Appliance Design articles from March 2007

Appliance Design archives from March 2007

Minding the metals.(EDITORIAL)
March 1, 2007... One does not typically mine police reports for insights into design and engineering issues, but a rising spate of metals thefts should get a lot of people thinking. A fast growing crime across the country is the theft of copper coils from air...

Shipments.(Statistical table)
March 1, 2007... SHIPMENTS Product Dec. '06 Dec. '05 % Chg. 12 Mos. '06 MAJOR APPLIANCES TOTAL 6,581,800 6,716,800 -2.0% 68,447,400 CLEANUP--TOTAL 1,359,800 1,394,400 ...

Forecasts.(Statistical table)
March 1, 2007... FORECASTS MAJOR HOME APPLIANCES--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2006 2007 2008 1 21,403.7 20,654.6 21,418.8 2 22,593.8 22,300.1 22,656.9 3 18,810.4 19,506.4 19,682.0 4 ...

CES connects to the digital decade.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Connecting consumer electronics, improving wireless capability and access to broadband networks, as well as the transition to digital broadcasting are some of the critical factors that drove the design of products and services on display at the...

Enodis acquires Fabristeel.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Enodis plc has acquired the Fabristeel group of companies. Fabristeel, headquartered in Singapore, manufactures hot and cold foodservice equipment. Enodis is a global foodservice and beverage equipment manufacturer with financial operations...

Conair Acquires Franzus.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... New Jersey headquartered Conair Corp., a maker of personal hair care and small home appliances, acquired Franzus Co. LLC, a supplier of travel accessories, including personal care, security and convenience items such as power converters,...

Small kitchen appliance boom.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... The boom in home remodeling as well as renewed interest in home coffee and tea brewing are just a few of the factors contributing to continuing growth in the U.S. market for small kitchen appliances. Based on the latest market research found in...

Yurek named ARI president.(Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute appoints Stephen R. Yurek)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI), Arlington, Va., named Stephen R. Yurek president. Yurek previously served as chief operating officer and general counsel. Yurek joined ARI in 2002 as general counsel. He was promoted in...

Hoover sale completed.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... The sale of Hoover by Whirlpool Corp. of Benton Harbor, Mich., to Hong Kong-based Techtronic Industries Co. Ltd. has been completed. Techtronic will assume operational control of the Hoover business, including manufacturing operations in Ohio,...

Habinger completes applica buy.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Alabama-based Harbinger Capital Partners has completed the takeover of Applica Inc., Miramar, Fla., which markets and distributes small appliances and personal care products. Harbinger, Applica's largest shareholder, had been in a bidding war...

Bertazzoni expands.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Bertazzoni, an Italy-based manufacturer of lifestyle products, has expanded into North America with the launch of a line of professional and high-performance European cooking appliances. North American distribution channels will include a...

On the road again.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... The Appliance Design European Roadshow kicks off again this September with visits to appliance manufacturers across Europe in an exhibition vehicle. Sponsored by Appliance Design magazine, companies such as Whirlpool, Electrolux, Miele,...

Sharper image settles.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... San Francisco-based Sharper Image Corp. has agreed to provide $60 million worth of discounts and make several other concessions to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the retailer misled customers about the effectiveness of its air...

Matsushita closes plants.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Japan's Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. plans to close three home appliance units in Japan next year to cut costs. Matsushita, the maker of Panasonic products, said it will close its Toyonaka white goods unit and its Yamato-Koriyama...

Sanyo and hailer launch venture.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Sanyo Electric Co. of Japan and China's Haier Group launched a joint venture to develop and sell refrigerators. Sanyo will own a 40 percent stake and Haier will hold 60 percent in the Tokyo-based joint venture, to be named Haier Sanyo Co. The...

Focus on the basics.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Vernon Hills, Ill.based Focus Products Group, which owns the West Bend brand of small kitchen appliances, has acquired Utah appliance manufacturing company Back to Basics. Back to Basics will be combined with Focus Products Group's West Bend...

Boiler efficiency advocates.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... The Gas Appliance Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), an energy-efficiency advocacy group, have jointly asked Congress to pass legislation establishing new federal minimum...

Dry-cleaning chemical ban.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The California Air Resources Board has enacted a statewide ban on the most common chemical used by dry-cleaning operations. The Board will begin the phase out the use of perchloro-ethylene next year, banning dry cleaners from buying machines...

Efficient a/c control.
March 1, 2007... In independent testing, Provo, Utah-based Raser Technologies Inc.'s Symetron FlexMod controller technology, showed up to 10 percent system efficiency improvement for an air conditioning system. The controller is designed to reduce costs and...

Refrigeration is hot.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... World demand for commercial refrigeration equipment is projected to rise 5.3 per cent per year through 2008 to $25.8 billion, with developing nations expected to register the strongest gains, according to research from The Freedonia Group. The...

Cooking behavior studied.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... A study of the cooking behaviors of 5,000 consumers across the U.S. and Europe finds that a majority of consumer still favor cooking meals from scratch. The report, "Changing Cooking Behaviors & Attitudes: Beyond Convenience;' by the market...

Foldable lens.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Engineers at the University of California, San Diego, built an ultra-thin digital camera by folding up the telephoto lens. This technology may yield lightweight, ultra-thin, high-resolution miniature cameras for unmanned surveillance aircraft,...

High-resolution display.(VGA display)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology Co. Ltd. has developed and begun mass-producing a high-resolution, 16-level grayscale, and highly reflective 5-in. VGA display. The monochrome thin-film transistor LCD offers the combined features of high...

Meetings.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)(Calendar)
March 1, 2007... MARCH International Home and Housewares Show, March 11-13, Chicago Contact: 847/292-4200 Website: www.housewares.org Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Expo, March 15-17, Reno, Nev. Contact: 703/522-0086 Website:...

Double-sided LCD.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. has created an LCD panel that can produce independent images on each side of a mobile LCD display. Samsung's new double-sided LCD can show two entirely different pictures or sets of visual data simultaneously on the...

Voluntary efficiency a success.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... A new study from the Consumer Electronics Association finds that voluntary energy efficiency programs are effective. The study, "Energy Consumption by Consumer Electronics in U.S. Residences;' shows that consumer electronics consume 11 percent...

Flat-panel control.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... Japanese electronics maker Canon will take control of a joint venture for flat panel TVs using a new technology called surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED). The move is aimed at an early settlement of a legal dispute in the U.S....

Dual-format DVD.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... LG Electronics plans to sell a DVD player that will play both the HD DVD format, which is backedby a consortium headed by Toshiba Corp., as well as the rival Blu-ray format, backed by a group led by Sony Corp. The DVD player was unveiled at the...

BPL support is broad.(NEWS WATCH)
March 1, 2007... The number of U.S. households subscribing to broadband over power line (BPL) services will increase from 400,000 in 2007 to 2.5 million by 2011, according to a new report, "The FTTx and BPL: Analysis and Outlook." The report from Parks...

Layered look: combining different aluminum alloys in the same sheet offers new design options.(METALS)(Cover story)
March 1, 2007... The word "stainless" in appliances implies durability, quality and class. But stainless steel has its limitations. It smudges easily, for instance, and designers can only obtain a limited number of appearances out of the material. In...

Exploring extrusions: aluminum extrusions serve a diverse array of design functions.(METALS)
March 1, 2007... Aluminum extrusions touch people's lives everyday. Home and commercial appliances, HVAC equipment, power tools, electronics, office machines, medical equipment, fitness equipment, and vending machines, just to name a few, all incorporate...

Aerogels arrive: frozen smoke finds warm reception.(INSULATION)
March 1, 2007... Moving a concept from prototype to production is often the most challenging part of innovation, not unlike building a really cool boat in your garage, only to find you can't get it out the door. Aerogel materials represent a classic example....

Agent of change: alternative blowing agent provides "green" blown foam.(INSULATION)
March 1, 2007... As everyone knows, the Montreal Protocol created a sea change in a number of industries, including air-conditioning, refrigeration, and foam insulation, as manufacturers in those segments had to scramble for alternatives to the...

Powerful protection: line-voltage-rated PPTC devices help protect appliance motors and transformers.(SWITCHES & RELAYS)
March 1, 2007... Although generally reliable, the electric motors used in home and professional-grade appliances are subjected to mechanical overloads, overheating, stalls, lost neutral, severe over-voltage conditions, humidity, and other damaging factors....

Think globally: designers must adapt to challenges of international market.(SWITCHES & RELAYS)
March 1, 2007... The days of designing for one's local market only are now gone. Today's world economy demands that products be developed for different global areas. Each region has its own unique set of requirements, agency approvals, energy management, and...

Li-Ion's new roar: advances in lithium-ion battery technology boosts power while lowering risks.(POWER)
March 1, 2007... Lithium-ion batteries may have lost a little of their charge in 2006, but an array of new technologies will soon provide the chemistry with a quick recharge. The 2006 recalls of lithium-ion batteries that numbered in the millions, combined with...

Elements evolve: innovative rechargeable, battery chemistries target higher power and longer life.(POWER)
March 1, 2007... Since the invention of the first lead-acid batteries almost a century and a half ago, advancements in rechargeable battery technology have evolved slowly. But the rapidly changing market for rechargeables is sparking a revolution in battery...

Ultracapacitors unleashed: technology gives power boost to portable devices.(POWER)
March 1, 2007... In today's electronics world there is a constant cry for more power. This is a direct result of several factors. Society demands more information and functions out of electronic devices, and engineers and designers are forced to respond to...

Standing by efficiently: fresh ideas for designing power circuits can reduce energy use.(POWER)
March 1, 2007... Anyone who has been around the appliance or consumer electronic industries long enough will remember when there was a public outcry about the early, wasteful "instant on" solid-state televisions. A low-voltage kept the CRT heater warm and ready...

Home sweet home.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: AHAM)
March 1, 2007... It was 40 years ago in 1967 that home appliance manufacturers saw the need for a common effort and actions focused on the unique challenges of multi-line consumer product manufacturers. The formation of AHAM that year involved the merging of...