Studies show way ahead in ceramics
A
CERAM product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Dec 23, 2005
Crucial actions need to be taken by the UK ceramics industry to help secure future growth.
Ceram, the internationally renowned centre for materials and technology, based in Stoke-on-Trent, has recently identified some crucial actions that need to be taken by the UK ceramics industry to help secure future growth.
By undertaking its Technology Foresight exercise, which has involved detailed research with its member companies, Ceram has identified the future needs specific to each of the ceramics industry sectors it serves, and has drawn up a series of reports and roadmaps to focus the needs, missions and goals of each sector to efficient and timely resource investment.
The studies, which cover tableware, sanitaryware, tiles, building technology and high performance refractory ceramics, are industry based, and represent the industry's collective voice to local, regional and national Government organisations, and are influential in both policy making and evaluation of funding requests.
The Technology Foresight exercise has resulted in a clear picture of the business drivers and enabling factors for the ceramics industry over the next 10 to 15 years.
In the key areas of competitiveness, markets and operating environment, issues associated with responsiveness to changing customer tastes, globalisation of the marketplace, and ensuring customer satisfaction through improvements in quality were identified as key challenges for the industry.
Political and legislative issues associated with environmental protection, and the development and maintenance of a skilled workforce were also identified as key challenges through the studies.
In the building technology study a strong swing towards energy saving technologies was identified which is wholly consistent with the current pressures in this area through taxation.
Ceram first conducted this exercise in 1996, and updated that survey in 2000 and both these reports have been influential in securing UK and EU funding for industrial projects with a value of over GBP 5 million.
Dr Neil Sanderson of Ceram commented: "The Technology Foresight reports have been of great assistance to the Ceramics industry in the past in the development of strategies and action plans to address the changing market, and economic and technological environments within which it operates".
"We hope the recently published studies will prove as beneficial in the future".
Not what you're looking for? Search the site.
Contact CERAM
Tel +44 1782 764444
Other CERAM stories
-
Ceram to host materials analysis event
Ceram has announced its forthcoming 'Materials Analysis and Consultancy in the Healthcare Sector' event. -
Ceram tests extended to glass and petrochemicals
Ceram has introduced a range of UKAS-accredited ASTM standard test methods to complement its currently accredited ISO and CEN standard test methods. -
Microstructural test results go online
Ceram is now able to add remote Internet viewing to the list of benefits and services it can offer to customers of its microstructural section. -
Modelling service keeps furnaces up to scratch
Ceram is offering computational modelling design services to help firms within the glass manufacturing industry ensure that their furnaces are up to scratch when it comes to performance.
Browse by category
-
Capital Equipment (3,423)
- Capital Equipment (1)
- Compressors and Air Treatment (519)
- Electrical hardware (131)
- Electronics Manufacturing, Tools, Instruments (192)
- Machinery and Production Equipment (1,106)
- Manufacturing Machinery and Plant Equipment (468)
- Production line blowers and fans (65)
- Robotics, Handling and Storage (941)
- Consultancy and Services (909)
-
Control and Instrumentation (5,068)
- Cabling, Conduit, Signal Conditioning (807)
- CNC and Motion Controllers (187)
- Control and Instrumentation (2)
- HMIs/Operator Interfaces (295)
- Logic Controllers, Timers and Relays (96)
- Mid-range and Large PLCs (202)
- Plant- and Machine-Wide Communications (1,185)
- Plantwide control (1,337)
- Power Supplies, Uninterruptible Power (569)
- Smaller-Sized PLCs (388)
-
Drives, Motors and Controls (3,398)
- Drives, Motors and Controls (1)
- Industrial Drives/Controls (1,285)
- Industrial Motors (500)
- Linear Drives and Motors (115)
- Precision Motors and Gears (420)
- Stepper and Servo Drives, Motors, Controls (1,075)
-
Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (4,212)
- Batteries, chargers and circuit protection (558)
- Connectors, Terminals, Busbars, Slip Rings (695)
- Electrical and Electronic Components (636)
- Electrical and Electronic Equipment Design (1)
- Electrical and Electronic Subassemblies (371)
- Enclosures and Equipment Cooling Fans (713)
- Knobs, Handles and Enclosure Hardware (426)
- PCs and Embedded Systems (812)
-
Engineering Design Software (6,236)
- 2D CAD software (201)
- 3D CAD software (1,162)
- CAM, CNC, production management software (572)
- Data, document management software (313)
- Electrical design software (165)
- Engineering Design Software (15)
- FEA and structural analysis software (374)
- File conversion software, data capture (355)
- Fluid, thermal, noise, vibration software (334)
- Materials design and moulding design software (152)
- Maths, charting, statistics, QA software (319)
- PLM and collaboration software (652)
- Process, instrumentation, automation software (261)
- Publishing and documentation software (232)
- Rendering, visualisation, styling software (201)
- Simulation, modelling, validation software (928)
-
Engineering Industry News, Resources (6,145)
- Electronic Resources for Engineers (278)
- Engineering Business News, Views (388)
- Engineering Conferences (433)
- Engineering Education, Resources, Standards (845)
- Engineering Exhibitions, Events (568)
- Engineering Guides, Newsletters (357)
- Engineering Industry Developments, Awards (636)
- Engineering Industry News, Resources (4)
- Engineering Industry Reports, Surveys (597)
- Engineering Recruitment, Employment (219)
- Engineering Seminars (405)
- Engineering Training Courses (443)
- Health and Safety Consultancy, Software (176)
- Health and Safety Events, Training, News (280)
- Health and Safety Legislation (402)
- Health and Safety Strategy, Risk Assessment (114)
- Machine Building (4,568)
-
Materials and Processing (2,994)
- Materials and components (2,237)
- Materials and Processing (5)
- Materials processing and testing (288)
- Rapid Prototyping (464)
-
Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (5,543)
- Data Acquisition Hardware and PC I/O Boards (479)
- Data acquisition Software and Communications (498)
- Data loggers (423)
- Electrical and Electronic Testing, PAT Equipment (636)
- Form/co-ordinate, optical, vision instruments (736)
- Gauges, Indicators and Instruments (445)
- Materials testing equipment (420)
- Monitoring, Measurement and Quality (1)
- Telecomms/network test equipment, software etc (156)
- Testing and Calibration Services and Information (510)
- Testing, analysing and monitoring equipment (1,239)
-
Powertrain Design (3,652)
- Bearings (960)
- Chains and belts (329)
- Gears, brakes, couplings and engines (1,456)
- Hydraulic Components (473)
- Lubricants (431)
- Powertrain Design (2)
-
Sensors (7,150)
- Accelerometers and Vibration Sensors (434)
- Barcode Sensors (103)
- Flowmeters and Flow Sensors (622)
- Gas, Chemical, Radiation, Magnetic Sensors (286)
- Humidity and Environmental Sensors (155)
- Level Sensors and Leak Detectors (529)
- Linear Position Sensors (408)
- Loadcells, Force Sensors, Torque Sensors (712)
- Pressure sensors (625)
- Proximity Sensors (708)
- Rotary Position, Tilt and Angular Sensors (551)
- Sensors (8)
- Temperature sensors (613)
- Vision and Colour Sensors (1,396)
- Small Mechanical Components, Joining, Tools (1,989)
- Valves, Pumps, Process Hardware (3,661)
