| As one of the most established and important industries
in the world, ceramics have become an essential part of everyday life
yet are almost taken for granted. The demand for ceramic products and
ceramic technology is increasing globally with fierce competition between
ceramic suppliers of all industry sectors.
For over a half a century, we have been at the very heart of the ceramic
industries, whether traditional ceramics such as tableware and sanitaryware,
or advanced technical ceramics such as those used in renewable energy
systems, biomedical or aerospace. Since our earliest days, our reputation
has been founded on the integration of industrially experienced personnel
and academic research specialists. Our expertise is available to help
businesses improve their competitiveness, by maximising the effectiveness
and efficiency of their existing processes, improving the performance
of their products, and developing new facilities through to research into
new techniques, materials and methods for production. Complementing this
is our in-house UKAS Accredited test laboratory.
CERAM has been acknowledged as a Centre of Manufacturing Excellence with
our expertise being sought around the world; as a result we have Accredited
Laboratories globally. From the design and validation of new products,
facilities development through to international trading advice, we are
positioned to help your business whether you are a start up company or
an international plc.
Related Resources:
CERAMIN Project:
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This project aims to benchmark energy consumption and share energy saving technologies across the European ceramics manufacturing sector. An "Extraordinary Energy Efficient" (EEE) label will be awarded to those manufacturers exceeding an energy consumption target that will be defined in the course of the project. CERAMIN is scheduled for completion in October 2009.
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Adoptic Project:
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“Adoptic” is a European R&D project aiming to assist ceramic companies in identifying additives. The 3-year project, due to be completed in September 2009, has a total cost of 1.863 M€ and involves some 25 partners from 4 European states. It is funded under the “Collective” scheme, which is designed to address SME company needs.
Additives are added at relatively modest wt% levels (perhaps 0.5 – 1.0 wt%) but provide a vital role in optimising suspensions and intermediate products for subsequent processing. With many additives being organic in nature, and optimised for other industries, ceramic SME producers often struggle to source the best binder, deflocculant etc. REACH legislation has potential to compound the situation as the range of additive chemicals is stream-lined and ceramic producers are faced with sourcing new alternatives.
The main aim of Adoptic is to produce an on-line knowledge system that guides users to suitable additives. Users can interrogate the knowledge system in a number of ways, for example through reference to faults, by following ceramic sub-sector process routes or simply by working through a tree diagram of additive families. Since additives are usually added to powder suspensions, the Knowledge System provides further support through suggested rheological protocols involving low cost analytical apparatus.
SME companies who are partners on the project are providing invaluable feedback to the research performers in terms of raising awareness of current QC techniques and typical problems encountered with additives in factory. The SMEs also get the opportunity to apply the Knowledge System to specific additive issues that they currently face.
CERAM, as project managers, are working very closely with the British Ceramic Confederation (BCC) on this project. As an Industrial Association Grouping partner on Adoptic, BCC have a crucial role to play in defining how the knowledge system will be exploited and updated, post-project.
For the latest news on the Adoptic Project, please see the Adoptic Project Newsletter
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