Quartz Tubing

AdValue Technology
Quartz tubing has been added to this company’s standard product portfolio. With its high purity, high temperature capability and excellent thermal shock resistance, quartz tubing is used in a wide range of applications, such as lamping, chemistry, water treatment, gas distribution pipes and process tubes. This company’s tubes have –OH content lower than 10 ppm. A range of sizes is available, and UV cut-off tubes, ozone-free tubes and custom dimensions are also available upon request. Call (520) 514-1100 or e-mail sales@advaluetech.com.

High-Volume Sediment Trap

Bracker’s Good Earth Clays, Inc.
The Gleco Trap HV sanitary high-volume sediment trap offers clean, dry and simple maintenance for heavy-use situations. Instead of leak-prone flexible hoses found on other traps, the Gleco Trap HV uses standard 1½-in. threaded inlet and outlet ports to ensure a leak-proof assembly. Easily adapted to existing plumbing, the unit is only suitable for very high volumes. The entire bucket, with the proprietary HV-sealed lid, must be replaced; users cannot dump the contents and reuse the bucket without destroying the seal. Each kit includes a heavy-duty container, 1½-in. PVC plumbing components to fit most sink configurations, and instructions. Call (888) 822-1982, fax (785) 841-8142 or visit www.brackers.com.

Thrust Bearings

Ceradyne, Inc.
Oil exploration and production operations involve extreme conditions, and this company’s thrust bearings are designed to excel in these high-temperature, abrasive, misaligned and shock/impact environments. Patented bearing technology provides superior shock and load carrying capabilities. The spring-mounted tilting pad action allows the bearings to self-adjust heights and angles for load optimization, resulting in longer life while minimizing downtime. Through the use of a toughened, proprietary grade of liquid-phase sintered silicon carbide, the company is able to manufacture rotating runners in one piece. This design enables the runner to be manufactured in a continuous ring, avoiding the pad-on-pad design associated with diamond bearings. The superior abrasion-, erosion- and corrosion-resistance of the advanced ceramic result in longer life and less downtime. Call (859) 514-1290, ext. 7889; fax (859) 259-0873; e-mail bearings@ceradyne.com; or visit www.ceradyne.com.

Decorating System

Enduring Images
At up to 1200 dpi resolution, this ceramic decorating system delivers high-definition ceramic images on essentially any porcelain or ceramic product, including custom tiles, tile murals. corporate signage, tableware, and bath and plumbing fixtures. The system uses all-dry chemistry, has a small environmental footprint, and eliminates organic solvent waste and liquid inks that require disposal or can damage the environment. This commercial ceramic decorating technology delivers high image resolution with low production costs and computer-to-print simplicity. It prints true ceramic images with the expected durability, UV stability, scratch- and abrasion-resistance, and beauty of commercial porcelain products. Visit www.enduring-images.com.

Microwave Assist Kilns

Harrop Industries, Inc.
This company has obtained an exclusive North American license from Ceralink, Inc. to market and build industrial kilns and furnaces using microwave assist technology (MAT). In conjunction with Ceralink, this company designed and built a 1600°C atmosphere-controlled MAT elevator kiln for Touchstone Research Laboratories. The 27-cu-ft industrial installation has validated the key commercial benefits of MAT, including firing time reductions of up to 80%, energy consumption reduction of up to 60%, lower processing temperatures, and the enhancement of critical material properties in the end product. Originally patented in the UK, MAT is the combination of conventional gas or electric radiant heat and a relatively small amount of microwave energy. The microwaves target the core of the product, while the conventional heat provides thermal balance and uniformity to the product surface. Call (614) 231-3621, fax (614) 235-3699, e-mail daobrien@harrop-usa.com or visit www.harropusa.com.

Silicon Carbide Heating Element

I Squared R Element Co.
This company now manufactures a 2¾ in. (70 mm)-diameter silicon carbide heating element with a hot zone up to 200 in. (5080 mm) long. The Starbar element is a high-density, recrystallized silicon carbide and can provide temperatures up to 3092ºF (1700ºC). It is strong and reliable and can be used horizontally or vertically. Every element is resistance checked at approximately 1960ºF (1071ºC) in open air. Multi-temperature hot zones can be manufactured to provide more power where it is needed in the furnace. The cold ends are made from a low-resistance silicon carbide or impregnated with silicon. The low-resistance silicon carbide cold ends are more energy efficient because the electric power is converted in the furnace chamber, not in the walls. Call (716) 542-5511, fax (716) 542-2100, e-mail sales@isquaredrelement.com or visit www.isquaredrelement.com.

Belt Furnaces

Keith Co.
For the past 54 years, this company has designed, built and supplied belt furnaces for a multitude of applications where continuous processing is desired. When firing electronic components, processes can include calcining and processing ceramic powders, including nanomaterials. For metals processing, belt furnaces are available for annealing, brazing or sintering. Specialty metals processing can specifically include processing tungsten, molybdenum and titanium metals. Carbon and technical ceramic products are often processed continuously, which includes coating, drying, and calcining or sintering the coating into the matrix of the substrate material. For glass annealing, as well as glass or ceramic decorating, ovens and lehrs provide the heating and controlled cooling that allow users to achieve the successful annealing or color reproduction they seek, with high yields. Call (800) 545-4567 or (562) 948-3636, or e-mail Info@KeithCompany.com.

Pressed Refractory Shapes

LECO Technical Ceramics
With the addition of a 1250-ton hydraulic press and high-temperature kiln (capable of firing product to 1760ºC), this company now offers pressed refractory and high-temperature alumina kiln furniture. Each product goes through a rigorous testing cycle to ensure that it meets stringent in-house quality standards, including ISO 9001:2000 FM 24045, and exact customer specifications. Additional product offerings include dry-pressed consumables, slipcast combustion tubes, lab crucibles, vacuum-formed fiber shapes, injection-molded specialty shapes, cast crucibles, ladles, and a variety of large and complex kiln furniture shapes. Call (800) 451-8015, fax (269) 925-4790 or e-mail ceramics@leco.com.

Hydrogen Safety Sensor

NexTech Materials
Designed for hydrogen safety monitoring, this new ceramic sensor demonstrates a sensitive, selective and rapid response to the presence of hydrogen in ambient air. The new sensor features a compact, rugged design and a waterproof connector, and it employs chemi-resistive ceramic sensing technology for reliable hydrogen detection. It accurately measures hydrogen concentrations over a range of temperature and humidity variations, providing a repeatable response even in the presence of other combustible gases. Visit www.nextechmaterials.com.

Kilns and Furnaces

Nutec Bickley
This company manufactures a wide range of thermal processing equipment, including kilns and furnaces up to 1800°C (3272°F) for applications ranging from heat treatment for the metallurgical industry to the firing of traditional and high-temperature ceramics and refractories. Particular product ranges include tunnel kilns, shuttle kilns, Carbell^® kilns, elevator kilns, moving hood (fixed hearth), dryers, afterburners, walking beam furnaces, pusher furnaces, mesh belt furnaces and roller hearth furnaces. The company also offers upgrades and refurbishment programs of existing equipment, which focus on the latest fuel-saving technology and techniques. E-mail sales@nutec.com or visit www.nutecbickley.com.

600-Ton Hot Press Furnace

Oxy-Gon Industries, Inc.
This company recently developed a 600-ton hot press furnace for the sintering of large-scale spinel transparent armor plates. Commissioned by Technology Assessment and Transfer, Inc., the bottom-loading furnace was designed to fit into an existing four-post press. The furnace chamber is transferred out of the press on a set of rails onto a lift table. The top bell jar section is secured and the hearth is lowered for loading die sets. Additional furnaces can be added at a later date to increase utilization of the press frame. Maximum operating temperature was designed for over 3000°F, and the all-graphite heating zone will accept up to a 50 in.-Ø die. The furnace is powered by a 300 kVA air-cooled transformer and SCR controller. A Roots-type blower backed with a two-stage mechanical pump provides an operating environment of 1 x 10-3 Torr vacuum. Visit www.oxy-gon.com.

Pottery Kilns

Paragon Industries
The new Caldera XL and Caldera XL-KS pottery kilns fire to cone 10 on 120 volts and are designed to fire porcelain, stoneware, china, ceramics and decals. The Caldera XL comes with a digital temperature controller, while the switch-operated Caldera XL-KS features the new Autocone Kiln Sitter manufactured by the Orton Ceramic Foundation. Both kilns are 7½ in. square x 9 in. deep (inside dimensions) and are made with 3-in.-thick insulating firebrick. “We made these kilns for testing glazes and glaze application ideas before running production quantities in a larger kiln,” said John S. Hohenshelt, president. Call (800) 876-4328 or (972) 288-7557, e-mail info@paragonweb.com, or visit www.paragonweb.com.

Alumina Grinding Media

Pred Materials International Inc.
This company recently announced the availability of high-purity, spherical and free-flowing alumina grinding media. These beads are intended for highly specialized use in grinding electronic materials that cannot come in contact with standard zirconia or titania milling media. Available sizes include diameters of 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 mm. Full technical details are available at www.predmaterials.com/ceramics/AlBeadGrindingMedia.html.

Ceramic Plant

Sacmi
The core of a new Valdi Ceramika ceramic plant in Staporkow, Konskie, Poland, will be the Continua line, including a high-tonnage PH7500 press designed to produce top-of-the-range porcelain tiles as large as 1200 x 1200 mm. In this initial phase, two single-layer Pulsar kilns (over 115 m long with a 2950-mm-wide infeed) will be installed; they will be equipped with cutting-edge, high-efficiency heat recovery systems. In addition to the Continua line, the kilns will be fed by a PH5000XXL press, which offers outstanding output capacity for medium-large tiles. Visit www.sacmi.com for more information.

Fabricated Hammer Mills

Stedman
A new line of fabricated hammer mills for crushing, grinding and pulverizing includes types A, B and BX models, and features a more competitive cost and lighter weight than the company’s previous hammer mills. Type A hammer mills (up-running) feature a two-stage reduction principle for a dual mechanical reduction using the revolving hammers to shatter materials upon entry and then further disintegrate materials against the breaker plates. Type B heavy-duty hammer mills use heavy, reversible hammers in conjunction with the company’s exclusive saw-tooth breaker plate to produce uniform product. Type BX medium-duty hammer mills feature a larger feed opening for medium-hard, lumpy or bulky materials. Both the B and BX are down-running hammer mills. Call (800) 262-5401 or (812) 926-0038, fax (812) 926-3482, e-mail sales@stedman-machine.com, or visit www.stedman-machine.com.

High-Alumina Refractory Brick and Kiln Furniture

Sunrock Ceramics
A 99.5% alumina composition has been added to this company’s family of HPA high-alumina formulations. Called HPA-99, the material is available as heavy-density brick for hot-face linings in reducing atmospheres and other applications requiring high chemical inertness, such as the processing of piezoceramics and phosphors. The company can also produce HPA-99 in specialty shapes, such as kiln furniture and hearth plates, formed either by pressing or casting. HPA-99 is being introduced to the market after successful field testing for the last 18 months in demanding temperature and atmosphere applications in the U.S. and Europe. Call (708) 344-7600, fax (708) 344-7636, e-mail dthurman@sunrockceramics.com or visit www.sunrockceramics.com.

Pulse-Fired Combustion

Swindell Dressler International Co.
The Dyna-Pulse^® system offers digitally controlled ratios from fuel-rich through excess air. Offering realized fuel savings of 40% over conventional systems, the Dyna-Pulse includes no cross-connected regulators to go out of adjustment and provides improved temperature uniformity for new or existing systems. With low-maintenance valves, Dyna-Pulse offers “set it and forget it” operation. Call (412) 788-7100, fax (412) 788-7110, e-mail sales@swindelldressler.com or visit www.swindelldressler.com.

Editor’s note: “New Product Highlights” represents information submitted by Ceramic Industry advertisers. All statements about the companies/products included are manufacturers’ claims, and Ceramic Industry does not endorse any of the products mentioned. Additional new product information can be found online at www.ceramicindustry.com.