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Ecka fined €6.4m for price fixing
Ecka fined €6.4m for price fixing The world’s largest copper powder producer, Ecka Granulate, has been fined €6.4 million for taking part in a cartel that fixed the price of magnesium granulate and calcium carbide powder across a substantial part of the European Union between 2004 and 2007. Levying penalties totalling more than € 61 million on nine companies Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, said: “Industrial customers all over Europe suffered from this cartel for several years. The Commission will not tolerate such economic damage to Europe’s industrial base.” Akzo Nobel, the company that blew the whistle to the authorities, received full immunity from fines totalling €17.4 million. The members of the carbide cartel organised meetings to fix prices, coordinate behaviour and exchange anticompetitive information. The members of the magnesium cartel used the carbide model, including the use of a market-sharing table that was known as “The Bible”. The combined markets for calcium carbide and magnesium granulate powders in the European Economic Area are estimated to be worth €175 million annually. www.ecka-granules.com http://europa.eu
Top paper prize for Hoeganaes
During the Awards Recognition Luncheon at PowderMet 2009 in Las Vegas, the first Howard I Sanderow Outstanding Technical Paper Award was presented to Chris Schade, Tom Murphy, Alan Lawley, and Roger Doherty for their 2008 World Congress submission, “Development of a Dual-Phase Precipitation-Hardening PM Stainless Steel.” Pictured above with MPIF Executive Director/CEO Jim Trombino are Chris Schade (centre) and Alan Lawley. Messrs Murphy and Doherty were not present. www.hoeganaes.com
Elnik cooks up furnace feast in Leipzig MIM German injection moulder Hock Sachsen GmbH has opened a new metal injection moulding (MIM) facility, located in Schwarzenberg, near Leipzig, Germany, equipped with four furnaces and three catalytic ovens supplied by Elnik Systems of New Jersey, USA. Hock Sachsen GmbH started to produce MIM parts in 1997 under the direction of Dr Frank Weber and, said Elnik Systems’ CEO Claus Joens. Elnik began supplying machines to Hock Sachsen in 2002.
metal-powder.net
September 2009 MPR
5
Top paper prize for Hoeganaes
During the Awards Recognition Luncheon at PowderMet 2009 in Las Vegas, the first Howard I Sanderow Outstanding Technical Paper Award was presented to Chris Schade, Tom Murphy, Alan Lawley, and Roger Doherty for their 2008 World Congress submission, “Development of a Dual-Phase Precipitation-Hardening PM Stainless Steel.” Pictured above with MPIF Executive Director/CEO Jim Trombino are Chris Schade (centre) and Alan Lawley. Messrs Murphy and Doherty were not present. www.hoeganaes.com
Elnik cooks up furnace feast in Leipzig MIM German injection moulder Hock Sachsen GmbH has opened a new metal injection moulding (MIM) facility, located in Schwarzenberg, near Leipzig, Germany, equipped with four furnaces and three catalytic ovens supplied by Elnik Systems of New Jersey, USA. Hock Sachsen GmbH started to produce MIM parts in 1997 under the direction of Dr Frank Weber and, said Elnik Systems’ CEO Claus Joens. Elnik began supplying machines to Hock Sachsen in 2002.
metal-powder.net
September 2009 MPR
5