The power of ideas

January 30, 2012 by Frank Wilson

Sooner or later in business one will stumble over the fact that “an idea doesn’t care who owns it.” Opportunity, conflict and plenty of work for lawyers can all follow on from there.

This free principle of ideas applies of course to both good and bad ideas – and timing is also everything. Some developments are ahead of their time and will alas be still-born while others wait too long, and opportunity then passes them by.

The trick is to have time and tide meet at just the right moment: And, to date, our new Irish Centre for Manufacturing Research (ICMR) is showing all the signs of a successful launch that is steadily gathering steam.

Barry Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, is steering the ship and our HeatWorks V Magazine issue contains a full interview with him about the goals of the new ICMR organisation and the progress made to date.

What pleases me most about the new ICMR is that is committed to a long overdue awakening of all the natural innovation and manufacturing talent that is already under our noses here in all corners of Ireland: Barry’s terms for this activity include ‘mapping tacit knowledge’ and ‘encouraging translational research’.

In other words, our manufacturing companies ‘know much more than they know’. Our new ICMR project now gives us the opportunity to unleash the power of this know-how and to communicate it to all our manufacturing enterprises, large and small.

As said – an idea really doesn’t care who owns it: Performance metrics and continuous improvement techniques such as Six Sigma, Kaizen, Can-Ban, OTIF, OEE and many others are available for successful translation into businesses at any time. Ceramicx, of course, is a founding member of the ICMR.

In particular we feel we have a clear role and talents to use helping bring the message to small to medium enterprises (SMEs); helping them to understand and apply the power of ideas; some of which will play out in quite a different way to the process in larger enterprises.

It’s a two way street: SMEs are more than capable of generating original first principles and great new ideas that can be of valuable worth to larger organisations. After all, everything started out small once.

Our new ICMR now gives our manufacturers a dedicated place in which to communicate and share the power of ideas to a point of optimum use and take-up. At Ceramicx – the infrared heat consultants – we are committed to advancing this work. Indeed, we look forward to seeing it catch fire over the coming months.

Posted in ceramic heaters, Infrared Heating Consultants, Irish Centre for Manufacturing Research | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

We make it here…

January 20, 2012 by Frank Wilson

One of the most pleasing things in our fifth edition of HeatWorks magazine now doing the rounds is the feature article on some of our recent investments at Ceramicx.

More than ever, today’s global supply chain requires expert and qualified suppliers who offer failsafe delivery and who have all manufacturing matters in hand. The fact that we make it all here is provides much reassurance. We set great store by it – and are winning new business as a result every month.

A newly installed Hurco TMM8 bar fed lathe with C-axis and 50mm chuck has now given the Ceramicx machinery and fabrication shop some greatly increased capabilities for our growing order book in applications engineering.

Our new machine investments will assist us further in making a large variety of component; platens and heat systems for plastics thermoforming machines; rigs for plastics-to-metal bonding; surrounds and reflectors for use in domestic heating and many other applications.

Increasingly, Ceramicx is taking on responsibilities in total infrared systems supply. Not only are we making and supplying world-class standard ceramic elements; quartz heaters and other components we are also investing in technology to supply all bespoke infrared heating applications.

These new investments are all part of our continuing focus on the price/performance ratio of our products and are also part of lowering the carbon footprint of our products: Last year’s investments in automated quality systems – and in ‘thumbprinting’ the features and actual performance data for every ceramic component made – has given us yet another strand of customer service and assurance.

It is often said in business – and no less true for that – that if you’re not going forward in business, the opposite applies. Ceramicx Infrared Heat Consultants are very pleased to report plenty of forward motion in plant investment and in many other aspects of our business as it grows and goes forward in the coming months.

Full details on the evolving Ceramicx machine shop are featured on pages 20-21 of the new HeatWorks magazine – just ask us direct for a copy.

Posted in Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Consultants, Infrared Heating Solutions, Infrared Heating Technology, Plastics Thermoforming, Thermoforming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Community means communication

January 16, 2012 by Cathal Wilson

It’s always a pleasure to spend a little time with freshly completed pieces of work; a new oven system for a thermoforming client; a new process or way of organising an aspect of production; a new conference paper or company presentation.

In today’s world, however, time on such pleasures is increasingly short lived.
Having just riffled through the pages of the fifth issue of our HeatWorks magazine I am aware that new issues and contributions are already needing attention for the next issue – due out in March 2012.

Success breeds success – ditto for good communication. For example, the next issue of HeatWorks magazine will have plenty more to say on the science and impact of infrared heat upon the human body; what heating comfort means and how to most effectively apply.

With Ceramicx exhibiting at the triennial US plastics exhibition in Orlando Florida, April 1-5, we shall once again be reporting on the evolving markets for IR heating in the reviving US manufacturing economy.

Two weeks later Ceramicx is exhibiting at Chinaplas 2012 in Shanghai: We shall therefore be using HeatWorks magazine to communicate about our work there and in the upcoming market of China. We shall have more IR case studies to come from our friends and associates in Germany; on best manufacturing practice in Ireland, as well as updates from our own manufacturing plant, new products and new processes.

With all that in mind – and knowing how time flies – I wanted to sound just a quick note here in sincere appreciation of our the partners, customers and stakeholders who – in this completed package of HeatWorks magazine  – have helped us build the infrared heating message – as well as the business itself.

If you – our readers – have an interest in any aspect of Infrared Heating we extend an open invitation to you to join in this community of interest and to join in this work of communication. Our door is always open to you.

Copies of the latest HeatWorks magazine – fifth edition – are available directly from the company  – just order the latest from Ceramicx direct and get yourself on the mailing list.

Posted in Heatworks, infrared heaters, Infrared Heating, IR development, Thermoforming | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Back to work: both home and away

January 5, 2012 by Frank Wilson

Already it’s an interesting year: The Ceramicx exhibition stand has just been confirmed for Chinaplas 2012, April 18-21. As befits our Irish status, we have been located in the international hall at the mid point between the UK and the USA. Myself and Cáthál will both be in attendance in Shanghai. Ceramicx is looking forward to doing a significant level of business at Chinaplas 2012.

Whatever the commentators might say – and their guess is as good as yours – it is clear as day that the Asian economic juggernaut just keeps on coming. Ceramicx intends to be in the thick of it: Our infrared heating products will also be featured two months earlier in Delhi at Plastindia 2012 on the stand of our Indian partner, Elmec. Ceramicx will continue to affirm a commitment to these important export markets, which are the life blood of our company.

Ten days before Shanghai we will be back from Orlando, Florida where we will have exhibited at the USA’s premier National Plastics Exhibition (NPE) with our US Partner, Weco International. Truth to tell, the US economy is still the largest in the world and US manufacturing has shown a lot of fighting spirit through 2011. Ceramicx intends to do our very best by US industry – supplying innovation and profit-making through infrared heating solutions.

Speaking of size, I now read that Brazil has overtaken the UK as the sixth largest economy in the world. No shame there – the pace of Brazilian expansion has been at a quantum rate and the UK in any case is set to overhaul the French within the next three years

The South American situation is sitting up nicely for our new recruit, Patrick Wilson, who is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, who has travelled extensively and resided in that continent and who is keen to hit the sales and marketing trail once his production and manufacturing apprenticeship has completed.

In the meantime, however, our energies are much closer to home: We have a kiln to fire up; further plans to complete for our alternative energy generation; a new Innovation Partnership to kick start – and many other projects of the day to progress and complete.

Flexibility and balance come to mind already as watchwords for 2012: Successful businesses – from anywhere – will be able to ride the trade winds of global manufacturing only and as long as they have their house in order; have innovation on their side, together with a competitive offering. Those are the features that Ceramicx will be demonstrating to our markets throughout 2012.

Our HeatWorks magazine – fifth edition – will be on its way to our readers this month. If you missed out on our last issue – and want to get onto the circulation or have a story for our Spring 2012 issue – just order up from Ceramicx direct and get yourself on the mailing list.

Posted in ceramicx, Chinaplas, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Solutions, Plastindia | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Enterprise succeeding…

December 19, 2011 by Frank Wilson

Our fifth edition of HeatWorks magazine is now on its way to the printers – and in the New Year, readers will be treated to another groundbreaking roster of technical and commercial topics in infrared heating.

On the home front, we are delighted to be giving pages to the ongoing story of the  Ceramicx Innovation Partnership with the University of Limerick (UL). A large vote of thanks for the success of this project is certainly due to the enabling presence of Enterprise Ireland.

Ceramicx has been fortunate in the guiding presence of Enterprise Ireland, especially in the persons of both Dr Tom Bannon and Paul McCloskey. I know that it may break with some protocols to mention the role of individuals. But business is a thing conducted by people, between people. And besides, protocol-breaking is a large part of my job.

Furthermore, the model of the EI Innovation Partnership is the correct way forward for industry; not only for Ireland but in general: As I have said time and again, there is little to no use in science or engineering that has no use – that has no customers or applications. Enterprise Ireland has helped developed a method that keeps both the creative IP of the Universities and the dynamism of the manufacturing sector in service, and in train with each other.

We consequently have very high hopes and ambitions for our new Innovation Partnership with the University of Limerick. We now see it as helping deliver nothing less than world-class performance and leadership for Ceramicx in the manufacture of infrared heating systems.

The deft match-making skills of Enterprise Ireland have been key to this process and have helped and encouraged us to hold this bold forward vision.

True, not all matches are made in heaven – and most partnerships need work in order to work: A skilled match-maker, however, is able to anticipate and smooth over difficulties in custom and practice – as well as provide ‘translation’ services wherever needed.  All this we have benefited from.

Let me say here that Ceramicx very much hopes to extend and deepen our relationship with Enterprise Ireland as we pursue our goals. The quality of its people and the service given has been outstanding and yet – even so – we feel the best is yet to come.

Posted in ceramicx, Frankly Speaking, infrared heaters, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Technology, Innovation Partnership, Innovation Partnership Project | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment