Archive for the 'Infrared' Category

The people factor?

I read something entertaining recently about ‘your best company salesman….He may not be a closer on many or any deals – but he never leaves his post. He’s always available on a 365; 24/7 basis. He’s always very well turned out – has great visibility and profile at all times and manages to get to the most far-flung locations with great effectiveness and minimal cost.’

Who could that be? The riddle about this paragon refers to the company website of course. At Ceramicx we believe it to be true and we therefore back our top sales resource to the full with ongoing investment and quality support.

Great competence in one area such as this pushes the envelope; raises the bar and asks questions of other parts of the business. And rather than levelling down, there is a tendency for other areas to rise to the challenge – in production; in service and in people skills.

This has certainly been happening for Weco International, our US friends and distributors. The current autumn edition of Heat Works magazine contains the full story of our partnership developments stateside.

In a nutshell – and against a background of US industrial uncertainty – Weco has this year managed to expand both its sales activities and to further grow its US territories through the forging of skilful partnerships in the infrared heating industry.

How has it done this? According to owner Brett Wehner, through some powerful core principles and through working with and through the right people. The Weco manifesto is based upon Persistence – Determination – Integrity – and via these guiding lights the company has this year opened up fresh markets in the New England states and also – looking Southward -  in Tennessee.

This is a remarkable achievement: What it tells me is that in an era of unlimited information and seemingly endless online time there are, in addition,  some special challenges and rewards for those that are able to raise their person-to-person game in the way that Brett and his team have managed.

It is essential of course that your best sales guy stays at his post 24/7 in the manner already described. But creativity; deal making; relationships; innovation – all these other things have been greatly liberated in recent years. Pay equal attention to these factors and business success can be greatly assured.

Posted in ceramicx, Heatworks, Infrared, Infrared Heating Experts, Infrared Heating Solutions, Infrared Heating Technology, Plastics Thermoforming, Thermoforming, Weco International | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Infrared heating and humans? – time for an in-depth scientific look

As many of you will know, outside of our main industrial markets, Ceramicx also has a number of infrared products and ongoing projects aimed mainly at the consuming public.

Infrared heating development in Medical HealthcareOur technologies include infrared for indoor and outside space heating; infrared heating for petcare and creature comfort; a variety of food cooking techniques using infrared and also various infrared heating products for the medical and healthcare industries.

To experience infrared heating at first hand is to know that there is a real and qualitative difference in kind between it and other heat sources. The expression often used is that ‘it really gets into your bones’. It’s not just humans. A number of IR heating applications are being developed on the petcare and livestock front.

There are clearly some deeper issues involved with the IR preference that we at Ceramicx would like to explore further. And so – in keeping with the rest of our programme and product development – we will be casting a scientific-based eye over this part of the infrared spectrum.

The next edition of HeatWorks – out in September 2011- will therefore take a first look at this end of the infrared radiation spectrum, sometimes known as Far Infrared Radiation (FIR).

The article will be jointly created between ourselves and leading UK-based practitioner and innovator Simon Lea and will pay particular attention to the relationship between human physiology and that part of the IR radiation spectrum.

True, we can take for granted that infrared heating provides comfort and health for humans. But – as I never tire of saying – we have yet to determine exactly how and why. The world today has barely scratched the surface of the potential for infrared useage and technology.

The human body/infrared radiation interface is new territory. If – in this and other areas – we can use good science to make proveable roadmaps of cause and effect, then we will be able to open many new doors that will profit all.

Posted in ceramicx, Far Infrared Radiation, Heatworks, Infrared, Infrared Heater Manufacturer, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Experts | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Follow the food chain – infrared heating makes thermoforming profitable

The USA this week may be reeling from its exhausting political and economic wranglings but our friends and associates at Weco International go from strength to strength in servicing that country’s large and sophisticated thermoforming industry.

The land that invented fast food, food service packaging, and many other innovations in packaging has extensive and accompanying needs for volumes of thermoformed goods. Many thermoforming operations in the US are therefore both large scale and demanding in terms of quality. And as the world economy shifts we will undoubtedly see similar operations of scale and sophistication emerging  – in China, India, Russia and other areas of large population.

Meantime, Brett Wehner and the team at Weco in the US are growing the infrared network throughout all the states in America.  One recent job saw Weco doing great work for a leading international producer of disposable packaging with sites around the world. Weco’s client in this case needed a complete upgrade on one of its principal thermoforming lines for beverage food service.

The Weco team was required to upgrade the existing heating arrangements and ovens and to replace them with a more effective infrared-based solution. Ceramicx were in attendance through the project from start to finish in the design and supply of infrared thermoforming platens.

Thermoforming

As part of its work, Weco engineers succeeded in halving the overall oven length at the client – a move that resulted in immediate energy savings. And cycle times – shots per minute – were also increased by a substantial 15.2 to 23.4.  Weco’s Client  Line 1 became the fastest; not only within the factory but also within the client organisation as a whole. Substantial engineering work was also carried out in the machine control area – including ethernet communications; automation work and computing interfaces.

As Brett said to me after the job completion – ‘Imagine the ability to make over 50% improvements in your productivity and run it on just half the energy of previous!’ Most plastics thermoformers would take that, wouldn’t they?

However, it takes more than a shot of courage to truly innovate; to commit to those first steps in plant design and improvements – to take a step back and see the future in a new way. Successful thermoformers are doing just that – and unsuccessful thermoformers, however, are not. The latter group continue to ignore the signs; continue not to measure their energy useage or  their equipment performance – until it’s too late.

By the skin of its teeth, the US Government has lately stepped back from an avoidable conflict and disaster. At Ceramicx, we believe that good science, engineering and technology can help many companies do the same. A little foresight and cool reflection can go a mighty long way.

* Weco International features in the latest edition of Ceramicx HeatWorks magazine. Contact Ceramicx direct for your free copy of the magazine.

Posted in ceramicx, Frankly Speaking, Infrared, Infrared Heating Experts, Plastics Thermoforming, Thermoforming, Weco International | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

With the right focus – and a common platform – everything is possible

Although the need to take a breath is frequent, Ceramicx continues to welcome in the continual change and innovation that has been our keynote all through this year.

At the beginning of July, for example, we opened our doors to host the board meeting of the new ICMR Technology Centre that was announced and launched by the Irish Industry Minister just a few weeks ago.

Joe  Foley, Factory Manager of Intel Ireland and chairman of ICMR board in  full flow of thanks to Jim Lawler of Enterprise Ireland (seated). Jim  retires this month - but is expected to stay abreast of the ICMR and its  forward activities.

Joe Foley, Factory Manager of Intel Ireland and chairman of ICMR board in full flow of thanks to Jim Lawler of Enterprise Ireland (seated). Jim retires this month - but is expected to stay abreast of the ICMR and its forward activities.

Managers and directors from some of Ireland’s largest manufacturers – Intel, Pfizer, EMC and officials from Enterprise Ireland and IDA – toured our plant and our expertise in infrared heating and then sat down with us around the Ceramicx boardroom table with more dialing in remotely. We discussed the fastest and most effective ways of rolling out best manufacturing practice and energy-efficient production through Ireland and we made plans to deliver those changes and benefits over the coming weeks and months.

It was a very good meeting; a coming together of company cultures, minds, and expertise – both technical and commercial. In every sense, our new technology centres are also tapping into the best traditions of Irish community and enterprise – referencing the successful traditions of meitheal and the ‘work done with neighbour’ – on which I have spoken before.

The new industrial agenda and the new tasks set out by the Minister are extremely challenging: There is no doubt that this is a tall order – and the road ahead is steep.

But at the same time – and make no mistake -  great opportunities are available to us if we succeed here – and we will. What is on offer is the prospect of boosting not just our energy-based technologies; but also our general manufacturing competences; our small manufacturing companies and our business culture generally.

These are key issues – and not just for Ireland. Manufacturing practice around the world is ever changing and, in every corner, must now also address the ecological and the social dimension. Cheapness in every sense is no longer an option. Becoming more competitive in these areas and in every means becoming world-class. This prospect means a lot of hard work, but the outcomes, however, will be more than rewarding.

It might seem a piece of common sense – but not that common, as the saying goes – to remember that achievements such as the new ICMR centre are created by people. In this case Jim Lawler of Enterprise Ireland had everything to do with this new work and with the great potential ahead.It was therefore our pleasure at the meeting to be able to help pay a small tribute to Jim’s vision, energy and networking expertise.

The truth is that manufacturing businesses in Ireland – from the largest to the smallest – are very well placed to tackle opportunities in these sunrise manufacturing industries; to network together and to learn from each other.

I hope to keep you updated with all the positives that emerge from this work in the coming months.

Posted in ceramicx, Infrared, Infrared Heater Manufacturer, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Experts, Irish Centre for Manufacturing Research | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The shock of the news

In each day there remains some aspect of our ongoing news diet that has the capacity – even in these hardened times – to shock us.

We know that most of the daily media feed is often not worth the trouble to digest. But now and then something – usually in the fields of science, technology, commerce or social studies – a real piece of information comes along; and we know that that the world is getting ready for a game changer.

Our own Ceramicx magazine HeatWorks – now preparing for its 4th edition – continues to fly the flag for the much misunderstood science and technology of infrared heating. HeatWorks Edition III is now signed off and posted – containing all our recent news and information.

We have pieces on the lively manufacturing scene here in West Cork Ireland, on the efficiency of ceramic-based technology, on new developments in product design; energy efficiency and many other aspects of Ceramicx business and the Infrared heating scene.

And, after the publication of each HeatWorks issue, Ceramicx is getting accustomed to a batch of new activity and new business dialogue.

I am pleased to report that every HeatWorks issue thus far has raised at least three new enquiries that have taken this company into pioneering science and technology territory.

You could call it the shock of the new, or the shock of the news. In simple terms, we dish some news out and we get some news back – from companies who can envision new horizons for their use of infrared and who need a partner to take them through a new horizon and the practical technology steps.

The fact is, despite its discovery over 100 years ago, the heat work science in infrared is still in its infancy. There is still a wealth of opportunity for us, our readers and our new clients yet to realise.

Despite this prospect, my point is that real news – and real change – is not always comfortable. It contains a ‘wake up’ element that is often a call to action. In business it often brings an invitation to explore new commercial ground. Such an invitation – away from the tried and tested comfort zone – always contains novelty and real risk.

At Ceramicx, however, we are delighted to continue to prime the pump and foster dialogue with HeatWorks magazine.

If you’re not on the HeatWorks circulation – just call us today to receive your copy. We look forward to hearing from you.

Posted in ceramicx, Heatworks, Infrared, Infrared Heater Manufacturer, infrared heaters, Infrared Heating, Infrared Heating Experts | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment