The monthly roundup from Editor-in-Chief Susan Sutton.
As you
might have noticed from the cover of this issue, we’ve combined our May and
June issues into one. We decided to follow your lead and take the necessary
steps to keep costs in line to help ensure our long-term success. We’ll also be
combining the August and September issues, though we fully expect to return to
our usual 12-time frequency once the economy recovers.
Please keep in mind that the
CI website at
www.ceramicindustry.com includes the latest industry news, technological
innovations and new product announcements. Updated daily, the site also
features Online Extras that are not available in print, as well as informative
videos, expanded news/product details, up-to-date calendar listings and current
job postings. In addition, our weekly e-newsletter,
CI CyberNews, can deliver updates directly to your e-mail box.
(If you’re not currently a subscriber, you can sign up for the free e-newsletter
via the
CI homepage.)
You can now also find
Ceramic
Industry
on Facebook
®. Become a fan, get updates on the latest
industry goings-on and interface with colleagues. It’s free, easy and fun-three
of my favorite words! LinkedIn offers yet another vehicle to interact, and my
page is located at
www.linkedin.com/in/susansuttonci. I’d be happy to connect with anyone in the ceramic,
glass and related industries. You can also keep up with the various industry
goings-on through Twitter by following my tweets (
twitter.com/SusanSuttonCI).
Of course, we’ll continue to provide focused and practical editorial in print,
and this issue is no exception. In this difficult economy, it’s easy to forget
that manufacturers and suppliers are actually looking to the future by
continuing to innovate. I love hearing stories about how the industry is
creating expanded opportunities, and we’ve got several to share here.
The cover story, “Hard Times Call for Harder Cutting Tools,” details some of
the history behind the use of materials such as alumina and silicon nitride in
cutting tools, as well as current opportunities and potential future
developments. Another feature article illustrates how dilatometry can be used
to help manufacturers optimize material development. “Exploring Sintering
Behavior through Dilatometry” details the relationship between particle size
and properties changes in barium titanate.
Additional articles in this issue discuss alumina’s use in a new membrane for
hemodialysis (“A Better Membrane”), ferrous material removal for clay tile
slurries (“Case Study: Reducing Ferrous Content”), the process of glass
formation in glaze development (“Understanding Glass Formation”), tips for
brick manufacturers as they navigate the economic recession (“Brick News”), and
powder compaction presses (“Product Profile: Powder Compaction Press”).
We’re also in the
process of exploring several new online vehicles to expand our ability to
provide you with the latest news and information you need to succeed in your
business, and I’d love to get your feedback as we move forward. How do you
prefer to receive news from
CI? What are we doing that works for you, and what falls
short? Please send me an e-mail at
suttons@bnpmedia.com or give me a call at (330) 336-4098 to share
your thoughts and suggestions.
Links
