February 2017 Issue | Ceramic Industry

R&D; Buyers' Resource

Our annual R&D Directory is a buyers’ resource that provides supplier* details for equipment, instruments, and services targeted for research and development applications.

Susan Sutton

February 1, 2017

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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

Investing in Ceramics

Riding the Advanced Ceramics Wave

Founded in 1959, Kyocera continues to expand by identifying and serving emerging technologies with advanced ceramic materials.

Susan Sutton

February 1, 2017

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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.

Glass Innovation

Interior Glass: Creating Mood through High-Tech Functionalities

A wide range of on-trend options enables glass in interior design to offer an innovative alternative to wood, metal or stone.

February 1, 2017

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Stairs, partitions, furniture, wall panels, banisters and parapets—the use of glass in a house knows no limits. Glass provides an unlimited range of design possibilities for architects, as well as interior and furniture designers, due to its interplay with light, reflections, transmission, colors, and textures. This variety of on-trend options enables glass in interior design to offer an innovative alternative to wood, metal or stone. The glass industry caters to the growing demand by providing a multitude of solutions for designing interiors.

Materials Innovation

Alumina Provides Ultra-Thin Solution in Battery Development

The addition of ultra-thin alumina virtually eliminates the barrier to electricity flow within the battery, allowing for efficient charging and discharging of the stored energy.

February 1, 2017

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A team of researchers at the University of Maryland Energy Research Center and A. James Clark School of Engineering have announced a transformative development in the race to produce batteries that are simultaneously safe, powerful, and affordable.

Case Study

Sample Preparation for Quality and Process Standards Assurance

Raw materials and finished products in the ceramic industry must be more precisely analyzed in order to meet constantly increasing quality standards.

Holger Brecht

February 1, 2017

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Clays, chamottes and ceramics are used in various applications and must therefore comply with different levels of quality standards. In recent years, quality standards have gained in significance for the processing industry—and therefore for manufacturers of chamottes and ceramics as well.

Product Focus

Innovating Dilatometry

New dilatometer lines offer improved versatility, accuracy and productivity.

Piero Scotto

February 1, 2017

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Since the acquisitions of Baehr and Expert System Solutions, two manufacturers of dilatometry equipment, TA Instruments has continued to invest in dilatometry. Most recently, the company introduced three new lines of mechanical and optical dilatometers well-suited for the ceramic industry: DIL 830, ODP 860 and DIL 820.

Market Trends

Rebounding Residential Construction Offers Opportunities for Clay Roofing Tile

Demand for clay roofing tile is expected to rise 7.8% per year to 700,000 squares in 2020.

February 1, 2017

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U.S. demand for residential roofing products is forecast to increase 4% per year to 147 million squares in 2020, valued at $10.4 billion, according to The Freedonia Group. Growth will be boosted by an increase in housing starts, which will benefit from homeowner interest in choosing products—such as laminated asphalt shingles, roofing tile and metal products—that offer enhanced aesthetics and long-term protection against leaks and impact damage.

Inside CI

Operation Innovation

We have reworked the format of the R&D Directory to make it more useful and easy to use.

Susan Sutton

February 1, 2017

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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.

Guest Editorial

Why Smart Manufacturing is a Dumb Idea

Smart manufacturing starts with people, not machines.

Steven L. Blue

February 1, 2017

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Someone asked me recently my thoughts on smart manufacturing—the so-called IT revolution in the factory. They couldn’t believe that I didn’t see smart manufacturing as the salvation of American manufacturing. Don’t misunderstand me; smart manufacturing has a place in reviving American manufacturing. I have a smart factory.

Track One Prioritized Examination

The benefits of Track One examination can more than offset the initial request fee for applicants who need to get their patents granted quickly.

Michael Gzybowski

February 1, 2017

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On January 31, 2011, the White House announced the launch of the Startup America initiative and noted that the Department of Commerce was “finalizing a plan to allow entrepreneurs to request faster review of their patents, an initiative that should lower patent pendency times overall and speed the deployment of new ideas to the marketplace.