Alfred University hosts AACCM Fall Meeting
Alfred University hosted the fall meeting of the Association of American Ceramic Component Manufacturers (AACCM) on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 13-14. Approximately 20 AACCM members attended the event, which included presentations by several facility from Alfred University’s Inamori School of Engineering, and tours of the Inamori School’s McMahon Engineering building and local ceramics manufacturing businesses.
AACCM was founded in 1992 and is made up of member companies, all of which manufacture ceramic components from ceramic powders in the United States. The Associations’ mission is “to expand the market for manufactured ceramic components by enhancing the processes and product quality; and by increasing public and industry education and awareness of ceramic applications.”
The meeting was organized by David Gottfried, deputy director Alfred University’s Center for Advanced Ceramic Technology (CACT) and Laurie Graziano, CACT office assistant. It opened with dinner Wednesday evening at Barrelhouse 6 Distillery, located above Keuka Lake near Hammondsport. Alfred University alumni Kara Mackey ’88 (B.S., ceramic engineering) and Joe Sorentino ’83 (B.A., management) own Barrelhouse 6.
Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering at Alfred University (right), and Mark Mecklenborg, executive director of the American Ceramic Society (ACerS), at the fall dinner meeting of the Association of American Ceramic Component Manufacturers. The dinner was held at Barrelhouse 6, the Hammondsport, NY, distillery owned by Alfred University alumni Kara Mackey ’88 and Joe Sorentino ’83.
American Ceramic Society (ACerS) leadership, including Executive Director Mark Mecklenborg, was represented at the meeting. On Thursday, attendees participated in a day-long program, which commenced with the Association’s business meeting. Alfred University alumnus Jeffrey Brundage ’76 (B.S., ceramic engineering) was elected AACCM president.
Steven Tidrow, Inamori Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, Gabrielle Gaustad ’04, dean of the Inamori School of Engineering, Scott Misture ’90, PhD ’94, Inamori Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, and Collin Wilkinson, assistant professor of glass science engineering, each gave talks to the group.
Tidrow spoke on enhancements of dielectric properties of advanced energy storage materials; Gaustad gave an overview of Alfred University’s research priorities; Misture gave a talk on hypersonic materials and electrochemical research; and Wilkinson spoke on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation glass recycling project and materials discovery.
A tour of the McMahon Engineering Building gave attendees a close look at the newly-opened Ceramic Research, Education and Technology Enterprise (CREATE) Center, located on the building’s fully renovated and remodeled first floor. The Center focuses on the development of novel materials and scalable processes in the areas of additive manufacturing/3-D printing, high-temperature processing, and ceramic machining/finishing. Construction began in summer 2021 and was supported by $7.75 million grant from the State University of New York, administered by the SUNY Construction Fund.
Two Alfred Station businesses—ASK Chemicals and Lambda Advanced Materials—offered tours to attendees. ASK Chemicals manufactures custom ceramic filters. Lambda—co-founded by Sorrentino and Brundage— is a developer of new processes, using a range of technologies, for producing a variety of advanced ceramic materials which will in turn be supplied to a diversified technology marketplace.