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CI CyberNews, Vol. 8 No. 15
NEW FEDERAL PARTNERSHIP HELPS MANUFACTURERS CUT ENERGY USE The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute for Science and Technology (NIST) have announced the creation of a partnership to help small and mid-sized manufacturers reduce energy consumption. The DOE’s university-based Industrial Assessment Centers (IACs) and NIST’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) are working together to improve the energy efficiency, environmental performance and global competitiveness of these plants. Through the MEP network, the IACs will deliver energy efficiency best practices, analysis tools, energy assessments, technical information and training. IACs, administered by the DOE
Industrial Technologies Program within Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), are run by 26 universities and provide no-cost energy assessments to eligible small and mid-sized plants while providing engineering students with practical experience and training. For more information, visit www.mep.nist.gov or www.eere.energy.gov/industry/.
LUCIFER DEVELOPS ELECTRIC RECIRCULATING OVEN Model 4GT-T30 from Lucifer Furnaces, Inc. is a heavy-duty, inert atmosphere gas-tight recirculating oven capable of operation from 200 to 1400°F. Featuring a welded and gasketed heavy-gauge outer shell, double pivot gasketed door, and a rear wall stainless fan for horizontal air flow, GT models provide uniform heat with inert protective atmosphere. The interior of the chamber is lined with a multi-layer combination of lightweight firebrick and block insulation to minimize heat loss. The stainless liner baffles the work area from the direct radiation of the heating elements, making it ideal for tempering, drawing, preheating and annealing applications. Visit
www.luciferfurnaces.com for additional information.
NEW AIR-JET SIEVES AVAILABLE FROM MINOX Minox, GmbH recently introduced a new line of air-jet sieves called the Air-Jet MLS 200. These machines are used to test dry materials of all kinds from 20-1000 microns. The units can analyze sample quantities between 1-200 grams without the degrading effects associated with other mechanical shaking units. Both the negative and positive pressure can be adjusted with the use of manual control wheels, making it possible to reproduce any test with exact conditions. Users can use standard test sieves in either 8-in. or 200-mm sizes from their existing lab stock, which eliminates the need for expensive custom test sieves.
For more information, call (914) 381-7500.
PPG ANNOUNCES MARKETING PARTNERSHIP WITH SINOMA PPG Industries has signed a distribution agreement with Sinoma Science & Technology Co., Ltd. of Nanjing, China, for the marketing and sale of its HS2 and HS4 high-strength, high-modulus fibers in the Americas and Europe. The partnership leverages PPG’s North American and European market positions and Sinoma Science & Technology’s fiber composition and manufacturing expertise in support of the high-performance composites market, according to Victoria M. Holt, PPG senior vice president, glass and fiber glass. “This partnership will give PPG entrée into the growing high-performance composites market,” said Holt. “PPG is very committed to serving
customers in this market, and adding HS4 high-strength fiber to our product offering will bring our customers the high-modulus, high-performance parts they need.” For additional information, visit www.ppg.com or www.sinomatech.com.
SACMI SUPPLIES NEW GRANITO PLUS PLANT IN KAZAKHSTAN Granito Plus hopes to reach an annual production level of two million square meters of porcelain tile at its Taldi Kurgan plant in Kazakhstan. The all-Sacmi production plant covers every stage of production, from grinding to final sorting. Currently being assembled, the new line will include a 2850-mm-wide kiln that exceeds 100 meters in length, as well as presses from the Power series (model PH4600) that are suitable for the manufacture of very large tile. One of the plant’s key products will be the 600 x 600 mm tile, while part of the output will be dedicated to outdoor tiling, including products for application on new building facades.
For more information, visit www.sacmi.com or www.granitoplus.com.
WYSSMONT PROVIDES LUMPBREAKER AND FEEDER FOR SILICA GEL Looking to refine its silica gel production, one manufacturer recently turned to Wyssmont Co. Inc. for a solution to the buildup and blockages it was experiencing. Silica gel is a sticky, wet, slush-like material that easily builds up on the surfaces of most equipment, blocking product flow. To break the lumps, Wyssmont suggested a Double Rotocage Lumpbreaker. The counter-rotating cages pull the silica gel into the center, and the lumps are broken up between the cages. The manufacturer was also using a conventional screw feeder to feed an air-swept hammer mill, and the screw flights of this feeder would easily build up with the wet silica gel and plug. Wyssmont introduced the
company to the Rotoscoop Feeder. Located below the drum, the unit’s cleaning bars scoop the sticky material out of the pockets, preventing it from plugging. For additional information, call (201) 947-4600, fax (201) 947-0324 or visit www.wyssmont.com.
SPONSORED BY:
Flexible Imaging The dye sublimation transfer process begins with a computer image that, for the purposes of the ceramic and related industries, is printed to an ink jet printer using special inks and paper. The image can then be transferred onto an array of hard and soft substrates through a heat transfer. Compared to decorating methods such as pad and screen printing, which can require high volumes and offer a more limited color range, sublimination transfer requires no volume minimums or elaborate setups, and millions of full digital colors can be used. Learn more about
Creating Indelible Images in this article from our special April decorating section.
CyberTip Does your company need to sell surplus supplies or equipment? Hire new personnel? CI can help! Simply visit the
Classified Ads page to submit your ad online.
Online Calendar CI's full Calendar of Events
is available online to help you keep track of all the latest trade shows and seminars.
CHARTER SPONSOR
Mohr Corp. provides ceramic and machinery services to both buyer and seller, from the sale of one machine to entire factories, with its professionally established brokering, liquidation and appraisal organization. For more information, visit www.mohrcorp.com.
ABOUT OUR SPONSOR
Insaco is a precision machining company that provides finished pieces to customers' specifications from ultra hard materials, including oxide ceramics, nitrides, carbides and quartz, and especially industrial sapphire. NEW capability allows the company to machine within a 102” x 31” x 70” envelope and still hold tight tolerances. Visit www.insaco.com.
All statements about the companies/products included in this newsletter are manufacturers' claims, and neither CI CyberNews nor Ceramic Industry endorses any of the products mentioned.
