Appliance Design articles from April 2009

Appliance Design archives from April 2009

Opportunity knocks.(PUBLISHER'S MESSAGE)(BNP Media)(Column)
April 1, 2009... Everybody relishes those rare occasions when a new and wonderful opportunity suddenly presents itself, where a door unexpectedly opens. And, if we re ready for it, we leap at the chance to take advantage of the moment. Recently, I did just...

Forecasts.(Statistical table)
April 1, 2009... DVD PLAYERS/RECORDERS--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2008 2009 2010 1 3,664.1 3,441.9 3,678.9 2 4,858.2 4,770.7 5,123.8 3 5,777.2 5,985.2 6,278.4 4 9,495.9 9,923.2...

Shipments.(Statistical table)
April 1, 2009... SHIPMENTS Product Jan. '09 Jan. '08 % Chg 1 Mos. '09 MAJOR APPLIANCES (Thousands of units) TOTAL 4,010.4 5,289.5 -24.2% 4,010.4 Cooking-Total 1,162.6 ...

Consumers crave efficiency.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... More than 8 out of l0 consumers say that energy efficiency is the most important feature for them when it comes to home appliances, and nearly three quarters say they actively look for the Energy Star label when making purchasing decisions,...

Climate change resolutions.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers has released two statements regarding its position on refrigerants and the environment. In a new position document, ASHRAE outlines its support for research,...

Enerlogic enlarged.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Manitowoc Foodservice, Manitowoc, Wis., has folded its energy conservation program, EnergyMizer, into the EnerLogic software program that was developed by Enodis. Manitowoc acquired Enodis in 2008. The EnergyMizer program recognized third-party...

Motors rebranded.(NEWS WATCH)(Regal-Beloit Corp. renamed as Genteq)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Regal Beloit, Beloit, Wis., has renamed its GE ECM, GE Commercial Motors, and GE Capacitors businesses to Genteq. When Regal Beloit acquired GE's commercial and HVAC/R Motors and Capacitors businesses in 2004, it acquired the fights to use the...

Monitoring diseases.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Providers of personal health technologies such as health-monitoring devices and personal health recordkeeping can generate more than $460 million in revenue in 2013 by targeting the disease management industry, according to a new report from...

Die casting returns.(NEWS WATCH)(Survey)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... In a recent survey of U.S. die casters, 78 percent reported that during the last two quarters they have seen orders placed in the U.S. for die-cast parts that previously had been made overseas. According to the survey, die-cast components are...

Under one roof.(NEWS WATCH)(BSH Huishoudapparaten B.V.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... All activities in the Netherlands of the home appliance brands Bosch, Siemens, Neff, and Gaggenau, and their customer services organizations, have been consolidated under one banner, BSH Huishoudapparaten B.V. As part of the consolidation, a...

Panasonic in Europe.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Japan-based Panasonic is making a push to sell clothes washers and refrigerators in Europe and aims to double it appliance sales in that market in the next five years. Panasonic is hoping its energy-efficient appliances will appeal to...

Elba brand launched.(NEWS WATCH)(Fisher and Paykel Appliances Ltd.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... In a move to expand its reach in the North American market, New Zealand-based Fisher & Paykel Appliances plans to launch a brand of home appliances at Sears outlet stores beginning in April. The Elba by Fisher & Paykel brand will offer a range...

CHP, utility agreement.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Disenco Energy, Sheffield, UK, manufacturers of the HomePowerPlant (HPP) micro-combined heat and power (mCHP) appliance, has entered into an agreement with National Grid, Westborough, Mass., to demonstrate the mCHP product to its customers in...

Analog gets smart.(NEWS WATCH)(Analog Devices Inc. acquired Domosys Corp.)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... Analog Devices, Norwood, Mass., has acquired the PowerBUS RHINO powerline communications technology and all related patents, hardware, and software from Domosys Corp., Quebec City, Canada. This energy-metering technology can be used for...

U.K. gets CHP.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Ceramic Fuel Cells (Europe) Limited, a subsidiary of Ceramic Fuel Cells Limited, a fuel cell development company, and E.ON, have extended their exclusive agreement to further develop and deploy fuel cell micro combined heat and power (mCHP)...

Aging in place.(NEWS WATCH)(University of Missouri using sensors and communication systems to monitor the health of older adults )(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... University of Missouri researchers are using sensors, computers, and communication systems to monitor the health of older adults who are living at home. As part of the university's "aging in place" research, integrated sensor networks were...

Charcoal heaters.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Researchers in Japan are developing an improved biomass charcoal combustion heater that can help heat homes and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Using waste biomass charcoal, the heater recorded a thermal efficiency of 60 to 81 percent,...

Smart meters grow.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... The number of U.S. households with a smart meter will grow to more than six million by 2012, according to the research firm Parks Associates, Dallas. According to the Residential Energy Management: Opportunities for Digital Systems and Services...

Magnetic cooling.(NEWS WATCH)
April 1, 2009... Researchers have developed an alloy that will permit magnetic cooling, which may eventually replace gas-compression systems in home refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Researchers from NIST, the Beijing University of Technology,...

Alternative refrigerants attract attention: environmental issues driving change again.(COOLING TECHNOLOGIES)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The vast majority of refrigeration and air-conditioning systems, both residential and commercial, rely on vapor compression systems to remove heat. For decades, ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbuns (CFC) were the...

Compact compressor: small DC device enables innovative cooling designs.(COOLING TECHNOLOGIES)
April 1, 2009... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Refrigeration compressors powered by direct current (DC) electrical energy have traditionally been relegated to mobile refrigeration systems, where batteries or vehicle alternators are the source of power. The number of...

Designed to dry: desiccants take a load off air conditioning.(COOLING TECHNOLOGIES)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It's not the heat, it's the humidity. That line is often heard in some places to explain the discomfort of a tropic-like summer day. But it also explains the heavy load on an air conditioning system in those same...

Cutting cooling costs: ECM motors boost efficiency in commercial refrigeration.(MOTORS)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Increasing energy prices, tighter energy efficiency legislation, and interest in energy conservation have created a strong demand for efficient refrigerated appliances. In response, suppliers have started to offer a...

Translating texture: nanoscale process copies real-world textures.(DECORATION)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Imagine being able to recreate the texture of fine silk on a metal surface. It sounds impossible, but the capability exists now. Silk, or virtually any other texture, can be recreated on metal foil with such accuracy...

NewAge industries.(FLUID HANDLING)(Brief article)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Medical-grade silicone tubing and hose is designed for applications such as medical devices, dialysis machinery, food and beverage uses, pharmaceutical processing, laboratories, surgical drains, peristaltic pumps,...

Gems sensors & controls.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The FT-330 turbine flow sensor was designed specifically for drinking water and beverage dispensing applications. The device is a highly accurate and compact flow switch developed for OEMs that require NSF approved...

Watson-Marlow.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 313D peristaltic pumphead was designed for sanitary food and beverage metering and processing applications, including milkshake flavoring. The 313D offers flow ranges of 0.25 ml/min to 3,000 ml/min and pressures...

KNF Neuberger.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The FMM20 pump is a solenoid-driven diaphragm pump that has been designed to dispense an accurate volume of 20 ul per stroke. The volume can be adjusted between approximately 5 ul and 25 ul, allowing the pump to be...

ASCO.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 8220 Series solenoid valve is a high flow, extended-life valve designed for steam and hot water applications. The valve delivers flow rates up to 60 percent greater than competitive offerings, allowing higher...

Moyno.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 500 Series 200 motorized pumps are general utility, progressing cavity pumps designed to provide cost-effective performance and long life in a variety of material transfer and metering applications. They are...

Trelleborg sealing solutions.(FLUID HANDLING)
April 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The Turcon Roto VL Seal has a compact design that makes it ideal for specification in dynamic applications where there is limited space or for placement into standard O-ring grooves. It is primarily intended for...

The case against regulation.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: CEA)
April 1, 2009... For nearly 35 years, the California Energy Commission (CEC) has been a pioneer in the promotion of energy efficiency, but in a dramatic departure from its prior successful efforts, the CEC is now considering adoption of a well-meaning, but...