Appliance Design articles from November 2004

Appliance Design archives from November 2004

Show off your best.(Editorial)(Editorial)
November 1, 2004... I was attacked by my washing machine not long ago, though as you can see, I lived to tell the tale. It was a minor assault, actually. More like a poodle nibbling at your ankle. But it drew blood, nonetheless. I was loading a pile of shirts...

Shipments.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... SHIPMENTS Product August'04 August '03 % Chg. MAJORS--TOTAL 5,506,900 5,299,300 3.9% CLEANUP--TOTAL 1,151,500 1,049,400 9.7% Compactors ...

Forecasts.(Illustration)
November 1, 2004... FORECASTS AUTOMATIC WASHERS--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2003 2004 2005 1 2,009.3 2,271.7 2,291.3 2 1,934.4 2,197.0 2,147.1 3 2,082.0 2,065.5 2,150.0 4 ...

DOE team to design Micro-CHP system.(News Watch)
November 1, 2004... The Department of Energy (DOE) has selected a team of appliance industry leaders to develop a combined heat and power system that will provide more reliable and less costly energy for residential use. The system commissioned by the...

The University of Alaska Fairbanks.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS and Fuel Cell Technologies of Kingston, Ontario announced that the 5 KW solid oxide fuel cell installed in Fairbanks has successfully passed the one-year field operational mark. UAF has been testing fuel cell...

The Holmes Group, Inc.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... THE HOLMES GROUP, INC., a privately held manufacturer of small appliances and appliance motors located in Milford, Mass., has entered into a joint venture with Regal-Beloit, a Wisconsin-based corporation that specializes in the manufacture and...

TIAX LLC.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... TIAX LLC, Cambridge, Mass., a collaborative product and technology development firm, and the Massachusetts institute of Technology (MIT) House_n Consortium hosted a collaborative conference, "Changing Homes: Design and Technology for Health and...

Sony Electronics.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... SONY ELECTRONICS opened its first QUALIA store in the U.S. in Manhattan. Featuring a concierge at the entrance to the store and appointment-driven, one-on-one product demonstrations with retail consultants, the store showcases the line of...

Mac-Gray Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MAC-GRAY CORP., Cambridge, Mass. announced an exclusive seven-year licensing agreement for its LaundryView[TM] system with Web Service Company, a privately owned laundry facilities contractor headquartered in Redondo Beach, Calif. Web Service...

Spinach Power.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... SPINACH POWER. For the first time, MIT researchers have incorporated a plant's ability to convert sunlight to energy into a solid-state electronic "spinach sandwich" device that may one day power laptops and cell phones. At the heart of the...

BASF.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... BASF and SiPix Technology, Inc. announced an agreement that BASF Future Business GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of BASF Aktiengesellschaft, will invest in and jointly develop with SiPix dyes for colored applications of EPI) (Electrophoretic...

Samsung Electronics.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS announced its entry into the freestanding range category with the new Supreme Series of ranges--models that self clean and use electronic touch controls to save time and eliminate cooking time guess work. The newest addition...

ARI.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ARI. Edward W. Dooley has retired as vice president of communications and education at the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute following 12 years with the trade association representing manufacturers of more than 90 percent of North...

Mr. Coffee.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MR. COFFEE'S new FT and IS Series coffeemakers give consumers more control over the brewing process. With new performance features and controls, coffee lovers can select whether they want a mild or robust flavor with the product's Brew Strength...

The Consumer Electronics Association.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... THE CONSUMER ELECTRONICS ASSOCIATION'S R7 Home Networking Standards Committee has approved CEA-2027 for publication. This standard details mechanisms to allow audio/video devices connected via a home network to present a status and control user...

Eastman Kodak Company.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... EASTMAN KODAK COMPANY and IBM will collaborate on the development and manufacture of image sensors to power mass-market consumer products, such as digital still cameras and camera phones. The multi-year agreement will leverage Kodak's portfolio...

Distributed Energy.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... DISTRIBUTED ENERGY is making inroads into residential markets in North America and beyond. New research from Primen, a subsidiary of EPRI, found that in a recent 12-month period, nearly 1 million onsite generators were sold to households for...

ASHRAE.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ASHRAE. Maintaining that its residential ventilation standard sets a higher standard for indoor air quality, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has proposed that it be included in the...

The Black and Decker Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... THE BLACK AND DECKER CORP., Towson, Md., announced that the antitrust waiting periods have passed, or it has received clearance from all regulatory agencies, for the purchase of the Tools Group from Pentair, Inc. The Tools Group includes the...

HVACR.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... HVACR. The heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration training programs at the Pennsylvania College of Technology, in Williamsport, Pa., Vernon College, in Wichita Falls, TX and Vern Rifle Pike County Career Technology Center, in...

WWiSE.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... WWiSE. A consortium of companies collaborating under the moniker WWiSE (worldwide spectrum efficiency) announced their intended submission of a complete joint proposal to the IEEE 802.11 Task Group N, which is chartered with developing a...

Littelfuse Electronics.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... LITTELFUSE ELECTRONICS has restructured and consolidated their North American distribution network to better serve customers and add value to its industry-leading line of circuit protection solutions. A new distributor lineup is expected to...

Higher priced white goods.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... HIGHER PRICED WHITE GOODS. According to Rediff.com India, by the end of the year most appliance manufacturers in India will have upped the prices of their white goods by 5 percent. The news Web site reported that the consumer durables industry...

AB Electrolux of Sweeden.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... AB ELECTROLUX OF SWEEDEN is reportedly exploring the prospect of making India a sourcing base for exports. A survey to examine the idea was underway, according to Ajay Kapila, vice-president of sales and marketing for Electrolux Kelvinator, the...

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO., best known for its Panasonic brand products, has added three new models to its titled-drum washer/dryer lineup. The new models feature the industry's first foam and spray washing cycle, delivering greater...

Canon Inc.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... CANON INC. and Toshiba Corp. have a established a joint venture in October 2004 for the development, production and marketing of next-generation flat-screen SED (Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display) panels. The SED, based on a new type...

LG Electronics.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... LG ELECTRONICS announced the new range of Sense-i refrigerators. Aesthetically designed, this new range comes with a premium inox finished body and equally complementing versatile interiors. Features include an intelligent sensing mechanism...

Gree Electric Appliances, Inc.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... GREE ELECTRIC APPLIANCES, INC. has become the world's largest air conditioner manufacturer with an annual production capacity of 10 million units, following the completion of its fifth-phase expansion project in Zhuhai. The company has five...

PDP Technology.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... PDP TECHNOLOGY. China Daily reported that China has made a major breakthrough in plasma display panel (PDP) technology, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology. Chinese companies have not only grasped the shadow mask (SM) PDP...

ASTM International.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... ASTM INTERNATIONAL and the Standardization Administration of the People's Republic of China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen the relationship between the two standards organizations. This is the first time a leading...

A.O. Smith Corp.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Christopher L. Mapes to president of Electrical Products Company, A.O. Smith Corp...

Emerson Climate Technologies.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Dave Kirk to president of Flow Controls division, Emerson Climate Technologies.

Metal Coatings International.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Shinichi Kimura to vice president, Metal Coatings International...

Bettcher Amherst Metal Stamping.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Phil Rimes to vice president of manufacturing, Bettcher Amherst Metal Stamping...

Whirlpool Corp.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Jeff Noel to vice president for communications and public affairs, Whirlpool Corp.

Kalfact Plastics.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Gilbert Rushlau to operations manager, Kalfact Plastics...

Danfoss.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Victor Marinich to key account manager of the Commercial Air Conditioning team, Danfoss...

Venture Plastics.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Bryon Osborne to sales manager, Venture Plastics.

Ticona.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Michael Oberste-Wilms to European sales director; Ginger Bommel to head of Topas[R] COC business line and Anthony O'Driscoll to Americas sales director, Ticona.

TUV America.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Rafaat B. Ludin to NAFTA field evaluation manager, TUV America...

DDL Testing Services.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... Michael Foster to package engineer, DDL Testing Services.

Matsushita electric works.(International)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2004... MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC WORKS, a Tokyo company that manufactures home appliances and building materials, has developed a fully-automated, computer-controlled "sleeping environment"--a bedroom tricked out with cutting-edge lighting, audio and video...

Meetings.(News Watch)(Calendar)
November 1, 2004... ARI Annual Meeting, Nov. 13-16, Scottsdale, Ariz. Contact: Air-Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute, 703/524-8800. Web site: www.ari.org International Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 6-9, Las Vegas. Contact: Consumer Electronics...

The hidden fridge: concealed hinge design helps high-end units blend in.(New And Notable)
November 1, 2004... The kitchen has achieved unprecedented status in today's homes. As the modern-day hub for family interaction and entertaining, its new generation of high-end appliances has taken center stage, merging high style with performance. While one...

Fire as art: tornado-like flame is a fresh idea for the fireplace.(Igniters/Burners)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... Fireplaces tend to have similar characteristics, whether installed in a small home or a spacious ski lodge. They crackle, give off heat, look cozy and can be mess); requiring a considerable amount of maintenance. It was all of these usual...

Meaningful modulation: significant performance benefits from a modulating gas dryer.(Igniters/Burners)
November 1, 2004... Over the last few years, the shift toward high-end products has become pronounced in the laundry market. Consumers are more than willing to pay a premium for clothes washers that deliver superior performance. In general, however, the same...

Riding the jet stream: capillary forces vaporize liquids without pumps or moving parts.(Igniters/Burners)
November 1, 2004... Traditional methods of vaporizing liquids generally involve atomization--think hairspray or perfume--which evaporate to become vapor or gas. In these types of applications, helpers including propellants and disposable aerosol cans are required...

Game, set, match: inventive control for hot-surface igniter brings winning features and safety to gas cooking products.(Igniters/Burners)
November 1, 2004... Hot-surface igniters for cooktop burner applications have been long in developing, mainly because of the material and application requirements. The igniter material must be able to withstand the very high temperatures seen in a constantly...

Metallic luxury: high-tech metal making its way into high-end electronics.(Metals & Metal Parts)(liquidmetal)
November 1, 2004... Sports fans may already be familiar with an exotic alloy called Liquidmetal. Andre Agassi uses a racquet made with it, as do numerous other tennis stars, including Svetlana Kuznetsova, who was the surprise winner of the US Open 2004 in...

A cut above: a superior grade of stainless steel enables innovations in electric shavers.(Metals & Metals Parts)
November 1, 2004... New product development is the lifeblood of consumer product manufacturers and, where competition is fierce, market share is the critical measure of success. Consumer products giant Philips has enjoyed major success with its innovative electric...

Targeted damping: selectively placed magnetic metal laminate provides cost-effective sound damping.(Metals & Metal Parts)
November 1, 2004... Fabricating an entire panel or housing out of sound-damping metal can often be the most effective means of reducing or even eliminating undesirable vibrations and noise from an appliance. Unfortunately, for many applications, that approach may...

Copper controls contamination: study has implications for medical appliances and healthcare fixtures.(Metals & Metal Parts)
November 1, 2004... A new study holds promise for stemming MRSA contamination by using copper alloys for surfaces in healthcare facilities. Doctors C. William Keevil and J.O. Noyce of the University of Southampton, U.K., reported the study earlier this year at a...

Solid scanner: magnesium injection molding produces rugged, compact device.(Metals & Metal Parts)
November 1, 2004... Like many other electronic products, new generations of bar code scanners are becoming increasingly compact. Once the size of large telephones, scanners are now being made to fit in the palm of the user's hand. Microscan Systems, a company that...

Safe solution: custom trigger switch perfect match for portable band saw.(Switches & Relays)
November 1, 2004... When Stout Tool Company of Milford, Mich. had the X-Band heavy-duty cordless band saw on the drawing board, they knew that new ground was being broken. But to fully appreciate the origins of the world's first portable band saw, it is necessary...

The webs they weave: switch developer creates low-cost pushbutton alternative.(Switches And Relays)
November 1, 2004... What does a developer do when it already has a good high-end switch mechanism in the marketplace? Create a lower-end switch for applications where cost is the driving factor. In spring of 2004, Duraswitch Industries' PushGate pushbutton...

Silver and gold: advances in polymer thick films science enhance switch reliability.(Switches & Relays)
November 1, 2004... Membrane switches have been in use for more than 20 years. Often employed in the production of low volt-years age circuitry for a variety of applications, most modern touch panels use membrane touch switches (MTS) as an integral part of the...

DOE looks at heating: federal agency to ponder new minimum efficiency standards.(Standards & Certification)(Department of Energy)
November 1, 2004... Now that new efficiency standards for air conditioning are in place, the Department of Energy (DOE) is zeroing in on the heating side of the HVACR industry. The DOE recently issued its first official document in the current round of review...

Choosing the optimal UWB solution: DS-UWB is a low-cost, short-range, 100 to > 1000 Mb/s wireless communications technology that is ready now.(Standards & Certification)(Ultra Wideband)
November 1, 2004... Ultra Wideband, otherwise known as UWB, is a new wireless technology with many promising applications for design and engineering teams in the global, commercial, and medical appliance and durable goods industry. One need only consider the...

Symmco, Inc.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... The use of powder metal parts can result in substantial savings, Symmco P/M parts offer high quality and high precision with possible savings of 90 percent nr more over machined parts. Helical gears available Short runs are our specialty Press...

DYMAX Corporation.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... DYMAX is a leading supplier of UV light core adhesives, coatings and sealants fur plastic assembly, DYMAX 3094 Series Adhesives form crystal clear structural bonds to most plastics, especially polycarbonate Products are one-part systems with no...

Fasco Motors.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... Fasco announces the introduction of a new pro-mix blower for large commercial gas appliances. The motor utilizes AC variable speed technology that provides required airflows at the lowest dba sound levels white maximizing appliance efficiency....

FasTest, Inc.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... FREE Engineering Guide to Connectors provides a comprehensive list of product solutions for expedience while testing filling, and processing with fluids or vacuum The guide details how FasTest connection solutions can increase productivity,...

Photofabrication Engineering, Inc.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... PEI manufactures photochemically-etched metal parts (from 0.0005 to 0.090 in. thick) including electrical contacts battery anodes/cathodes encoder discs screens filters and EMI/RF shielding, in materials from aluminum to zirconium. Our process...

North American Die Casting Association.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... Expanded CD-ROM: Resign for Die Casting. FREE TO QUALIFIED OEMs. This all-new CD-ROM provides a complete understanding of die casting with expanded reformation on alloys process animations and extensive engineering guidance. Includes vital...

Rosenberg USA.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... The new Rosenberg fine includes a wide range of fans and blowers. Among the most popular are free blowing backward curved and external rotor fans up to 28 inches in diameter used in air handling equipment: "Epsilon" axial fans featuring sickle...

Cherry electrical products.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... High-current round rocker switch from cherry. Cherry's new SRJ Series panel mount rocker switch offers current ratings up to 20 amps at 125 VAC. The compact switch uses heavy-duty silver alloy contacts to perform high-current switching in a...

Optrex America, Inc.(Design Mart)
November 1, 2004... HIGH-LEGIBILITY GRAPHIC AND CHARACTER LCDs. 0ptrex s new Tangy of high legibility monochrome graphic and character LCDs offer the designer a unique combination of performance enhancements: uniform, high-contrast black background for improved...

What's hot and what's not.(Association report: GAMA)
November 1, 2004... The U.S. natural gas supply is changing, with the potential to affect every natural gas-fired appliance in the nation. This could easily he one of the most important issues that manufacturers and users of gas appliances have faced in recent...