The conference is designed to help manufacturers make informed decisions around solutions that will improve the energy and environmental efficiencies in their business. The exhibition will run alongside the conference and provide manufacturers with the opportunity to meet suppliers of sustainable solutions.

The guest speakers will discuss how they have tackled rising energy and waste costs.

To find out more about the Envirolink ‘Cutting Energy Costs and Improving Waste Efficiency’ conference and to register, click here.

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Currently, the world’s biggest emitters already have targets to cut emissions; these targets are though in the main, voluntary.  The talks in Durban will see a legally-binding agreement reached by 2015, meaning that all countries will have to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Shaun Bainbridge, Director at CICS, says:
“It was only a matter of time before all countries had to commit to cutting greenhouse gases.  The clients we work with are already buying into the fact that cutting emissions not only limits environmental impact, it also helps them to reduce costs and enhances their green credentials.  We look forward to seeing what legal framework comes into place and how this will affect future carbon trading globally.”

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Although Hydroxyapatite has been widely used in the medical sector, it has had limited applications because of its fixed chemistry.  Ceram’s innovative technology has allowed different species, such as zinc and sulphate, to be substituted in conjunction into the HA crystal. The possibilities for this technology are endless; from the development of coatings which are both antimicrobial and osteo-promotive to bone cements that can have both a heightened bioactivity and modified structural characteristics (be that toughness, solubility, porosity or surface charge).

Ceram has filed for IP and is currently looking for biologics, medical devices and dental manufacturers to work with to develop bespoke HA based materials for bespoke applications. Ceram would also welcome additional collaboration with research institutes and academia to explore the new series of HA-based materials to find new applications.

» Further Information

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Dr. Xiang Zhang, Principal Consultant, Medical Materials and Devices, is one of the main speakers at the conference.  He will talk about the new glass-ceramic controlled release technologies (CRT) that Ceram is working on for pharmaceutical applications, including the advantages of inorganic CRT compared to organic polymeric systems.

Dr. Zhang said:
“As the interest in inorganic, as opposed to polymeric organic, drug carriers grows, Ceram has developed three novel delivery-based systems:  bioceramic, water glass and micro sol-gel ceramic, all with specific controlled release rates.  Compared to traditional polymeric systems, glasses and ceramics show a more sustainable and reproducible control of the drug release over an extended period of time. They also have the simplest drug release mechanisms, i.e. through molecular dissolving and/or diffusion rather than breaking covalent chemical bonds as in the polymer systems.

“We are looking to form partnerships with leading pharmaceutical manufacturers and drug developers who are looking for new technologies that are time-/site-specific, biocompatible and bioactive for topical, oral and intravenous administration of controlled release drugs.”

» Further information

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This year’s event combined an exhibition from ceramics manufacturers and suppliers and a conference, the focus of which was sustainability.

Ceram’s CEO, Tony Kinsella and Technical Consultant, Yvonne McGillycuddy gave a presentation on Water Footprinting, looking at water scarcity and how this may impact future legislation and profitability.

Further information about Ceramics 2011 can be found here.

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The project will enable Ceram to build a kiln to scale up its testing from the laboratory to a commercial level. If the new technology is subsequently proven, it could help ceramics manufacturers to cut their energy consumption, something that the energy-intensive industry is crying out for.

The innovative technology was developed following a direct call from the ceramics industry for help to reduce its high energy costs, something which puts it at a distinct disadvantage compared to overseas competitors whose energy costs are markedly lower. Government too recognises the importance of developing technologies that can reduce energy usage in energy-intensive industries, hence the success of Ceram’s bid.

Tony Kinsella, CEO at Ceram, said:
“This is fantastic news, not just for Ceram, but for the ceramics industry and the local area. The funding will allow us to fully test the new technology at an industrial scale and, if successful, will mean that ceramics manufacturers can cut their energy costs by a possible 25%, allowing them to compete more effectively in the global market.  We’ve estimated that, in the Stoke-on-Trent area alone, the industry could cut energy costs by £2 million, resulting in hundreds of new jobs locally.

“An added bonus is, of course, that lower energy usage results in a reduced carbon footprint, something which now forms part of most organisations’ sustainability strategies and which consumers are increasingly demanding.”

It is anticipated that the new technology will also allow novel materials to be sintered, enabling new products to be brought to market, especially in those sectors that use technical ceramics, such as the fast-growing healthcare sector.

Ceram’s bid received great support from Stoke-on-Trent City Council, local MPs, in particular, Tristram Hunt MP, the Ceramic Development Group and ceramic manufacturers in the region. In order to ensure successful completion of the project, more funding is currently being sought from both the European Regional Development Fund and ceramics manufacturers.

Tony Kinsella said:
“Winning this award has been a superb exemplar of what can be done when industry, a technology business such as Ceram, local government and the Local Enterprise Partnership engage with Government. It proves that the heart of the ceramics ware industry, Stoke-on-Trent, is very much alive and a thriving place to do business.“Thanks must go in particular to Stoke City Council which, through its Economic Development team, has been committed to working with industry to create wealth through employment, and the British Ceramics Confederation which has kept the industry at the forefront of Government’s mind.”

Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“We need to be doing all we can to enable businesses and organisations to create much needed jobs and inject private investment into the economy.

“We have announced today that a further 162 projects will benefit from the fund, and expect to deliver a huge number of jobs across their businesses and in the supply chain.

“This is a very significant boost to local communities, and the Regional Growth Fund will help businesses like Ceram to drive local growth.”

The development of the new technology forms part of Ceram’s commitment to innovation and sustainability, helping their clients to develop innovative products, processes and technologies in order to reduce the use of resources, cut energy costs, enhance their green credentials, limit their impact on the environment, with the end result of adding to their bottom line.  Recent innovation projects include the development of novel materials for drug delivery for the pharmaceutical industry and of new materials for orthopaedic applications.

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The forum is the largest conference in the brick manufacturing industry and was attended by 400 delegates from around the world, including the USA, UK, Canada, Columbia and Germany.

The presentation reviewed the recently completed UK Brick Industry Carbon and Water Footprinting projects. The Carbon Footprinting project was undertaken with the Brick Development Agency and the Water Footprints were carried out at 12 of the UK brickworks, including all four of the main manufacturers. The Carbon Footprint generated has been adopted as an industry “norm”, with many of the manufacturers benchmarking their own operations and carbon reduction targets against this Footprint.

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The MAST STC research programme aims to develop novel structural and functional materials to deliver solutions to defence challenges in both the medium- and the long-term.

Ceram’s materials experts have worked on many projects for the defence sector, particularly in the area of developing light-weight yet toughened ceramics.  As a member of MAST STC, the team has already been able to submit collaborative bids with BAE Systems and other companies, as well as on their own behalf, through the Centre for Defence Enterprise (CDE), part of Dstl.

Commenting on the announcement, John Cotton, Business Development Manager, Aerospace and Defence at Ceram, said:
“We are delighted to have been accepted as members of MAST STC. This association not only allows us to access potential funding for materials projects, it also allows us to work more closely with companies in the defence sector to help them develop new materials, applications, products and technologies.”

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The winner will be announced at the dinner, on 3 November at the Holiday Inn, Birmingham City Centre, which follows Medilink’s Medical Technology Confer.

Further details can be found on their website.

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The collaboration, which will see both parties benefiting from new industrial and commercial opportunities, will also enable clients of both organisations to access an increased range of technology expertise and analytical capabilities.  Furthermore, the partnership will enable Ceram and CRANN to work together on innovative research projects, particularly in the sectors of healthcare, medical devices and electronics.

The signing of the MOU is another step forward for Ceram in its goal to forge strong links with the best in academia.  Ceram is already working closely with Professor Ruth Cameron at Cambridge University to develop nano polymer ceramics and with Professor Edmund Linfield at Leeds University to develop novel transdermal drug delivery systems.

Tony Kinsella, CEO at Ceram, says:
“We are extremely pleased to sign this MoU with such a respected research institute.  I am sure that the collaboration will lead to some exciting opportunities for us both and that our clients will benefit from the pooling of our extensive knowledge and our high-tech research facilities.  Ceram is always looking to be at the forefront of innovation; collaboration, relationships and partnerships is the key to constantly moving forward.”

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