As I write this column, a winter storm has closed schools
and businesses in my area (and, indeed, in much of the state) for the second
day, and the snow continues to fall. The wind isn't helping matters, either;
snow drifts are piled several inches above my office windows. I spent hours
shoveling the stuff last night, discovering muscles I didn't know I had, but
that I'm now reminded of every time I move.
I know I'm destined to do more shoveling today, or else
we'll be good and stuck, but I'm not going to think about that right now. It's
really too bad I can't rig my dogs with some kind of a snow plow. Their
enthusiasm for snow knows no bounds, and I'm sure they'd be more than happy to
help out. They say necessity is the mother of invention, so perhaps I'll need
to take a closer look at that option as the storm progresses.
Every so often, it's not necessity that motivates us, but
opportunity. Of course, sometimes it's difficult to recognize opportunities;
they're often disguised as obstacles. We're covering a perfect example of that
phenomenon in this issue of
CI (see "A Superior Opportunity").
When faced with the sudden closure of its quartz machining service provider,
this manufacturer of lamps for applications ranging from cinema to spot
lighting could have simply found another company to handle its machining needs.
Instead, it purchased the provider's assets, launched an entirely new division,
and entered the quartz and ceramic machining market for itself. The gamble has
paid off handsomely, and the company recently built a new $4.8-million facility
so it can continue to expand its business.
A new machining option could provide manufacturers with
the opportunity to reduce costs and improve efficiencies (see "Photo-Machining").
The process combines photoresists with abrasive etching to precisely machine
materials ranging from alumina and boron carbide to mullite and zirconia.
Potential applications include drilling holes in thin wafer materials, creating
detailed relief and channel patterns, selective coating removal, and surface
texturing.
We're also featuring the ever-popular
Pottery
Production Practices in this issue, and Managing Editor Brian Hayes
shares a story of two potters who took a leap and went into business for
themselves (see "Shark Mode"). Perhaps their success is the result of
their ambition, their youth, and their willingness to work almost until they
drop, but these two friends were shrewd enough to see an opportunity and grasp
it-and they've marshaled their love of ceramics, their drive and talent into a
successful enterprise.
I can hardly believe it, but the snow is falling even
faster now, and the fierce wind is causing regular white-outs beyond my windows.
I've heard the plow go by several times on the main road, but there's been no
sign of it here. I believe I'll use this opportunity to enjoy the scenery,
comfortable and snug indoors (well, as snug as can be expected in a drafty old
house), and have another cup of coffee.
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