As many companies know, the EPA announced plans in August 1999 to drastically lower the reporting thresholds for lead and lead compounds that are subject to reporting under section 313 of the Emergency Planning Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) and section 6607 of the Pollution Prevention Act (PPA). (See Ceramics in the News, January 2000.) This statement immediately put the small business community up in arms.
Ceramic Industry, the exclusive global voice of ceramic manufacturing, has launched a new e-mail news service to help you stay on top of the information that can help you succeed in your business. It's called CI CyberNews.
Volatile constituents can sometimes condense in the early preheat or early cooling in certain tunnel kilns. At times, the condensates fall on the product and cause dirt defects. Sometimes the condensates are so chemically reactive that it damages the kiln lining by fluxing the refractories in both the preheat and cooling zones. In either case, undesirable precipitation of volatiles can cause serious product loss or even kiln damage.
Imports into the U.S. have been growing at a rapid rate for the last several years, far exceeding the growth of exports. Some U.S. based producers of ceramic goods have looked into ways of preventing or inhibiting the import of competing products.
Most tableware manufacturers use unleaded glazes when producing tableware patterns, but design requirements occasionally mandate the use of decorative borosilicate enamels containing some heavy metals. When using such colors, tableware decorators must consider the ability of a heavy metal to leach—or migrate—from the tableware surface to food or beverages.
These days, you don’t have to go far to get exactly what you want. If one supplier won’t go the extra mile for you, chances are good that there are a dozen more that will. Companies know that in today’s highly competitive market, one sure way to differentiate themselves is to offer personalized, custom service in as many areas as possible, and a host of businesses are capitalizing on this trend.
What has a 1,000-page preamble and 300 pages of regulations in fine print? No, it’s not the bureaucracy from Mars—it’s the recently proposed workplace rules on ergonomics published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Tunnel kilns account for the bulk of worldwide ceramic firing. For many products, a tunnel kiln offers the potential for better temperature uniformity and product quality—with an energy consumption that is typically half that of periodic firing systems.
RSS
