Ceratec and ESK Extend Their Business Relationship

At the end of 2008, the two partners signed a contract focusing on intensifying joint development projects and the small-series production of metal-ceramic hybrid parts for the pump industry.

Ceratec is an innovative and specialist manufacturer of prototypes and precision technical ceramic products. Its chief strength lies in problem analysis and the development and production of prototypes and small up to medium series.

Ceratec has confidence in ESK s advanced technical ceramics. ESK is the leader in the ceramic world and produces high-quality ceramic components, powders and engineered surfaces. The cooperation covers ESK s wide range of EKasic silicon carbide products as well as structural parts from TETRABOR boron carbide or EKasin silicon nitride. All these ceramics from ESK are included in the package of joint activities and permit a wide range of developments. The cooperation already has a long and successful track record: for example, with the joint development of cartridge units in different geometries with the market leading EKasic G material for a wide range of applications, which have now been successfully launched as series products.

Sven Schweizer, senior sales manager of Fluid Handling at ESK, points out that, "the extended cooperation will offer our customers additional advantages. Ceratec s strengths lie in prototyping and metal-ceramic hybrids. Besides offering materials and applications expertise for the seal and pump industries, ESK is also a cost-effective manufacturer of medium and large series."

Kees A. Visser, managing director of Ceratec Technical Ceramics BV, is confident that the twenty years of successful cooperation clearly demonstrate that there are further new applications to be opened up in the pump industry. Ceratec Technical Ceramics cartridge concept has already become an established market success.

About Ceratec Technical Ceramics BV

Ceramic materials offer unprecedented possibilities for many industries, especially when products and components with extreme material properties are required. Ceratec Technical Ceramics BV has specialised in industrial technical ceramic components since 1983. Ceratec s strength lies in the complete formula of problem analysis, development, prototyping and production. Ceratec has played a key role in applying technical ceramics in many ways. Ceratec develops and manufactures technical ceramic products for customer-specified applications. The pump industry is an important market. Examples are sliding and ball bearings, seals, wear rings and pump casings. Our goal is to put the often extreme properties of technical ceramics to their best use. Ceratec Technical Ceramics headquartered in Geldermalsen and an additional office on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

About ESK Ceramics GmbH & Co. KG

ESK Ceramics GmbH & Co. KG is one of the world s leading manufacturers of advanced ceramic products and materials for industrial applications, and a specialist in the field of nickel dispersion coatings. Our extensive range of materials comprises borides, carbides and nitrides, for example boron carbide, boron nitride, silicon carbide, silicon nitride or titanium diboride. ESK s product portfolio includes 18 registered trademarks and 10 specialized materials used by customers from over 30 industries around the world. Furthermore, ESK is continually developing new applications for ceramic materials in cooperation with customers and research institutes. The company was founded in 1922 and now employs over 700 people at its headquarters in Kempten (Allgäu/South Germany) and its subsidiary in Bazet (France). Since 2004, ESK has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Ceradyne Inc., which is based in Costa Mesa, California (USA) and publicly listed on the US NASDAQ technology stock exchange. Ceradyne has over 2,350 employees at a total of 14 sites worldwide. Its sales in 2008 reached USD 680 million. As globally successful manufacturers of technical high-performance ceramics, Ceradyne and ESK are ideal partners, unleashing synergies to the benefit of customers.