February 2008

Labsphere’s Diffuse Reflectance Materials and Coatings Increase Medical Imaging Performance

With 96 percent to 98 percent reflectance, Labsphere’s Spectralon and Spectraflect provide high level uniform light integration for efficiency in light collection tubes and light guides used in medical imaging equipment.

The near-Lambertian properties of Spectralon and Spectraflect deliver a uniform dispersion of light that integrates light and reduces hotspots better than other materials in coated cavity applications. A high reflectance over a broad spectral range of 250-2,500 nm increases optical efficiency. With increased efficiency, less light input is required for performance, lowering energy and design costs. Since light collection and reflectance are not dependent on the geometry of light input, design flexibility is increased. Inert, thermally stable and UV-resistant, Labsphere’s materials ensure consistent optical stability and long term performance reliability.

Machined Spectralon can be economically fabricated into a wide variety of shapes to meet many imaging instrument designs. In-house machining allows samples to be created quickly and easily, and modified throughout the design, prototyping and testing process. For other applications, Spectraflect diffuse reflectance material can be uniformly spray-coated on customer provided substrates.
Labsphere’s engineering staff often collaborates with customers to develop custom light collection tubes and light guides.

Safely Negotiating the Curves: Bosch Filigree Steering-Angle Sensors Made with Ultradur High Speed

CPS Technologies, designer and producer of metal matrix composites, now offers TO-250 type products, which can be manufactured in a variety of combinations. Products consist of a cold rolled steel frame with hermetic seals made with Alloy #52 or Copper Cored Alloy #52 pins in a compression glass seal or ceramic terminal. Bottom choices can be OFHC Copper, Copper Moly, Copper Tungsten or Glidcop. Braze material is 72 percent Ag / 28 percent Cu (BT braze). CPS’ hermetic microelectronic packages enable successful communication for military, electronics, satellite and aerospace markets.

With more than 60 years of combined experience in hermetic microelectronic packaging, CPS has supplied and assembled AlSiC (aluminum silicon carbide) components for use in hermetic microelectronic packages for select customers since 1987. It now offers hermetic microelectronic packages to the market at large.

New Cost Effective, Space Saving, Dual Zone Temperature Controller for Runnerless Molding Applications

Athena Controls, Inc., a manufacturer of temperature/process controllers, temperature sensors and related accessories, has introduced its new Series RMT microprocessor-based dual zone temperature controller for runnerless molding applications.

Specifically designed to provide two zones of control per slot, the controller accepts Type J thermocouple, and effectively doubles the zone count per module without doubling the price. Key features include two easy-to-use operator keypads, four LED displays and discrete indicators for heat output, alarm, degree of F/C indication, manual and closed loop mode.

Added features include bumpless auto/manual transfer; a CompuStep bake out feature to prevent moisture at startup; built-in loop break for open heater, shorted triac, reversed or shorted thermocouple; open thermocouple break protection with jumper-selectable shutdown or average power output based on operation; preset alarms at 30°F (17°C); SafeChange “hot swap” feature that allows safe removal and replacement of module and CE compliance.

Webcom Presents Multiple Industries Patent Workshop~ at the 2008 Magnetics Conference in Denver, Colo., May 14, 2008 ~

Half Day Workshop:Intellectual Property Issues for New Product Development

May 14, 2008 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) - Beverages and Course Materials Provided

The workshop will start with an overview of the various types of intellectual property, including patents, trademark, copyrights, trade secrets, non-competes and publishing. It will feature a detailed discussion of patents, including type of patents, what is patentable, patent laws and rules, the patenting process and patent strategy. Also covered will be the integration of the patenting process with the new product development process and discussion of critical patent strategy issues. It will conclude with a practical training session for writing technical disclosures for patenting purposes.

• Register before March 14, 2008 - $395      • Register after March 14, 2008 - $495

Register Now!
Visit http://www.magneticsmagazine.com/mag_conf08_workshop_reg.php/.

QuantumSphere Awards Research Grant to Iowa State University to Improve Food Safety with Nanomaterials

QuantumSphere, Inc., a manufacturer of nano metals and alloys for applications in renewable energy, portable power, defense, electronics and other markets demanding advanced materials, has awarded a research grant to Byron Brehm-Stecher, Ph.D, of Iowa State University to conduct research in the use of nanomaterials to improve the safety of the world’s food supply.
 
“Nanomaterials have such broad potential in new application areas, and QuantumSphere is reaching out to stimulate efforts that accelerate validation and commercialization of its proprietary advanced materials,” said Kevin Maloney, CEO of QuantumSphere. “Dr. Brehm-Stecher’s proposal shows tremendous promise as he sets out to validate QSI-Nano Silver for use in antimicrobial materials that could prevent food contamination. The research could vastly improve the safety of global food production and distribution networks.”

Brehm-Stecher is an assistant professor at Iowa State’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. His lab will test the effectiveness of QSI-Nano Silver and its ability to destroy food-borne pathogens and other organisms that cause spoilage. The research will leverage the unique physical and catalytic properties of the nanoparticles to develop useful technologies for improved microbial control.

“QuantumSphere’s manufacturing system has enabled the production of advanced nanomaterials with highly desirable qualities needed in antimicrobial research,” said Dr. Brehm-Stecher. “Through our research, we hope to gain a greater understanding of how these materials impact microbial metabolism and will lead to technologies that enhance food safety.”

In 2006, QuantumSphere initiated a call for research grant proposals to partner with universities and sponsor research through the prototype phase in an effort to accelerate the validation and commercialization of advanced materials in consumer and industrial applications. The award to Iowa State University is part of QuantumSphere’s ongoing grant funding program.  Each award is supported with an endowment ranging in sizes from $50 to 125,000 to support work for up to 2 years. This is the second year QuantumSphere has awarded grants and the first year they have been awarded to research institutions outside California. 

Graham Corp. Wins $1.8 Million Order for Coal-to-Liquid Project in China

Graham Corp. has received a $1.8 million order for two surface condensers to be installed in a coal-to-liquid (CTL) facility located in China. The condensers will be manufactured in Graham’s Batavia, New York facility with final shipment planned for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2009, ending March 31, 2009.

CTL is an emerging technology used to liquefy coal and upgrade the resulting output into petroleum-based products. As worldwide oil reserves continue to decline, interest in CTL technology is growing as coal is believed to be one of the richest and widely distributed fossil deposits on earth. In this CTL facility, clean CTL technology will be used to convert coal to methanol which will then be further converted into ethylene. Ethylene is used in downstream facilities in the production of various plastic and chemical products, from tires and carpets to detergents and clothing.

Graham has announced sales growth of 42.2 percent and diluted earnings per share growth of over 500 percent for the third quarter of fiscal 2008 which ended December 31, 2007 when compared to the same period in fiscal 2007. Sales were $20.6 million and net income was $3.8 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, representing an 18.4 percent net margin.

The Company expects full fiscal year 2008 revenue to be in the upper end of its previously announced expected range of $80 to $85 million, gross margin to be in the upper 30 percent range, SG&A to be approximately $13.3 to $13.5 million, interest income of $1.0 to $1.2 million and the effective tax rate to be about 34 percent.

Morgan Crucible Company Agrees to Acquire Carpenter Technology Corp.’s Technical Ceramics Business for $147 Million
Morgan Crucible, parent company to Morgan Technical Ceramics, has agreed to acquire two technical ceramics businesses, Certech and Carpenter Advanced Ceramics, from Carpenter Technology Corp. These businesses will be acquired on a cash and debt free basis for a cash consideration of $147 million.
Certech is a global independent manufacturer of a broad range of complex, injection-molded, consumable ceramic components, which are used during the investment casting of turbine blades and vanes for aerospace engines, industrial gas turbines and some high-end industrial castings. Certech also manufactures a range of other porous ceramics and various foundry supplies, and has seven plants in the US, UK and Mexico, totaling approximately 750 employees.
Carpenter Advanced Ceramics is a manufacturer of engineered ceramics products very similar to those of Morgan Crucible’s existing Technical Ceramics operations. It sells high-purity alumina and zirconia structural ceramic components for a variety of applications and industries, and is a world leader in zirconia ceramics. It operates two plants, one in the US and one in Australia, and has approximately 150 employees.
Both acquisitions are aligned with Morgan Crucible’s existing core ceramic technology and with its strategic priorities, which focus on higher growth, higher margin and less economically-cyclical markets. Following completion, Certech and Carpenter Advanced Ceramics will become part of Morgan Crucible’s Technical Ceramics division. 

US Market for Advanced Materials and Technologies for Public Works Infrastructure Projects Worth $12 Billion by 2012

According to a new technical market research report, Advanced Materials and Technologies for Public Works Infrastructure Projects (AVM062A) from BCC Research, the US market for advanced materials and subassemblies for public works infrastructure projects was worth $7.5 billion in 2007. This is expected to increase to over $12 billion by 2012, a compound average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10 percent.

Highway construction and rehabilitation is the largest market for advanced materials and subassemblies, accounting for about 83 percent of the market in 2006 and 2007 and 78 percent in 2012. The bulk of the highway market consists of Superior Performing Asphalt Pavement of SUPERPAV, which enjoys the largest sales of any advanced infrastructure material. Other advanced materials with significant market shares include high performance concrete and fiber-reinforced polymer composites.

Bridges are the second largest market segment after highways, increasing from 3.7 percent of the market in 2006 to 4.3 percent in 2007. It should reach a 9.2 percent market share by 2012.

Several high-profile incidents have focused attention on deficiencies in the public works infrastructure of the US that includes bridges, tunnels, highways, roads, railroads, airports, canals, dams, dikes, artificial harbors and some pipelines. The most recent such incident was the collapse of the Interstate 35-W bridge over the Mississippi River in August 2007, which plunged dozens of cars and their occupants into the river, killing 13 people and causing traffic problems for years to come.

The solution to such problems lies in the construction materials and other technologies used to build and maintain the bridges, roads, and other public works.

Capitalizing on Nanoplastics
Feb. 4-6
San Antonio, Texas

IntertechPira's 3rd annual conference on Nanoplastics will provide opportunities for attendees to converse with speakers and delegates alike about the latest technology and commercial innovations and what this can mean for your end product.