Ceramic Industry Magazine

CI August 2017 Cover

2017 August

The summer's heating up in our August issue! Check out articles on Industry 4.0 projects, drying considerations, physical vapor deposition coatings, and more.

Cover Story

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Industry 4.0

Industry 4.0: A Practical Application in Ceramic Kilns

The ceramic kiln industry offers many opportunities for innovation, where Industry 4.0 capabilities can be leveraged to unlock additional value.
Alberto Cantú Pérez
August 1, 2017
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Industry 4.0, also known as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), is proving to be a revolutionary trend that will shape the industrial landscape in the coming years. Adding intelligence to physical objects has never been as easy and inexpensive as it is today.
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Features

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PVD coatings

Understanding Physical Vapor Deposition Coatings

Few manufactured goods in the world today have not taken advantage of the performance benefits of PVD coatings, either in their construction or final form.
Donald Titus, Jr.
August 1, 2017
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The most common of these thin-film vacuum coating processes include evaporation (e.g., using a cathodic arc or thermal technique), ion beam deposition, and sputtering (e.g., using plasmas). All PVD coating processes must occur inside a vacuum chamber so that the vaporized materials do not react with any atmospheric contaminants that could interfere with the microscopic layer of coating, or with the adhesion of the growing thin film to the substrate.
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Shuttle kiln

Factors to Consider in Ceramic Drying and Firing

Problems ranging from simple cracking to catastrophic steam explosions can occur if ceramic products are not dried uniformly.
Thomas Schultz Gregory D. Lewicki
August 1, 2017
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Drying is a necessary step in the processing of all ceramic products and components, whether it takes place as a separate step or is a preliminary step in the firing process. Ceramics are made from different combinations of materials that can be in slurry form or even more liquid, in the case of slip-cast ware at the start of the fabrication process.
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controlled atmosphere furnace

Thermal Drying in Controlled Atmospheres

Certain materials require protection from oxygen or other atmosphere contaminants during or after drying.
Fred McLaughlin
August 1, 2017
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Many processed materials need to be thermally dried under controlled conditions. Most drying is done in open atmosphere or oxidizing ovens in batch, continuous belt, or tunnel feed styles. However, certain materials require protection from oxygen or other atmospheric contaminants during or after drying.
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Firing Foundations

Firing Foundations: What's Next?

Following the technological innovations of the past 45 years, what new firing technologies can the ceramic industry expect?
Greg Sullivan
August 1, 2017
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Across the board, the ceramic industry has benefitted from three significant pieces of technology introduced to us over the last 45 years: high-velocity combustion, low-mass kiln cars, and digital control technology. First came high-velocity combustion, which gave us high rates of convective heat transfer. It delivered improved temperature uniformity, faster cycles, fuel savings and increases in “A” grade recovery, as well as many other documented secondary benefits.
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Buddy D’Allessandro

Work and Play at the 2017 Clemson Brick Forum

While the Clemson Brick Forum continues to be a place for the sharing of information and ideas throughout the brick industry, it also offers multiple opportunities for relaxation and fun.
Caroline Weaver
August 1, 2017
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The 2017 Clemson Brick Forum will be held October 2-4 at the Anderson Civic Center in Anderson, S.C. Hosted by the National Brick Research Center (NBRC), the forum continues to be a place for the sharing of information and ideas throughout the brick industry.
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Park Chelsea

Brick Manufacturer is Best in Class

Glen-Gery is the first brick manufacturer to win Best in Class in Architectural Record's Advertising Excellence Awards.
August 1, 2017
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Glen-Gery was recently recognized at Architectural Record’s annual Advertising Excellence Awards breakfast in Orlando, Fla., as part of the 2017 AIA Convention. Each year, a jury of leading architects carefully reviews and rates ads in the building and design marketplace, along with the companies and agencies that produce them.
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Extra-Large Roller Kiln
Product Focus

Extra-Large Roller Kilns

Wider channels in extra-large kilns allow an increase in the number of incoming tile and therefore boost kiln output compared to other machines of the same length.
August 1, 2017
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The roller kilns in the XXL family, which feature extra-large channels from 3,500-3,850 mm wide, are the biggest in the Sacmi single-layer kiln range. Wider channels allow an increase in the number of incoming tile and therefore boost kiln output compared to other machines of the same length. For example, the XXL 385 kiln lets manufacturers position a row of four 800 x 800 mm porcelain tile (with subsequent squaring), three 1,000 x 1,000 mm tile or two 1,600 x 3,200 mm slabs.
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Columns

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Susan Sutton Inside CI
Inside CI

Managing Priorities

While buzzwords like IIoT and Industry 4.0 are everywhere these days, very little is actually being done by manufacturers to capitalize on the various available technologies.
Susan107
Susan Sutton
August 1, 2017
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August always seems to be such a chaotic month in our household. Between home improvement projects, vacation schedules, and back-to-school plans, it can be difficult to limit our focus and prioritize what’s really needed vs. what would be nice or fun to do. Everything that needs to be taken care of is important to a certain extent (the lawn isn’t going to mow itself!), but what if the weather’s beautiful and the kids want to go to the pool? The sheer volume of options can become overwhelming.
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Ceramic Decorating Spence
Ceramic Decorating

Prop 65 Changes Take Effect August 2018

Ceramic and glass decorators should be aware of numerous legislative changes.
Sandra-spence-107px
Sandra Spence
August 1, 2017
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With little more than a year remaining before significant changes to labeling rules take effect for California’s controversial Clean Water Act, noted Proposition 65 attorney Carol Brophy addressed Deco ’17 attendees with a summary of those changes.
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