Appliance Design articles from February 2009

Appliance Design archives from February 2009

Does the invisible hand have arthritis?(EDITORIAL)
February 1, 2009... Too big to fail. The foreboding phrase has been reverberating for months now and it perturbs us for two reasons. First, it reminds us that goliaths can be felled, though such reminders should not surprise those who pay attention. Secondly, the...

Forecasts.(Statistical table)
February 1, 2009... FORECASTS AUTOMATIC WASHERS--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2008 2009 2010 1 2,112.2 1,987.6 2,077.0 2 2,178.6 2,098.0 2,165.1 3 2,005.0 2,043.1 2,092.1 4 2,014.8 2,077.3...

Shipments.(Statistical table)
February 1, 2009... SHIPMENTS Product Nov.'08 Nov. '07 % Chg MAJOR APPLIANCES (Thousands of Units) TOTAL 4,546.4 4,984.5 -8.8% Cooking--Total 1,779.1 1,858.9 -4.3% ...

Small electrics find an angle.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... In spite of the dark clouds hanging over the economy, shafts of light have nonetheless broken through to shine a light on some small appliance segments. Data from the NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., a market research firm, confirms that...

Self-powering devices.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Researchers at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, and the University of Houston have developed technology to self-power electronic devices by harvesting energy generated during operation. The researchers used piezoelectric materials...

Specs mean sales.(NEWS WATCH)(Shanghai Jiao Tong University of China)(specifications)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Consumers show more interest in products marketed with quantitative specifications such as megapixels for cameras and wattage rates for stereos, than they do for products without these specifications. Researchers observed this influence even...

CHP potential.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... The Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn., released a report that highlights the potential of combined heat and power (CHP). The report, Combined Heat and Power: Effective Energy Solutions for a Sustainable Future, found CHP to be a...

Lonworks approved.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission have approved LonWorks control networking technology as ISO/IEC 14908, Parts 1, 2, 3, and 4. LonMark International, San Jose, Calif., a...

Revised directives.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... The European Commission has published a draft of revisions for the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directives. The proposed directives set higher, but more flexible targets on...

Japan expands recycling.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Japan has added flat screen TV sets and clothes dryers to its list of home appliances that must be recycled, according to a revised recycling law. These items are in addition to air conditioners, refrigerators, clothes washing machines, and CRT...

Hearth heat.(NEWS WATCH)(Survey)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Nearly 70 percent of Americans that install a new technology fireplace, stove, or insert do so to be more energy efficient, according to the 2008 Hearth Consumer Survey by the Hearth, Patio & Barbeque Association, Arlington, Va. HPBA's survey...

Nanoscale particles abound.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Researchers at NIST have determined that a home's environment has an "abundant amount" of extremely small nanoscale particles that are released by common kitchen appliances. The numbers of these "ultrafine" particles...

Smart meters.(NEWS WATCH)(Intelligent Sustainable Energy)(Navetas Energy Management)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Intelligent Sustainable Energy (ISE) is a new company created to develop smart meters based on technology developed at Oxford University. ISE is an England-based company formed by Navetas Energy Management and Oxford University. When completed,...

McGuire on ANSI Board.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Joseph M. McGuire, president of the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, Washington, D.C., was elected to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Board of Directors. McGuire began a three-year term on Jan. 1, 2009.

BSH wins award.(NEWS WATCH)(BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH, Munich, has won the German Sustainability Award, presented by the European Commission. The award recognizes companies that combine economic success with social responsibility and environmental protection,...

Green electronics desired.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... More consumers expect their consumer electronics devices to be environmentally friendly, according to new data released by the Consumer Electronics Association, Arlington, Va. The CEA found that 89 percent of households want their next TV to be...

GE halts spin off.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... General Electric has delayed its plans to sell or spin-off its appliance business and will continue to operate GE Consumer & Industrial, Louisville, Ky. The unit includes GE Appliances, GE Lighting, and GE Industrial. The company reportedly...

Electrolux in Singapore.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Electrolux, Stockholm, Sweden, has opened new headquarters and regional innovation design center in Singapore. In addition, Electrolux established a national design competition called the Asian Dream Kitchen. The competition aims to develop new...

Electrolux layoffs.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Electrolux plans to layoff more than 3,000 staff worldwide, or about 5 percent of its total workforce of 57,000. The slow economy was blamed for the decision. Consumer demand in Europe and North America has been declining for some time and fell...

LG realigns business.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Korea-based LG Electronics has reorganized and realigned its four traditional business units into five business units. The units are Mobile Communications, Home Entertainment, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning, and Business Solutions. The Home...

Copy feature popular.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... U.S. consumers who purchased a video on DVD or Blu-ray Disc (BD) are enthusiastic about Digital Copy, a new feature on many new video releases, according to research by the NPD Group, Port Washington, N.Y., a market research firm. The video can...

CHP home edition.(NEWS WATCH)(Combined Heat and Power Deluxe cogeneration unit)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] American Honda Motor, Boston, introduced a "micro-sized" Combined Heat and Power (MCHP) Deluxe cogeneration unit. The deluxe units will only be sold in the U.S. and will be marketed by Honda's Power Equipment...

Smart home platform.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... Nokia is developing a smart home platform, called the Nokia Home Control Center, as the basis for next generation security, smart home solution, and household energy management systems. The Norway-based company expects to make the product...

Residential CE standard.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... The Consumer Electronics Association and the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) have launched a new standards committee, R10 Residential Systems. The committee's first project will be revising the ANSI/CEA-2030...

Purification popularity.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
February 1, 2009... Demand for water purification and air-cleaning systems are projected to increase 4.4 percent per year to $1.5 billion by 2012. Consumer concerns about the quality of air and water in the home will drive these sales gains, according to a new...

China subsidies expand.(NEWS WATCH)
February 1, 2009... The government of China is expanding a subsidy program to encourage farmers to buy household appliances. The government hopes that more than 480 million units will be sold over a four-year span in an effort to spur China's domestic demand for...

Touch force: force-sensing provides alternative touch-control method.(CONTROLS & SENSORS)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] At first glance, touch-based interfaces would seem ideal for a variety of residential and commercial appliances. The ability to reconfigure appliance controls in software, combined with the potential for improved...

Vapor sensing: safety technology updated for broader use.(CONTROLS & SENSORS)
February 1, 2009... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Residential gas water heaters have long been considered safe when properly used. Yet the potential dangers resulting from the improper use and storage of gasoline and other flammable materials in the vicinity of the...

Pivotal parts: hardware joins components that are on the move.(JOINING)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Latches, hinges, and slides all have a utilitarian function in common: they secure two parts together, often when one component moves and the other is stationary. They latch, lock, open and close, slide, tilt,...

Flexible fit: elastomeric connectors provide solutions for tight spaces.(CONNECTORS & CORDS)
February 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Today's portable electronics such as MP3 players, cell phones, and President Obama's beloved PDA, feature dazzling displays and innumerable features. In addition to sharing these traits, most share another trait,...

Noise suppression: new capacitor technology improves performance and reduces component count.(SHIELDING & EMI)(Cover story)
February 1, 2009... [FIGURE 1 OMITTED] Appliances today must meet global compliance requirements for Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), and meeting regulatory compliance is complicated by the ever increasing use and density of electronic components. Within...

The challenges ahead.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: AHRI)(economic stresses in appliance industry)(Column)
February 1, 2009... The economic stresses buffeting the nation have not spared our industry. In these tough economic times, we need to deal not only with the present, but also better position ourselves for the future. There are several ways to do that. One of them...