Archive for the 'Infrared Heating' Category

What a difference a year makes

March 5, 2012 by Frank Wilson

Anyone doubting the ability of US manufacturing to pick itself up and get stuck into business through 2012 could do worse than read our forthcoming edition of HeatWorks magazine where we devote some eight pages to the issue.

Today’s trade winds are a funny thing. Only in the past couple of weeks has it been comfortable to recognise the US situation, come out and name it. That’s how fast things change globally and that’s how sensitive the international trading barometers are set these days.

Putting our US material together has reminded me of the critical importance of that country’s infrared heating needs for Ceramicx. The US remains our number one market and Ceramicx is fortunate enough to have a partner there in Weco International whose watchwords include persistence, determination and integrity. In truth it is these qualities that are now seeing US manufacturing through. That, together with a new leap of imagination that sees US manufacturers finally taking the energy-saving message on board.

This latter news certainly gladdens my heart: If US manufacturing is finally being provoked into realising how much energy it puts through its processes then there surely is hope for the rest of the world. Not measuring, not caring how much your plant spends on energy, is questionable business sense to say the least.

The new agenda sees our infrared heating technology and our energy monitoring systems taking market share and growing in reputation. The triennial Amercian plastics exhibition in Orlando Florida, April 1-5, will give us added opportunities to prove it to that sector. Already we are servicing US plastics thermoformers and blow moulders who have bought new machines but who realise that the energy performance needs to be even better, both for energy monitoring and for energy effectiveness in heat work.
Brett Wehner will therefore lead his Weco/Ceramicx team onto the Orlando Florida showground on April 1 knowing that increased manufacturing optimism; increased demand for quality engineering and increased demand for energy efficiency all point in favour of great business at NPE 2012.

The US market is now ready to buy a quality and efficient heater -  not just on price, but also on performance and energy measurement. There has been a shift in attitude. Infrared heating ideas and solutions are coming up further in the mix. It’s time for capital investment once again, and it’s also time for US manufacturing to invest in its future.

One short year has made all the difference – and Weco/Ceramicx is ready for the business, with IR products and services to match.

Posted in ceramicx, Infrared Heater Manufacturer, infrared heaters, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Solutions, Infrared Heating Technology, IR development, Weco International | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

New year – new partnerships – new business

February 17, 2012 by Frank Wilson

Ceramicx is currently in the middle of preparing our marketing materials and strategies for the upcoming big plastics exhibitions in the US and China this April.

left to right, Ted Rosingana ( Weco International ) Bob Davis ( P.C.S. ) Frank Wilson ( Ceramicx ) Brett Wehner ( Weco International )

Every week the count down brings yet more positive and new elements into the mix: This week I want to thank Brett Wehner, Director of our US partner Weco International, who has reached a technology and distribution deal with a very dynamic and enterprising company, Process Control Technologies.

 

 

Thanks to the gentle arts of partnership and negotiation, the US infrared heating market just got a little bigger and better for all of us:

Process Control Solutions (PCS), founded in Portland Maine 34 years ago, is a distributor, manufacturer’s representative and integrator of heaters, controls and sensors.  The PCS team supports sales for New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania and its focus is on selling technical products through superior product knowledge, application experience, project management and customer and technical support.

PCS facilities include a new and modern 2,000 square foot office with conference room, 4,500 square feet of warehouse and workshop, a box truck for system deliveries and installations and service vans for on site technical support. PCS also has in house 3D CAD software, fabrication and assembly and even equipment testing and acceptance within our facility.

Like ourselves, and like Brett’s business, Process Control is a family-owned company. I guess that’s partly how the deal goes down quicker. Across the world it sure enough helps the commerce when like minds and like values can speak with like.

One direct consequence of our new set-up is that the expert Process Control know-how will now be a welcome part of the the Weco/Ceramicx range of wares and expertise on show from April 1-5 at the NPE 2012 show.

We’ll tell you all about it in our next issue of HeatWorks magazine, out next month. Our own Patrick Wilson and Tadgh Whooley will be part of the teamwork in Orlando, Florida. We expect good business from all corners.

I said at the beginning of the year that the theme of partnership was already looking like a theme for 2012. Sure enough, the proof of the pudding is coming through already.

Slainte!

Our NPE 2012 preview and USA infrared heating update will be featured HeatWorks magazine – sixth edition – out next month. If you want to get onto the circulation or have a story for our next issue – just order up from Ceramicx direct and get yourself on the mailing list.

Posted in ceramicx, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Solutions, Uncategorized, Weco International | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

All points East and West

February 10, 2012 by Cathal Wilson

Small companies such as ourselves who supply to a full variety of global markets have to develop a strong mindset that can cope with being in several places at once.

I haven’t yet run to having the international time zone clock on my desk – but right now it doesn’t seem like a bad idea. East is meeting West more and more frequently in international business these days – particularly as China’s performance and ambitions continue to rise.

For example, no sooner have we finished the preparation and issues relating to our first Ceramicx exhibition stand at Chinaplas, Shanghai (the show begins in late April 2012) than I’m thinking about marketing needs for the USA National Plastics Exposition starting in Orlando Florida three weeks earlier.

At the same the Ceramicx factory floor is seeing the first fruits and benefits from our Innovation Partnership manufacturing research work – conducted with the University of Limerick team.

It’s all good. In fact the cross fertilisation of various markets and marketing needs helps us at Ceramicx to realise the common platform for infrared heating needs worldwide. We get to identify the strongest common denominators in our products and the marketing of the Ceramicx brand. We enhance these elements accordingly and we also get to make the IR heating benefits and applications even clearer.

And our next edition of our HeatWorks magazine will therefore outline and celebrate these issues and markets in a special East/West edition which Ceramicx will publish next month, ahead of these important shows.

In the meantime, what time is it in Beijing?……

Posted in ceramicx, infrared heaters, Infrared Heating, Innovation Partnership, Innovation Partnership Project, IR development | 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