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CI CyberNews, Vol. 8 No. 20
AMT APPOINTS MERHIB SALES MANAGER Applied Manufacturing Technologies, Inc. (AMT) recently announced the appointment of Jordan Merhib as the company’s sales manager. He will be responsible for AMT’s worldwide sales of factory automation engineering, design and consulting services. “Jordan brings AMT over 20 years of experience in a variety of industries, including automotive, electronics, semiconductor, metrology and contract manufacturing,” said Joseph Campbell, chief operating officer. “We are confident that his expertise, knowledge and professionalism will help us continue our worldwide expansion.”
For more information, call (248) 409-2000 or visit www.appliedmfg.com.
COHERENT INTRODUCES NEW LASER FOR MICROMACHINING The new AVIA 266-3 from Coherent, Inc. is a second-generation deep ultraviolet laser, combining high-power output with the extended lifetime, output stability, and industrial-grade reliability needed for 24/7 industrial applications. The AVIA 266-3 incorporates numerous innovations in both components and manufacturing methods. In particular, the lifetime of the consumable crystal has been increased by 25% to 40,000 hours. The AVIA 266-3 provides over 3 watts of Q-switched output at 266 nm, and pulse repetition rates as high as 100 kHz, with superior beam quality and high pulse-to-pulse stability. The combination of deep UV wavelength, high average power, long lifetime and low cost of
ownership makes the AVIA 266-3 an ideal laser for micromachining applications in a wide range of industries. For additional information, visit www.Coherent.com.
FERRO RELEASES FIRST QUARTER FINANCIAL RESULTS Ferro Corp. recently announced that sales for the quarter ended March 31, 2007, were $530 million, up 5% from $505 million in the first quarter of 2006. Income from continuing operations for the 2007 first quarter was $6.2 million, or $0.14 per diluted share, compared with $8.4 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, in the first quarter of 2006. Income from continuing operations declined primarily as a result of higher interest expense and restructuring charges. The 2007 first quarter income from continuing operations included net pre-tax expenses of $4.3 million primarily related to previously-announced manufacturing rationalization activities. The company will host a conference call
today at 10 a.m. EST. To participate, call (888) 323-2711 or (210) 234-0008. When prompted, refer to the pass code, FOE, and the conference leader, David Longfellow. The conference call will also be broadcast live over the Internet and will be available for replay through the end of the second quarter. The live broadcast and replay can be accessed through the Investor Information portion of the company’s website at www.ferro.com.
MICROMERITICS NAMES BOUZA MANAGER OF MARKET DEVELOPMENT Peter Bouza was recently appointed manager of Particle Sizing Market Development at Micromeritics Instrument Corp. He will be responsible for expanding the company’s particle size, count and shape business. Bouza joins Micromeritics from Beckman Coulter, where he worked in varying roles for over 15 years. For the past seven years, he held the position of general manager for Global Operations. Bouza has a bachelor’s of science degree in electrical engineering and is finalizing a master’s of science degree in industrial engineering from Florida International University.
The company’s website is located at www.micromeritics.com.
KANIS APPOINTED REGIONAL SALES MANAGER FOR NILFISK-ADVANCE Nilfisk-Advance America recently promoted District Manager Kim Kanis to Eastern Region sales manager. In his new position, Kanis will be responsible for the management of nine Eastern Region district sales managers and all sales and business development activities within the region. Prior to this promotion, Kanis served as district sales manager for New York and New Jersey, where for seven years he oversaw direct sales to a variety of dust-sensitive industries. During his time at Nilfisk-Advance America, Kanis has been recognized for his many accomplishments, and is the recipient of the Million Dollar Year Award and the Salesman of the Year Award.
For more information, visit www.pa.nilfisk-advance.com.
SUPERIOR GRAPHITE TO INCREASE PRODUCTION Superior Graphite has been awarded $3.1 million through an AFRL/Defense Production Act Title III Production Technology Partnership for silicon carbide powder production and ceramic armor manufacturing. The company’s advanced materials plant in Hopkinsville, Ky., will be expanded to accommodate increased silicon carbide powder and ceramic armor tile production. In addition to graphite products, the company produces beta silicon carbide and manufactures value-added alpha silicon carbide. It has become a major supplier of silicon carbide powder for the advanced ceramic industry, including ceramic armor.
Additional information is available at www.superiorgraphite.com.
VITRA ANNOUNCES STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH VILLEROY & BOCH Committed to strengthening its position and level of activity in international markets, VitrA has acquired a 51% share of the tile division of Villeroy & Boch. The share purchase agreement signed in Istanbul on March 26, 2007, gives VitrA full management control of the production and marketing activities of Villeroy & Boch’s tile division. As a result, VitrA’s tile production capacity will increase to 350 million square feet. Including Villeroy & Boch’s two tile plants in Germany and its plant in France, VitrA now operates eight tile plants. With this agreement, VitrA’s net ceramic tile sales will rise to €300 million (~ $406 million) and the number of its
employees in the tile business will be 2500. For additional information, call (770) 904-6173, fax (770) 904-6891, e-mail sema.cetiner@vitra-usa.com or visit www.vitra-usa.com. Villeroy & Boch’s website is located at www.villeroy-boch.com.
SPONSORED BY:
The Tape is Cast Since its development more than 50 years ago, tape casting has been used to manufacture a variety of multi-layer ceramic package (MLC) products, such as low-temperature co-fired ceramics (LTCC), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) and piezoelectric smart devices. Tape Casting Advanced Materials
details how the development of new products incorporating nanotechnology, smart materials and biomaterials will provide many new opportunities to exploit the advantages of tape casting as a forming method.
Crushing Bottleneck Continental Brick ran into a problem in early 2006 when its hammer mill crusher started to wear out after two decades of service. Read Maximized Impact
to learn how a supplier’s quick turnaround enabled Continental Brick to remove this outdated bottleneck from its grinding operation without negatively affecting kiln output.
CyberTip Looking for a previously run news item? Simply visit
CI's website and use the search box at the top of the page!
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.
