Appliance Design articles from December 2006

Appliance Design archives from December 2006

Personalization paradox.(Editorial)
December 1, 2006... The news from Suriname today is about sea pirates attacking fishermen. You probably didn't read about it. At the same time, Suriname is involved in a bitter dispute with Jamaica over butter. You probably didn't read about that either. That's...

Shipments.(Statistical table)
December 1, 2006... SHIPMENTS Product Sept. '06 Sept. '05 % Chg. MAJORS--TOTAL 6,872,700 7,204,400 -4.6% CLEANUP--TOTAL 1,399,100 1,548,700 -9.7% Compactors ...

Forecasts.(Statistical table)
December 1, 2006... MAJOR HOME APPLIANCES--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2005 2006 2007 1 18,708.7 21,403.7 21,136.0 2 22,752.4 22,593.8 2,395.6 3 19,243.8 18,961.8 19,500.3 4 18,409.7...

DOE efficiency proposal fires up debate.(NEWS WATCH)(Department of Energy)
December 1, 2006... The U.S. Department of Energy has proposed increased efficiency standards for gas furnaces and provided a "roadmap" for states that would allow them to petition for exemptions to the standard. The proposed rule making change also calls for...

EU targets energy cuts.(NEWS WATCH)(European Union)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Home appliances sold in Europe will be facing new energy efficiency standards in the next few years as part of the European Union's six-year plan to cut its energy use by 14 percent by 2020. The EU's announcement in Brussels, Belgium, also...

Small appliance shakeup.(Applica Inc. deal with Nacco Industries)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Applica, Inc., Miramar, Fla., backed out of a merger deal with Nacco Industries, Cleveland, and instead signed a takeover agreement with its largest shareholder, New York-based Harbinger Capital Partners. Under the agreement, Harbinber would...

Appliance facts.(2005 Home Appliance Industry Fact Book released)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) has released its 2005 Home Appliance Industry Fact Book, which aims to provide researchers and industry executives with a comprehensive statistical overview of the major home appliance...

Electrolux changes execs.(NEWS WATCH)
December 1, 2006... Management changes have been made at Electrolux Major Appliances Europe, including naming Magnus Yngen to head the company, replacing Johan Bygge who will leave the company after a transition period. Yngen previously held the position as head...

USB rechargeable battery.(Moixa Energy rechargeable battery )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Moixa Energy, based in London, England, has launched a rechargeable battery that can accept a charge from any USB port without the need for any special recharging devices, cradles or cables. Flipping over a hinged lid atop the battery reveals a...

Rascally rabbit.(Violet introduced Smart Rabbit called Nabaztag)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Violet, a company based in Paris, has launched its first Smart Rabbit, called Nabaztag, into the U.S. market. Also known as the "Wi-Fi bunny." the 9 in. tall gadget communicates wirelessly with a person's computer to perform a variety of...

Robotic weed killer.(solar-powered robot used for weed kill)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A solar-powered robot that can identify a weed and kill it has been developed by researchers at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana. The robot uses GPS for navigation and two cameras to give the robot depth perception. An on-board...

Chinese appliance market.(household appliances demand in china)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Demand for major household appliances in China is projected to increase 4.5 percent annually through 2010 to 138 million units and outpace growth in most other parts of the world, according to Household Appliances in China, a new study from the...

Airblade dries hands.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Dyson UK has introduced the Airblade, a hand dryer that uses "blades" of 400 MPH air to drive water off the user's hands, instead of the conventional method of using slow-moving heated air to evaporate water off hands. A hand is put into the...

Wristwatch ID's callers.(Caller ID wristwatch from Fossil Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Fossil Inc. of Richardson, Texas, has developed a Caller ID wristwatch that will notify wearers when the phone rings and when a text message is received with a slight vibration and an icon. The watch uses Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications'...

Researching humidity control.(American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc.)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... New research from ASHRAE provides designers with an analysis of humidity control performance of a wide range of DX system configurations including sub cool reheat, wrap around heat pipes, dual-path systems, enthalpy heat recovery and desiccant...

Flares can disrupt GPS.(Global Positioning System)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Researchers at Cornell University believe that solar flares can disrupt GPS systems and warn that large solar flares scheduled for around 2011 could produce massive GPS outages on the dayside of the earth. Researcher Alessandro Cerruti made the...

Lithium-ion batteries drive mixer.(Bosch introduced Mixxo)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Bosch has launched the Mixxo handheld blender, which it says is the first kitchen appliance to use a lithium-ion battery. The system, which doesn't use a cord or plug, features less charging and recharging time, as it requires two hours of...

Lennox realigns execs.(appointment of Harry Bizios and Doug Young)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Lennox International of Dallas realigned its Heating & Cooling business segment leadership and internal reporting structure. Harry Bizios has been appointed president and COO, LII Commercial Heating & Cooling. Doug Young has been appointed...

Electrolux gets cooking.(Zanussi cookers)(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Electrolux will start producing Zanussi cookers at its factory in Spennymoor, England, after investing EUR 7 million in the facility, according to published reports. The factory will produce about 70,000 of the cookers next year. In September...

Near-field payments.(project on credit card payment near-field communication )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A near-field communication (NFC) payment system is being tested in a pilot project in Amsterdam. JCB, the global payment brand, launched the project along with the European-based companies CCV Holland B.V., Gemalto, KPN, Nokia, NXP...

All in the viewpoint.(Triple Directional Viewing LCD )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Sharp Corp. and Sharp Laboratories of Europe has developed the Triple Directional Viewing LCD that controls the viewing angle so that the display can show different images from the left, right and center simultaneously. Using a proprietary...

Sharp eyes new markets.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Because the Japanese appliance market has become saturated, Sharp Corp. is planning to start selling high-priced, high-performance home appliances in China and Russia, according to published reports. The appliances are now produced in Osaka,...

Ranking appliance makers.(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... A new report by Research and Markets, Dublin, Ireland, ranks the top 50 appliance manufacturers by sales volume. According to the Profiles of 50 Major Appliance Manufacturers Worldwide, the total production of the companies is worth almost EUR...

Very bright display.(PenTile RGBW technology )(Brief article)
December 1, 2006... Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. of Yokohama, Japan, is using PenTile RGBW technology developed by California based Clairvoyante to build high-resolution display panels that feature very bright displays and extended battery life for next-generation...

Whitney Blake Co.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The hi-flex coil cords for OEMs feature high quality conductor materials, strand counts, primary jacket compounds and shielding, the company says. The company's product line, which includes cable and cable assemblies, are designed for...

Tyco Electronics.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The 187 Series Ultra-Pod Fully Insulated Faston receptacles are used for single- and two-wire terminations. They are available in straight and flag (90 degree) configurations and are designed for one-step insulation and termination on...

STMicroelectronics.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The ACS102-6Tx and ACS108-6Sx Alternating Current Switches (ACS) control numerous AC loads. They are designed to drive pumps, fans, valves, relays, dispensers, door locks and micro-motors. The 600V rated switches are built with the company's...

Sharp Microelectronics.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The LQ035Q7DH06 display features a 3.5-inch Advanced-TFT LCD with integrated touch panel. The QVGA Transreflective module has a high bright panel with transreflective properties. It is able to display 262,144 colors, has 225 nits of brightness...

ExxonMobil Chemical.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The Santoprene thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV) B100 complies with U.S. FDA regulations for food contact and is dishwasher and microwave safe. The TPV is designed to adhere to engineering thermoplastics including acrylonitrile butadiene styrene,...

Sabaf.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... Two specially shaped fish-kettle burners work on the patented principles of the radial venturi and intake of primary air from above the appliance top surface. The burners come in two sizes, including the 2.9 kW normal fish-kettle burner and the...

Rotor Clip.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The spiral retaining rings are axially installed into machined grooves in housings/bores (internal) or on shafts (external) to retain assemblies. They provide 360 degrees of contact with the groove and offer more clearance than a tapered...

Renishaw.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The 13-bit magnetic sensors for rotary and angular positioning control provide 8,192 counts per revolution. The sensors are available in chip, chip-on-board, and ready-to-mount packaged versions. It is a solid state, noncontact system that...

Omron Electronic Components.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The G5LE-E series of power PCB relays can switch 16 amps at 250 VAC. Its "sugar cube" size and pin-out allows the relays to be dropped into existing PCB layouts. The relay's coils are available in 5, 12, and 24 VDC versions and consume 360mW of...

ND Industries.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The ND Hi-Temp Patch call withstand temperatures up to 500 DegF without compromise to its locking or sealing power, the company says. The patch uses mechanical force to create a more secure fastening lock that is resistant to vibration and...

MTS Sensors.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The Temposonics liquid-level C-Series Sensor is the smallest such sensor in the world, according to the company. Its electronics, including the company's specially designed ASICs, fit inside a 36 mm by 23 mm cylindrical package. The sensor's...

Microchip Technology.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The PIC18F4321 8-bit microcontroller provides two serial ports for expanded connectivity and a high-speed 13-channel, 10-bit analog-to-digital converter with auto acquisitioning. To reduce power consumption and prolong battery life, the...

Leland Powell Fasteners.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... Grip-Lite screws are designed for thin-sheet metal applications. The screws provide tight assembly with increased strip-out torque to improve joint strength, the company says. A radius point adds safety by eliminating a sharp point that can...

Johns Manville.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The Range Glas XG Insulation is a formaldehyde-free insulation product that can operate at hot-face temperatures of up to 1,000 DegF. It is white and lightweight, and the insulation's acrylic binder means that there is less smoke and odor...

I-C Haus.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The iC-ML is an integrated magnetic linear position sensor and encoder that is assembled in a space saving TSSOP20 package that measures 6.6 x 6.4 x 1.1 mm. The circuit contains four Hall sensors for the generation of analog sine-cosine signals...

Interface Solutions.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... Voltoid V-090 is a flame resistant electrical barrier material made from a blend of organic and inorganic fibers and specially formulated inorganic fillers bound in a proprietary latex matrix. It has a glow wire rating of 900 DegC and a flame...

GlobTek.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The GT-41060 series of 25W Wall Plug-In Power Supplies are RoHS and Energy Star Compliant and have interchangeable international blades. It outputs voltage from 5V to 24Vdc in 0.1V increments, up to 25W of continuous output power. Power...

Henkel.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... Loctite Speedbonder structural adhesives bond aluminum, steel, and galvanized metals to a variety of substrates. Seven new models were released, including: the H4720 that provides environmental resistance on a range of metals; H8000 that...

Freescale Semiconductor.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The ColdFire[R] V1 core 32-bit microcontroller is compatible with 8-bit devices and allows for migration between the architectures. Products based on the V1 core will use the same peripheral modules and development tools as products based on...

Etco.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The HT Alloy is an alternative to nickel-plated steel and beryllium alloys. It features high resistance to stress relaxation at up to 200 DegC and can be used for manufacturing a full range of standard and custom electrical terminals. The...

Advanced Polymer Alloys.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The DuraGrip TPE 6200 series is a melt-processible elastomer that has an unusually tactile and rubbery feel and a matte finish that can be used in tools, consumer products and other industrial applications. It is available in natural, black and...

Anderson Power Products.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The PowerMod HP B series of connectors features touch-safe female housings, integral positive latches and cable strain relief. It is rated at more than 350 amps for appropriate applications and up to 250 amps at a 30 DegC temperature rise. The...

Anomet Products.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The metallurgically bonded, precious metal clad products are functionally equivalent to solid platinum, gold, palladium, or silver. They are available as wire and rod from 0.002 in. to 0.125 in. OD and as ribbon up to 1 in., with 2 percent or...

Ansys.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The Fluent Connection 1.1 software helps streamline creation of simulation models based on design data from leading CAD packages. It does so by integrating core CAE technologies with independent design tools and with Fluent products such as...

Austriamicrosystems.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The AS1325 is a step up DC-DC converter with a fully integrated synchronous rectifier. With an efficiency of 96 percent, the AS1325 can be used for battery powered portable applications with the need for 3.3V or 5.0V supply voltage. It provides...

AZ Displays.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The AGM 1264F Graphic LCD series display now comes in alternative combinations of colors made possible by pairing an LCD panel of a certain color (silver, yellow-green blue or black) with either yellow-green or white LED backlight. The display...

Bias Power.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The BPS Series micro-size switching power supply is available in either 1/2-watt or 1-watt models and operates with nominal 75 percent efficiency. It measures 1 in. x 7/8 in. by 1/2 in. and meets Energy Star and other "green" 1-watt standby...

Blue Blade Steel.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The company's tempered steel process allows for selectively modifying the internal steel structure to produce materials with specialized performance characteristics. Pre-tempered materials for parts, wear plates, spring washers and brackets are...

Clariant Masterbatches.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... A new environmentally friendly family of CESA[R]-flam flame-retardant masterbatches has been developed specifically for polyamides, polyesters and thermoplastic urethanes. The masterbatches achieve flame-retardant properties through...

C&M.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... A cable has been designed for potable water applications, specifically for use in community drinking water storage containers. The cable is flexible, which is achieved through the use of a waterproof thermoplastic rubber jacketing material, as...

Continental Fan Manufacturing.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The XR Motorized Impeller is a precision balanced air-moving device that is designed for use where space is limited. It combines backward curved airfoil impeller with an external rotor motor for air performance and reduced sound levels. It can...

Dirak.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The SNAP-LINE mini compression latch uses an open and close indicator and incorporates D-SNAP technology. Installation requires no screws, nuts, or tools. By turning the cam 90 degrees, the latch aligns the cam behind the frame. Then, with a...

Dormont Mfg.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The Safety Shield High Btu Flexible Gas Connectors is designed for large demand appliances such as tankless water heaters. It has a 3/4 in. ID and delivers a minimum of 290,000 Btu/H natural gas in a 24 in. length. It is also available in 36...

Electro-Mech Components.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The model SW44473 LED push-but-ton switch features a bi-color LED light source within a durable Fresnel lens button. It features SPST alternate action functionality (1 N.O. circuit) and a built-in resistor for operation at specific voltages....

Kingbright.(NEW PRODUCTS)
December 1, 2006... The 0.4 mm low profile 0805 Bi-Color SMD LED is designed with two ultra bright LED chips with viewing angles of 120 degrees, forming various color combinations and color blends. With the various chip selections, design engineers can achieve...

American Zettler, Inc.(DESIGN MART)
December 1, 2006... The latest addition to American Zettler's automotive relay line is the dual AZ9891H series. Features include: 25 Amp switching capability, shock resistant, designed for power windows, door locks. wiper motors, cost effective and epoxy sealed...

Orbitform.(DESIGN MART)
December 1, 2006... Finally, an affordable entry into Robotic Welding! Marathon's new "personal weld cell" is the answer to repetitious manual applications, The Mini-Z can deliver the same punch as the bigger cells--at a fraction of the cost! The Mini-Z is a...

Tesa Tape, Inc.(DESIGN MART)
December 1, 2006... Tesa manufactures a variety of products perfect for the appliance market. From residue-free removal TPP and filament tapes, to double sided tapes for temporary and permanent holding, tesa has the solution for you. The clean removal properties...

Schock Metal America, Inc.(DESIGN MART)
December 1, 2006... Recognized worldwide as "The Specialist in Custom Engineered Ball Bearing Slides' Schock has been producing high quality products for ever 80 years. Call today and get us involved in the early stages of your design. Enter 504 Schock Metal...

YFC-BonEagle Electric Co. Ltd.(DESIGN MART)
December 1, 2006... YFC--Your First Choice for High Voltage/Specialty Power Cords, Power Cords & Cord Sets, Plugs & Adapters. * RoHs Compliant * ISO 9001 * Product listed by UL/CUL and meet international standard Enter 507 YFC-BonEagle Electric...

2007 Appliance industry events & meetings.(Calendar)
December 1, 2006... JANUARY International CES Jan. 8-11, Las Vegas, Nev. Contact: 866/233-7968 Email: cea@CE.org Website: www.cesweb.org Texworld USA Jan. 23-25, New York, N.Y. Contact: 770/984-8016 Email:...

Directory of appliance industry associations.(Directory)
December 1, 2006... U.S., CANADA, MEXICO Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc. (ASC) 7970 Old Georgetown Rd., Ste. 500 Bethesda, MD 20814 (301) 986-9700 Fax: (301) 986-9795 www.ascouncil.org Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA) ...

Services directory.(Directory)
December 1, 2006... ANODIZING, ALUMINUM, SERVICES Dent Mfg., Inc. Kromet International Inc. CERTIFICATION SERVICES D.L.S. Electronic Systems, Inc. TUV SUD America Inc. CONSULTANTS Design Central * Lydall Inc., Engineered...

Product locator.(Directory)
December 1, 2006... This section will tell you the names of companies that manufacture the product listed. Many categories have subdivisions. Names, addresses and telephone numbers of these companies are listed in the Supplier Locator. ABRASIVES Reade...

Supplier locator.(Directory)
December 1, 2006... In this section you will find names, addresses and telephone numbers of the suppliers of the products listed in the Product Locator that precedes this section. Detailed listings indicate advertisers in this issue. To obtain information about...

DOE threatens federal preemption of state standards.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: GAMA)
December 1, 2006... New England states and energy advocacy groups surely are pleased to receive an invitation from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to petition DOE for waivers of federal preemption to permit state regulation of furnace and boiler efficiency. A...