Appliance Design articles from May 2008

Appliance Design archives from May 2008

Crystal ball as design tool.(EDITORIAL)
May 1, 2008... The word itself should have been the tipoff: subprime. That observation poses the obvious questions. Would you knowingly entrust yourself to a subprime surgeon? Would you knowingly fly on a subprime airplane? Yet, in spite of the clear warning...

Shipments.(Statistical table)
May 1, 2008... Product Feb. '08 Feb. '07 % Chg. 2 Mos. '08 MAJOR APPLIANCES (Thousond s of Units) TOTAL 4,841.3 5,661.9 -14.5% 8,714.0 Cooking-Total 1,391.6 1,613.5...

Forecasts.(Statistical table)
May 1, 2008... AUTOMATIC WASHERS--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2007 2008 2009 1 2,233.1 2,101.3 2,120.3 2 2,265.9 2,163.9 2,205.0 3 2,202.8 2,178.6 2,230.9 4 2,123.2 2,135.9 2,200.0 ...

Longer reach to energy star.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved more stringent Energy Star criteria for clothes washers and water heaters and has expanded the categories of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) under the Energy...

Banning disposal.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... In an effort to prevent and minimize sewer overflows, the Raleigh City Council voted to ban new or replacement garbage disposal units from being installed or connected to the city's sanitary sewer system. The owners of functional garbage...

Sears sells more.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Sears Holdings said it plans to sell appliances in more of its Kmart stores and would open more dealer stores this year. Sears Holdings, based in Hoffman Estates, Ill., said it "will continue to explore opportunities to profitably...

Roll-to-roll OLEDS.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] GE Global Research, the centralized research organization of General Electric, and GE Consumer & Industrial, demonstrated what it called the world's first roll-to-roll manufactured organic light-emitting diode (OLED)...

Elderly want technology.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Two new reports find that older adults want to use technology so they can age safely in their home, but cost is a concern. A report from the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) identified a willingness to try technology like home...

Samsung gets Clairvoyante.(NEWS WATCH)(Samsung Electronics Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Samsung Electronics has acquired the IP assets of Clairvoyante, Cupertino, Calif., an IP licensing company responsible for the development of PenTile subpixel rendering display technology and associated gamut mapping algorithms. The financial...

Robot gets filtered.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... iRobot Corp., Burlington, Mass., has expanded its iRobot Verro Pool Cleaning Robot line. Verro robots now come equipped with an internal filtration system that removes debris and particles as small as two microns from pool surfaces and water,...

Satellite merger.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The U.S. Department of Justice has approved Sirius Satellite Radio's $5 billion buyout of rival XM Satellite Radio Holdings. The transaction was approved without conditions, despite opposition from consumer groups and a lobbying campaign by the...

Big light, little bulb.(NEWS WATCH)(Luxim)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Luxim, Sunnyvale, Calif., has developed a light source that emits full spectrum light with a luminous efficacy of 144 lumens per watt, almost twice the efficacy of other full spectrum sources, according to the company. The bulb uses no...

Haler plans growth.(NEWS WATCH)(Qingdao Haier Refrigerator Company Ltd.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... The China-based Haier Group expects its overseas sales to grow by 50 percent annually in the next three to five years as the company explores new markets in Africa and Latin America. That forecast growth does not take into account possible...

Whirlpool's China retailer.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Whirlpool of Benton Harbor, Mich., has granted exclusive distributing rights to Suning, the second largest home appliance retailer in China. Whirlpool will initially sell eight series of air conditioners at 200 of the 600 Suning chain stores....

Oneide signs agreement.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Oneida Ltd., the Oneida, N.Y., based manufacturer of tabletops, kitchen appliances and other merchandise, has signed a licensing agreement with Greystone Brands Ltd. Under the terms of the agreement, Greystone will license the Oneida brand for...

Indesit in Turkey.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Italy's Indesit, one of Europe's largest household appliance manufacturers, will launch its new brand "Hotpoint-Ariston" in Turkey before marketing it globally. Hotpoint-Ariston is a dual brand concept created by Indesit after the acquisition...

Husqvarna buys Jenn Feng.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Husqvarna, the Sweden-based maker of garden and construction equipment has signed a deal to buy the outdoors products division of Jenn Feng Co. Ltd. in Taiwan. Husqvarna gave no financial details of the deal, but said that the division of Jenn...

Meetings.(Calendar)
May 1, 2008... MAY Green West Expo & Conference 2008 May 20-22, Los Angeles, Calif. Contact: 310/984-6919 Email: info@Green WestExpo.com Website: www.GreenWestExpo.com Rapid 2008 Conference & Exposition May 20-22, Lake Buena Vista, Fla....

UL issues nom Mark.(NEWS WATCH)(Underwriters Laboratories)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... UnderwritersLaboratories (UL), of Northbrook, Ill., is the first third party provider to issue the Normas Oficiales Mexicanas (NOM) Mark for Mexico. The product certification mark was issued to a global electronics manufacturing customer...

Airwave auction.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The FCC has auctioned off blocks of airwaves, including the consumer friendly "C" block that are considered the best part of the airwaves. Two companies, AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless combined to account for $16 billion of the $19.6 billion...

Riding on Propane.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Researchers at the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) say switching to propane to fuel lawnmowers can help reduce emissions caused by gasoline-powered lawnmowers. To determine the effectiveness of propane-fueled mowing equipment, PERC...

Delphi realigns share.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... As part of its restructuring efforts to reduce its compressor business cost structure and strengthen its global footprint, Delphi Corp. has realigned its share holdings in two compressor joint ventures with Japan-based Calsonic Kansei Corp....

Battery recycling deal.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. has partnered with Fastenal, operators of stores selling industrial and construction supplies. Customers at more than 1,900 Fastenal stores throughout the U.S. can recycle rechargeable batteries and cell...

ITW a star.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy named ITW Food Equipment Group--North America (ITW FEG) as the 2008 Energy Start Partner of the Year--Product Manufacturer. ITW FEG is the only commercial foodservice...

Haier in India.(NEWS WATCH)(Haier Group Corp. entered into a joint venture with Sanyo of Japan)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Haier Appliances India, the wholly owned subsidiary of China-based Haier Group Corp., is planning to acquire brands and companies in India as part of its growth strategy. In 2007, Haier entered into a joint venture with Sanyo of Japan to sell...

Wireless medical secure.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... Some medical devices such as implantable cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are now equipped with wireless technology, allowing for remote device checks and freeing patients from repeated doctor visits. But, this convenience may come with...

Get color.(NEWS WATCH)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What colors will appeal to consumers next year? To help answer that question, Clariant Masterbatches has released the 2009 edition of ColorForward, a color trend analysis and design tool. The 2009 edition focuses on...

Cooking on auto.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Electrolux of Sweden is launching the "Inspiro" oven that uses a heat management technique designed to automatically select the right heating mode based on the food items to be cooked. Rather than just measuring the air temperature with a...

Solar washer.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... Italy's Rex Electrolux introduced a new clothes washer that runs with water heated by solar energy. Sunny, as the washer is called, has special programs that use water from the hot water circuit without turning on the heating element. The...

Health in the home.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The digital health industry still faces formidable challenges in convincing private insurers to adopt home health-monitoring technologies, according to a new study. However, vendors can overcome insurer resistance by providing independently...

Respironics acquired.(NEWS WATCH)
May 1, 2008... The $5.1 billion acquisition of Respironics, Murrysville, Pa., by Royal Philips Electronics was approved by the European Union. The approval by U.S. regulators was granted in January. Respironics is expected to be headquartered in Murrysville...

Changing the rules: novel process makes small parts with vast possibilities.(NEWS & NOTABLE)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In the realm of fabrication methods, there are innovations that make familiar things in a new way, then there are technology leaps that permit the making of entirely new things in a previously unimagined way. The...

Electronic paper: display technologies highlight readability and low power use.(DISPLAYS & INDICATORS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The evolution of textual communication, from cave walls and stone tablets to ink on parchment, from the first Gutenberg press to the latest high-speed printing presses, has always embodied a common thread of concern:...

Simply silicone: improved products and fabrication methods make this material more useable.(ELASTOMERS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Silicone elastomers are extremely versatile materials that offer a range of attractive performance characteristics, often outperforming their TPE cousins. They work well in extreme cold and high heat temperatures,...

Modern motors: revised standards increase design flexibility.(QUALITY & STANDARDS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Why is UL changing its motor standards? This is generally the first reaction when people hear that UL is changing its venerable UL 1004 and UL 2111 standards for electric motors. Part of this reaction is due to the...

The efficiency equation: a new measure of refrigeration efficiency promises to improve system design.(QUALITY & STANDARDS)
May 1, 2008... The refrigeration industry currently has a number of standards and methods of measurement in place to provide a helpful guide for determining the energy efficiency of equipment. These methods, such as the Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER), allow...

Using UV: HVAC/R systems clean up with ultra violet light.(INDOOR AIR QUALITY)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The integration of ultraviolet energy systems into HVAC/R equipment is rapidly growing. UV has been used for many years to disinfect air and in recent years has seen increasing growth in applications to irradiate...

Targeting awareness: show unveils products for a better home and cleaner environment: international home house ware show 2008.(IHHS HIGHLIGHTS)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Contrary to popular belief, it is easy being green; or, if not exactly easy, than at least it is getting easier if the number of "green" products displayed at the 2008 International Home + Housewares Show can be...

Freescale semiconductor.(New Products)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Three highly integrated 8-bit S08AC microcontrollers--the S08AC60, S08AC48 and S08AC32--expand the range of flash memory and performance options for cost-sensitive large appliance applications. The latest S08AC...

Omron electronics components.(New Products)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The B3W-9 series of SPST-NO (momentary) configuration LED illuminated tactile switches are available with red, yellow, blue, green and bright green LEDs. The keycaps utilize a proprietary diffusion panel to deliver...

Kraiburg TPE.(New Products)(thermoplastic elastomer )(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Transparent adhesion compounds provide the tactile appeal of a soft-touch finish with a high degree of transparency that allows the base product to be clearly seen through the finish. This feature can be further...

Honeywell sensing & control.(New Products)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] The HCH-1000 Series capacitive humidity sensors was designed for use in high-volume, cost-sensitive applications. The HCH-1000 Series is a lower cost sensor solution delivering enhanced accuracy, response time and...

Everlight electronics.(New Products)(Brief article)
May 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The EL30XX family of random-phase and zero-cross TRIAC driver optocoupiers feature a wide operating temperature range of-55 DegC to 100 DegC and offers design flexibility for interface applications between...

Online tool lists efficiency regulations.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: PSMA)
May 1, 2008... Energy efficiency and going "green" is all the rage these days All industries, including those making appliances, electronic equipment, and data centers, are promoting higher energy efficiency and its resulting savings. The two aspects of...