Refrac Systems, through its Die-Bond LLC Division, has reportedly developed vacuum hot press furnace technology that includes a 2-Bar internally quenched gas fan cooling package.

Indian Ceramics & Ceramics Asia, in its second edition as co-located event, set new records by bringing 7,100 trade visitors and 283 exhibitors together at the Gujarat University Exhibition Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.

Praxair, Inc. and Libbey Inc. together have been awarded a €2.3 million (approximately $2.4 million) LIFE grant (LIFE15 CCM/NL/000121-LIFE OPTIMELT) from the European Commission.

The ceramic industry continues to evolve, and ceramics are now the material of choice in many of today’s processes, industries, and developmental projects. In addition to offering a unique blend of material, mechanical, and chemical properties, the more ceramics are studied and experimented with, the more adaptable they seem to become.

For the purposes of this discussion, a “fast firing” is defined as a firing duration from ambient to ambient within 180 min or less. The primary benefits of implementing a fast-firing protocol include: significantly reducing energy consumption per payload, reduced scrap and re-fire, lowered labor costs, shorter production lead times, and more reliable product consistency.

Many, if not most, of our new products over the years have come about after we’ve been approached by a current or potential customer with an application requirement that required some R&D on our part. In this case, an existing customer needed to scale up, but in a way that ensured reproducibility of the outcomes they were getting from their Deltech benchtop furnaces. A small-scale tunnel kiln seemed to offer a good solution.

Our annual R&D; Directory is a buyers’ resource that provides supplier* details for equipment, instruments, and services targeted for research and development applications. Use this guide as a handy way to find suppliers throughout the year

Research and development (R&D;) is a key driver for growth in the ceramic, glass, refractories, brick and related industries. Any company that does not innovate is almost sure to stagnate and eventually lose ground to more forward-thinking competitors. This issue includes our annual R&D; Directory to help manufacturers find the best supplier partners for their specific research and development efforts.

In April 2016, Kyocera International Inc. began a $10 million expansion project for its Vancouver, Wash., manufacturing facility, increasing the existing 40,000-sq-ft space by 45% to 58,000 sq ft. Originally built in 1992 as a R&D; center for advanced ceramic materials, the location now produces high-value-added engineered ceramic components for structural, functional and mechanical applications on a custom order basis.

The new 50,000-sq-ft plant reportedly houses four overhead cranes with capacities ranging from 10-25 tons.