Appliance Design articles from October 2004

Appliance Design archives from October 2004

The call of color.(Editorial)
October 1, 2004... I am probably the last person who should be talking about color. My notion of spectral boldness was to paint the walls a slightly different shade of beige than the carpeting. Needless to say, my appliances are biscuit. Nonetheless, as a...

Shipments.(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... Product July '04 July '03 % Chg. MAJORS - TOTAL 5,193,300 4,974,700 4.4% CLEANUP - TOTAL 1,009,900 1,000,900 0.9% Compactors 7,800 9,200 ...

Forecasts.(Illustration)
October 1, 2004... DVD PLAYERS - Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2003 2004 2005 1 3,154.2 3,513.3 3,387.6 2 4,705.7 4,552.8 4,195.2 3 4,932.9 4,635.2 ...

Electrolux Professional chooses Miami for headquarters.(News Watch)
October 1, 2004... Electrolux Professional has established a Miami headquarters to house the North American division of its global business including Latin America and the Caribbean. Electrolux Professional will offer three lines in the North American market: ...

U-Line Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... U-LINE CORP., Milwaukee, Wis. has two "firsts" on the market: the first combination refrigerator/ice maker/freezer drawers and the first wine storage drawers. Named the Echelon Series Combo system and the Echelon Series Wine Captain[R] drawer...

Maytag Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... MAYTAG CORP. appliance stores across the U.S. are giving customers the option to "try before you buy." People can bake, throw jeans into dryers and more without leaving the store. Maytag plans to triple the number of independently owned...

International Housewares Association (IHA).(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... INTERNATIONAL HOUSEWARES ASSOCIATION (IHA) has partnered with Computer Horizons Corp. to provide low-cost data synchronization adoption and management tools to IHA members. As part of the partnership, CHC will offer its Xpress[TM] suite of...

Bayer Materialscience LLC.(News Watch)(Future Business Group)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... BAYER MATERIALSCIENCE LLC, Pittsburgh, Pa. has created a Future Business Group to focus on innovation driven polymer products, next-generation application trends and new complex technologies. Led by Robert Kumpf, the group includes three...

NXT PLC.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... NXT PLC, New York and U.K. has a new second-generation Distributed Mode Actuator (DMA). The DMA is the electromechanical component that makes flat speakers in small portable appliances possible. The new transducers, which are more than 20...

Researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.(News Watch)(Banaras Hindu University)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... RESEARCHERS AT RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in Troy, N.Y. and Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India developed a method for making largescale structures of carbon nanotubes for applications such as filtering petroleum and treating...

Oster[R].(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... OSTER[R] has introduced the Blend-N-Go[TM] cup, a 16-oz. cup for blending smoothies or shakes that transports from the blender to the car and then to the dishwasher. The blade from virtually any Oster blender jar is attached directly onto the...

Nanosys.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... NANOSYS, Palo Alto, Calif. has been awarded a contracted by the United States Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to support the development of flexible low cost solar cells. The approved program will focus on the development of...

Gentex Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GENTEX CORP., Carbondale, Pa. has entered into non-exclusive agreements with Bielomatik and LaserQuipment AG to provide equipment and implementation expertise for Gentex's patented Clearweld[R] process for laser welding plastics, in return, the...

ABB Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Rick Hepperla to senior vice president and general manager of Low-voltage Drives, ABB Inc., Automation Technologies...

Ametek, Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Thomas J. Bockius to divisional vice president, metal powders and clad products, Ametek, Inc.

ICOR International.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Milton J. Cuevas II to vice president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer: Gordon L. McKinney to vice president and shier operations officer and Jams D. "Doug" Pettigrew to director of sales and marketing, ICOR International.

Danfoss, Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Houston Mason to manager, freight and distribution, Danfoss, Inc...

Dynatech Technology.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Larry Groves to technical services manager, Dynatech Technology...

Nordson Corporation.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Derrick Johnson to director of corporate public relations, Nordson Corporation...

Bosch Rexroth Corporation.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Tony Barr to product marketing manager, Bosch Rexroth Corporation.

ESAB Welding and Cutting Products.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Mark Elender to senior vice president of sales for North America and Jon Bonnie to vice president/general manager for North American consumables business, ESAB Welding and Cutting Products.

GLS Corporation.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Walter Ripple to director, sales and marketing and James Seeley to marketing manager, GLS Corporation.

TUV America.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Regan Arndt to product safety engineer, TUV America...

Northland Corporation.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... James Holland to director of engineering Northland Division, Northland Corporation...

Plasticolors, Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Cheryl Ludwig to thermoset process development specialist, Plasticolors, Inc.

Stulz Air Technology Systems, Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Michael Moran to mechanical design engineer and Pam Bailey to customer service representative, Stulz Air Technology Systems, Inc.

Rayven Inc.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Johan A. Alfini and Carey P. Woods to national sales representatives, Rayven Inc...

Linden Industries.(People On The Move)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... Kirk Kooiman to sales representative, Linden Industries.

Welch Allyn, Inc.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WELCH ALLYN, INC., Skaneateles Falls, N.Y. has launched the MacroView[TM] Otoscope, a hand held otoscope with an innovative new design that gives healthcare providers a panoramic view of the ear. Featuring 30 percent more magnification that...

A. Schulman, Inc.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... A. SCHULMAN, INC., Akron, Ohio has developed AquaSol[TM], a water-soluble polymer that uses a proprietary polyvinyl alcohol technology for film and molding applications. The polymer has similar physical properties to other polyolefins and it...

Penn State University.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PENN STATE UNIVERSITY students will use newly installed Maytag Commercial Neptune washers to help save the university 14 million gallons of water. More than 600 washers were installed on eight campus locations, including the main campus in...

PBM Plastics.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PBM PLASTICS, Newport News, Va. has developed Ultraware[TM], a thin, heat-resistant thermoformed plastic suitable for a wide range of applications in food, medical and laboratory packaging. The product is the result of PBM's Melt-Phase[TM]...

Whirlpool.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... WHIRLPOOL has launched a line of water products that include water softeners, water filtration products and water coolers. To meet homeowners' water needs, Whirlpool introduces several options: * Water softeners monitor water usage and...

AHAM.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... AHAM, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers, has been awarded a research grant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the disposal practices of refrigerator-freezers in the U.S. through the association's Appliance...

Universal Electronics Inc.(News Watch)(Intelligent House Duisburg Innovation Center)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC., Cypress, Calif. has joined the Intelligent House Duisburg Innovation Center (inHaus[TM]) consortium, a select group of companies cooperating to realize the concept of a fully connected home. Together with companies...

Zilog, Inc.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... ZILOG, INC. and USA Technologies, Inc. announced the successful completion of an application combining USA Technologies' e-Port[R] solution for global transactions and ZiLOG's award winning ez80Acclaim! family of flash microcontrollers (MCUs)....

National Semiconductor Corp.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... NATIONAL SEMICONDUCTOR CORP., Santa Clara, Calif. said it agreed to sell its imaging business, which makes chips used in small cameras and cell phones, to Eastman Kodak Co., as it focuses on its main business of making analog chips. Terms were...

Going lead-free.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GOING LEAD-FREE. Deadlines have been set by some lop-tier companies to have lead-free electronic assemblies. European legislation to go lead-free by July 1, 2006 has helped accelerate the effort in the U.S. New analysis from Frost and Sullivan,...

General Electric Global Research.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GENERAL ELECTRIC GLOBAL RESEARCH has achieved a major break through, developing a fully functional 2-ft. by 2-ft. light panel that produces more than 1,200 lumens of quality white light with an efficacy of 15 lumens per watt. This device offers...

PVC.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PVC may soon he more fire retardant. Some additives used to make PVC more fire resistant in the 1930s contained heavy metals that can be toxic to humans as well as the environment. But researchers at the College of William and Mary in...

W.L. Gore and Associates.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... W.L. GORE AND ASSOCIATES won the DuPont Plunkett award for the Gore Universal Pipe Gasket. The annual awards program recognizes companies for innovation using DuPont fluropolymers. The development of the new gasket was made possible due to new...

Donnelly Custom MFG.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... DONNELLY CUSTOM MFG. received the Scotsman Ice Systems Gold Recognition award. This is the highest award granted to Scotsman Ice Systems suppliers. The award is part of Scotsman's Supplier Recognition program that sets stringent supplier...

Carbon nanotubes.(News Watch)(National Institute of Standards and Technology )(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... CARBON NANOTUBES. Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have discovered that the addition of small amounts of carbon nanotubes to a common commercial polymer, polypropylene, leads to dramatic changes in how the...

Touch activation.(News Watch)(Ident Technology)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... TOUCH ACTIVATION. According to NewScientist.com, German company Ident Technology has developed prototypes that allow devices to be activated by touch, using the body as a signal transmitter. The system transfers a tiny electric current across...

General Electric Co.(News Watch)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. said it will lay off 525 employees at its Bloomington, Ind. refrigeration plant by the end of March 2005. The company will move its line of higher-priced refrigerators to a plant in Celaya, Mexico, citing the inability to...

Honeywell.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... HONEYWELL announced plans to build a manufacturing plant for non-ozone depleting refrigerant products in Qingpu, Shanghai, China. The new facility is expected to be operational in November 2004. The plant will serve as the production and...

Salton Europe.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SALTON EUROPE, Manchester, England has launched the iCEBOX[TM] FlipScreen, through its Beyond[TM] Connected home product line. iCEBOX is a multi-functional family product with Internet access, a television, DVD and CD player, FM radio and video...

Sharp Corp.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SHARP CORP. unveiled a fat-reducing microwave that generates "superheated steam" at 572[degrees]F At that temperature, fat can be melted and oil reduced from meats and other foods. Developed to help consumers achieve a healthier diet, the...

Samsung SDI Co.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SAMSUNG SDI CO. will build a mobile phone liquid crystal display assembly plant in China's northern port city of Tianjin. Construction of the plant, which will have a monthly capacity of 2 million units, will be completed by year-end.

Philips Electronics Signapore.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PHILIPS ELECTRONICS SIGNAPORE launched a major recruitment drive to add 200 engineers and managers over the next two months to its Innovation Campus in Toa Payoh. The campus is expanding its product development capabilities, as well as taking...

LG Electronics.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... LG ELECTRONICS plans to set up another manufacturing plant in the Middle East. The company expects a turnover of more than $2 billion from the Middle East in 2004 and in the home appliances segment, expects a gain of 10 percent. LG Electronics...

Pensonic Holdings BHD.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... PENSONIC HOLDINGS BHD, Penang, Malaysia will begin operations at its new assembly plant in Bukit Minyak Industrial Estate. According to The Star Online, the plant will be used to assemble products including washing machines and fans. The...

Sony Corp.(International)(Brief Article)
October 1, 2004... SONY CORP. will begin selling two new flat-panel televisions equipped with a light-emitting diode backlighting system by November 2004. The 40-in. and 46-in. models will sell for 840,000 yen ($7,665) and 1.1 million yen respectively. Sony plans...

Cambridge Consultants.(International)
October 1, 2004... CAMBRIDGE CONSULTANTS, Cambridge, U.K. has created a monitoring and display "wearable laboratory" to give athletes the means to optimize their training and performance without the need of the typical sensors and wrist displays. Instead, a pair...

Meetings.(News Watch)(Brief Article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2004... ISH North America, Oct. 14-16, Boston. Contact: 770/984-8016 Web site: www.usa.messefrankfurt.com NAMA National Expo, Oct. 14-16, Chicago. Contact: National Automatic Merchandising Association, 312/346-0370. Web site: www.vending.org ...

Defensive strategies: innovation in EMI shielding prevents electronic disruptions.(Electronics)(Electromagnetic interference)(Cover Story)
October 1, 2004... The interoperability of electronic devices and modules can be difficult because of interference issues at both the board and module level. An appliance manufacturer may procure an electronic device in the form of a populated board only to find...

Slimming down: laptops get smaller every year and now their power adapters are following suit.(Electronics)
October 1, 2004... As notebook computers are becoming thinner and lighter, the ever-present bulky power adapters used for line current are approaching the weight of the laptops. But smaller and lighter adapters may be on the way, thanks to piezoelectric...

Shielding a snap: board level shield maximizes real estate.(Electronics)
October 1, 2004... With more and more devices going wireless comes the possibility of interference from the outside world to the device. Especially in the mobile telecommunications market, lightweight units packed with components also add the problems of...

Cooler electronics: novel ideas provide alternative approaches to thermal management.(Electronics)
October 1, 2004... Two new technologies for removing heat from electronic devices could help future generations of laptops, PDAs, mobile phones, telecom switches and high-powered military equipment keep their cool in the face of growing power demands. The...

Dazzling depth: powder coating trends enhance the look of appliances.(Coatings)
October 1, 2004... The versatility in powder coating effects and textures have come about over the past 10 years, changing the look of an appliance from simply a necessary piece of equipment to a focal point that makes a statement. Where liquid coatings once...

On the right wavelength: UV curable coatings enable design efforts.(Coatings)
October 1, 2004... Knowing about different decorating and coating technologies can make a better design engineer, one whose product dreams become reality. Ultraviolet (UV) curing technology has been around for over 30 years, but remains an unknown to many...

High density, zero windings: DC electromotive coil technology enables more innovative appliance designs.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... During the past decade, executives have cut operational costs to the point that there is little left to cut. Cost cuts have almost been eliminated as a strategy for increasing profitability. To create value, executives are left with few options...

Asymmetric lamination: alternative process reduces motor length to produce smaller, lighter motors.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... The appliance industry, like most other industries today, continues to demand the same, if not better, performance from designs that are smaller and lighter than their predecessors. In many of these applications an electric motor is the prime...

Vector control: DSP leads to quieter, faster motor control.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... In Western Europe, where homes and apartments are typically smaller than in the U.S. and electricity is considerably more expensive, a paradigm shift in white goods design is underway. Engineers are switching from the universal motors that...

Low-cost, quiet control: implementing MCU control of brushed-DC motors in small appliances.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... Brushed-DC (BDC) motors are used in a wide variety of applications, including many small appliances. Traditionally, the appliance market has used analog control as the means for driving BDC motors. But now, low-cost, microcontroller-based...

Safer trimming: clutch-slip device powers and protects hedge trimmer.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... When Bosch created a new line of professional hedge trimmers for the vast hedgerows that populate the U.K. and European countryside, it needed a tool that was both powerful and safe. One of the early design challenges the company faced was...

Clark Solutions.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... Beak miniature piezoelectric pumps are designed to solve problems of size, power consumption, noise and reliability in a wide range of liquid and gas pumping applications. Utilizing piezoelectric crystals formed and bonded to a metal diaphragm,...

Maxon Motors.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... EC Max brushless motors deliver performance and long life, but at tower cost than other brushless motors due to automated manufacturing processes. Hall-effect sensors provide feedback to the control electronics. The motor is assembled such that...

Groschopp.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... The PM108 true 1/3 HP compact DC motor is designed to deliver 90 VDC at 2,500 RPM and 130 in.-lb. start/stall. The motor features a more durably mounted brash design and square end bells for base mounting, though round versions are optional....

Faster clutches: new class of ER fluids stronger than ever.(Motors & Motor Control)(electrorheological)
October 1, 2004... Scientists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology have developed a new class of electrorheological (ER) fluids whose commercialization, into eco-friendly clutches, will provide a significant technological boost for applications...

International Rectifier.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... Three new integrated power modules expand the/Motion family, designed to help simplify variable-speed electronic motor control circuits in energy-efficient appliances. All three devices combine IR's low loss, non-punch-through...

Servo Magnetics.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... Compact, high-speed, 24 V brushless DC blower has drive and commutation electronics embedded in the motor design to provide a two-wire input, The impeller and rotor are balanced to give a vibration-free, low-noise design. The unit measures 3.4...

Agilent.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... A two-chip, optically isolated, programmable analog-to-digital converter has been optimized for measuring motor-phase currents in variable-speed motor-drive control systems for applications such as fans and blowers. The A/D converter is...

Merkle-Korff.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... GF brushless DC gear motor is designed to provide extended life, high efficiency, and up to 300 in./lb. of output torque ever a variable-speed range of 1 RPM to 30 RPM. The heavy-duty GF gear box has been combined with a 2.25-in. double ball...

Control Resources.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... SmartFan Inversion fan speed control combines an AC to DC power supply and a Dc fan control/alarm to provide the convenience of AC power along with the control and efficiency of DE fans. Typical Speed-controlled fans use 40 percent to 60...

Renco Encoders.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... The Model R35i commutation encoder incorporates a custom ASIC that results in fewer components, increased performance and higher product quality in a smaller package. The encoder provides both brushless motor commutation and higher resolution...

Sanyo Micro Motor.(Innovations)
October 1, 2004... The 12GN Series is a line of high torque, 12 mm geared DC micro motors that can provide a space-saving alternative to larger brush motors in compact applications. The motor measures 12 mmx 10 mmx 29 mm from terminals to tip of shaft, and it...

The hula move: tiny linear motor powered by ultrasonic vibrations.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... Linear motors are frequently utilized for actuator functions. In a world where increasing miniaturization is demanded, conventional electromagnetic implementations of linear actuation can often be problematic. Offering an alternative approach...

Drive into a new market: AC component drive targets appliance applications.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... A leading supplier of drives for industrial automation has recently turned its attention toward the appliance industry. ABB, Low Voltage Drives, New Berlin, Wis., has developed a small-horsepower, motor-control technology called a "component...

Driving roulette: sophisticated stepper motor drive helps automate roulette wheels.(Motors & Motor Control)
October 1, 2004... Cammegh Ltd. of Ashford, Kent, U.K., is Europe's leading manufacturer of roulette wheels for casinos. When the company decided it needed to develop an automated method of operation for a roulette wheel, it turned to SmartDrive, based in...

Color me recyclable: coloring program meets both design and environmental goals.(Plastics)
October 1, 2004... Nobody knows better than Kodak how the photography industry has changed. What once was a business based on the simple purchase of undeveloped film and processing has shifted dramatically in the past few years to a consumer-driven push for...

A.O. Smith Electrical Products Company.(Design Mart)
October 1, 2004... Brushless DC Motel A O, Smith has developed two unique brushless DC motors for the appliance industry that consume less than half the energy of conventional C-frame subfractional horsepower motors. Enter 400 A.O. Smith Electrical...

Optrex America, Inc.(Design Mart)
October 1, 2004... Optrex America has introduced an ultra-compact monochrome transmissive STN LCD that displays white characters or graphics on a blue background with an industry standard outline The F-5140b Series 52 inch diagonal module offers high brightness...

Elec-Tron, Inc.(Design Mart)
October 1, 2004... Elec-Tron, Inc, offers the EK Series Terminal Block which provides a compact, cost-efficient two pole general purpose terminal block with ever 50 connector options, ranging from multiple quick-soccer tabs to pressure screw connectors for a #4...