of waste heat recovery during electricity generation.

Crystex Composites LLC announces ‘green’ achievement

Crystex Composites LLC, the OEM of Mykroy/Mycalex glass bonded mica ceramic and Mycalex insulators announced today that its production facility is now “green.” Working in conjunction with the United States EPA, the New Jersey DEP and its clients, the Engineering Team at Crystex Composites developed a fourth RoHS compliant molding grade of its Mykroy/Mycalex glass bonded mica ceramic composite MM601. The newest grade provides the Crystex team with the ability to fulfill the 2012 promise of President and CEO George Flores to completely eliminate lead from all materials and processes at the production facility in Clifton, NJ.

Lafarge announces the creation of a joint venture with Elementia to combine their cement assets in Mexico

Lafarge announces it has reached an agreement with Elementia to combine their cement assets in Mexico. Lafarge will bring its two plants of Vito and Tula for a total capacity close to 1 million tons, while Elementia will contribute the new 1 million ton plant it is currently building in central Mexico. This combination will significantly strengthen Lafarge’s position in Mexico. The transaction, which involves no cash and is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close in the second half of 2013, pursuant to the start up of the new plant of Elementia. The new joint venture formed will be 47 percent held by Lafarge and 53 percent by Elementia, which will consolidate the JV’s financial results fully. The JV will therefore be incorporated by Lafarge as an equity affiliate.

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  • Biomaterials & Medical
  • Cement
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