Appliance Design articles from September 2006

Appliance Design archives from September 2006

Get smart about smart homes.(wireless technologies)
September 1, 2006... In the summer movie "Click," Adam Sandler's character acquires the ultimate universal remote control--one that controls life. Since such a device is not likely to show up in Best Buy any time soon, makers of consumer electronics need not scurry...

Shipments.(table)(Table)
September 1, 2006... SHIPMENTS Product June '06 June '05 % Chg. 6 Mos. '06 MAJORS--TOTAL 6,519,100 6,889,800 -5.4% 33,887,200 CLEANUP--TOTAL 1,325,900 1,410,000 -6.0% 7,117,600 ...

Forecasts.(HOME APPLIANCES)(Chart)
September 1, 2006... FORECASTS MAJOR HOME APPLIANCES--Shipments (Thousands of Units) Qtr: 2005 2006 2007 1 18,708.7 21,403.7 21,204.5 2 22,752.4 22,593.8 22,475.0 3 19,243.8 19,193.4 19,712.8 4 ...

Stand out strategy.(new or enhanced technologies)(housewares manufacturers and retailers face the challenges of commoditization)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Innovation in small appliances has become more important today than ever, as housewares manufacturers and retailers face the challenges of commoditization, pricing pressures and channel migration, according to a recent issue of Housewares...

Small electrics, big deal.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... Nacco Industries plans to merge Hamilton-Beach/ Proctor-Silex, Richmond, Va., with Applica, Miramar, Fla. Nacco will spin its Hamilton Beach unit to shareholders through a stock dividend. The unit will then merge with Applica, whose...

Adding to Amana.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... Whirlpool Corp. said it plans to invest up to $11 million in its Amana refrigerator plant in Eastern Iowa, adding up to 400 jobs. The investment will boost employment at the plant up to 2,900 by the end of 2008.

Scrolling up.(Mergers and acquisitions)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Danfoss A/S, Nordborg, Denmark, has entered into an agreement to acquire Scroll Technologies, which manufactures scroll compressors at a plant in Arkadelphia, Ark. Since 1995, Scroll Technologies has been operated as a joint venture between...

Encouraging engineering.(young people to consider careers in engineering)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... James Dyson, the billionaire inventor and entrepreneur behind Dyson vacuum cleaners, plans to establish a new style of school in the U.K. that would encourage young people to consider careers in engineering. The Dyson School of Design...

Stopping smoke.(health affects due to tobacco smoke)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A recent report issued by the U.S. Surgeon General concludes that the adverse health affects stemming from tobacco smoke cannot be eliminated by either filtration or ventilation. The conclusion echoes a position document published last year by...

The laundry calls.( launched a new study called Laundry Time to gauge )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Internet Home Alliance has launched a new study called Laundry Time to gauge the effectiveness and consumer attitudes regarding remote access and control of laundry appliances. Finishing up this month, the collaboration involves Whirlpool,...

Bill Doucette joins appliance design.( pro Bill Doucette has begun employing his talents on behalf of Appliance Design)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... With more than two decades of experience selling advertising space in magazines, seasoned pro Bill Doucette has begun employing his talents on behalf of Appliance Design, serving as the magazine's independent representative in the Eastern...

Meetings.(Conferences and conventions)(Calendar)
September 1, 2006... SEPTEMBER Portable Power, Sept. 18-21, San Francisco, Calif. Contact: 508/498-1798 Email: brooke@planninghouseintel.com Web Site: www.portablepower2005.com Powder Coating Show, Sept. 19-21, Indianapolis, Ind. Contact:...

Hot towels.(Thermique Technologies)(electrically heated glass)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Thermique Technologies, Chicago, has launched its line of Thermique towel warmers in selected retail showrooms. Comprised almost entirely of electrically heated glass, the upscale products look like ordinary glass, but are warm to the touch....

Liquid lens.(imaging systems on handset auto-focus cameras)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Varioptic, Lyon, France, has developed a liquid lens for miniature, high-resolution imaging systems on handset auto-focus cameras. The liquid lens system eliminates moving parts and enables the user to obtain accurate focus from a short...

Quiet grinding.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... The InSinkErator Div. of Emerson has unveiled a new disposer series that is designed to grind food waste in stages while significantly reducing noise. The MultiGrind technology features two stages of grinding, and MultiGrind Plus features three...

Second wind.(WindTunnel 2 technology )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Hoover has launched its WindTunnel 2 technology that is designed to lift and trap dirt without scattering it back on the floor. The unit also has a self-cleaning HEPA filter that cleans itself every six seconds. Hoover's marketing materials...

Cooling collaboration.(frost-free refrigerators)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Electrolux and Sharp Corp. are working together to develop an innovative range of mid-sized, frost-free refrigerators as part of a broader strategic collaboration on major appliances between the two companies. The project began last year and...

Perc sent packing.(Environmental Protection Agency)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is tightening rules for the nation's 28,000 dry-cleaning operations that use perchloroethylene, also known as perc. The new rules mandate that dry cleaners operating in residential buildings must...

Larry Adams joins appliance Design.(Larry Adams has joined Appliance Design magazine as its managing editor)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Veteran technical writer Larry Adams has joined Appliance Design magazine as its managing editor. Adams has more than 20 years of journalistic experience, having worked on technical magazines, daily and weekly newspapers and wire services,...

HD peacemaker?(High definition television)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Tokyo-based Ricoh Co. said that, by next year, it will be able to supply an optical component that reads both HD DVD and Blu-ray discs, two competing and incompatible standards for playing and recording high-definition video. The Ricoh hybrid...

That's entertainment.(entertainment network)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The number of U.S. households with a connected entertainment network will reach 30 million by 2010, according to a new report by Parks Associates, Dallas. The report, "Networks in the Home: Connected Consumer Electronics," asserts that...

Magnetic memory chip.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... Freescale Semiconductor, Austin, Tex., has begun volume production of the first commercially available magnetoresistive random access memory chip that combines magnetic materials with conventional silicon circuitry to deliver the speed of SRAM...

Baby cries clearer.(cordless communication technology )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... This month, Philips North American domestic appliances and personal care division will launch a line of high-tech baby monitors featuring the same digital enhanced cordless communication technology used in some cordless telephones. Using DECT,...

Wider warnings.(Federal Emergency Management Agency)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Homeland Security Department, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is working on a digital emergency alert system that will soon be able to transmit warnings of national emergencies to wireless phones, handheld computers,...

Odors on tap.(device that analyzes odors)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... Researchers at the Tokyo Institute of Technology have developed a device that analyzes odors using 15 sensors, then records the odor's "recipe" in a digital format. The device can then "play back" the odor, reproducing the scent by precisely...

Computer quality.(benchmark study by Gartner)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... PC vendors have reduced hardware annual failure rates by approximately 25 percent in the past two years, but there is still room for improvement, according to a benchmark study by Gartner, Stamford, Conn. While the good news is that...

Returning rechargables.(Call2Recycle program)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. reported that 2.4 million lbs. of rechargeable batteries were collected in the U.S. and Canada through its Call2Recycle program in the first half of this year. The figure represents a 6.4 percent...

Brighter LEDs.(NEWS WATCH)(light emitting diode)
September 1, 2006... Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have made semiconductor light-emitting diodes more than seven times brighter by etching nanoscale grooves in a surrounding cavity to guide scattered light in one direction. The...

Health watch.(sophisticated home-monitoring networks)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The wireless developer Cambridge Consultants, based in Cambridge, U.K., has demonstrated how ZigBee's unique networking attributes can be exploited to implement sophisticated home-monitoring networks for the elderly and vulnerable. This...

DC power idea saves energy.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... Researchers at the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California teamed with Silicon Valley giants including Sun Microsystems, Intel, Cisco, and others to demonstrate technologies that could save billions of dollars...

Rating fuel cells.(National Institute of Standards and Technology)(developed combine hydrogen from natural gas with oxygen )(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... A new performance rating system for residential fuel cells developed at the National Institute of Standards and Technology can help prospective buyers assess the economic value of alternative fuel-cell technologies. Residential fuel cells...

Green computers.(computer buyers make environmentally sound purchases)(Brief article)
September 1, 2006... The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, along with the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers Standards Association, announced a new voluntary environmental performance standard to help large-volume computer buyers make...

Trade shows united.(Assembly Technology Expo)
September 1, 2006... Three major manufacturing-oriented trade shows, National Manufacturing Week, Quality Expo, and Assembly Technology Expo, will all be held under the same roof in 2007, and that roof will be the one covering the Donald E. Stephens Convention...

One source yields power, water, cooling.(NEWS WATCH)
September 1, 2006... When hurricanes, wars or other emergencies force authorities to respond, three essentials top their list of must-haves: water, electricity and refrigeration. Now, in a project funded by the U.S. Army, two University of Florida engineers...

Wireless power: inductive coupling technology creates new design possibilities.(NEW & NOTABLE)
September 1, 2006... In the development of household devices, designers today are expected to bring new levels of convenience and flexibility to consumers. Some design limitations on achieving those goals can include traditional assumptions for connecting power and...

Friendly face: usability is the key to an effective interface.(INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & HUMAN FACTORS)
September 1, 2006... The choices seem endless. Chocolate or vanilla? Mixed nuts or chocolate chips? A combination? Dessert afficionados in shopping malls throughout suburban Boston face these same questions when they stroll up to MooBella ice cream machines to...

Beyond aesthetics: product branding is also established by non-visual experience.(INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & HUMAN FACTORS)
September 1, 2006... Conventional wisdom about design is that the identity of a product has relied on aesthetic presentation alone: its design. No one is debating that this first impression is still a valid marker, but to succeed, designers must recognize that...

Foil finery: plastic parts dress up with hot-stamping foils.(DECORATION)
September 1, 2006... The term "hot stamping" is one that has many different facets. Hot-stamping foils, in the general sense, can be used for conventional hot stamping, but newer modified versions of the foils are now used to produce holographic images, multi-color...

Majestic metal: today's metal nameplates combine processes to get a premium look.(DECORATION)
September 1, 2006... Design trends come and go. In the world of nameplates, those pieces of material that stand out against the product and proudly display the brand name, metal nameplates are once again in vogue, suppliers say. But, these are not your standard...

Comparing choices: application needs and assembly methods determine optimal connector style.(CONNECTORS & CORDS)
September 1, 2006... The electric and electronic design of appliances continues to change as manufacturers work to create products that include enhanced features and provide more energy and cost-efficiencies. Yet, through all of these design modifications, there...

Flexible and functional: resin solves multiple wire-coating challenges.(CONNECTORS & CORDS)
September 1, 2006... Appliance wiring and cable manufacturers need to be fast on their feet these days. Facing a host of requirements ranging from stringent regulations governing the use of halogens in flame retardants to demands for more product functionality in...

Beyond the surface: 3D technology offers more than just a better view.(SOFTWARE)
September 1, 2006... Like a fashion model who is also a member of MENSA, 3D computer-aided design supports the argument that first impressions never tell the whole story. Frequently people are so enamored with the 3D visuals that they forget to look deeper for the...

Multidiscipline simulation: modeling complex interactions yields realistic predictions.(SOFTWARE)
September 1, 2006... Two of the biggest issues facing appliance design engineers today are cost reduction and customer satisfaction. Excessive defects in the development of appliances and variation in materials and manufacturing processes generate unexpectedly high...

ND industries.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... ND Expand-A-Seal is a pre-applied, high-performance, epoxy thread-locking solution that also provides a total air and watertight seal even under extremely high pressures. The product uses the microencapsulation process, wherein the epoxy...

Microchip technology.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... The PIC 18F4450/2450 is a Flash PIC microcontroller with certified Full-Speed USB 2.0 connectivity and 48 MHz operation, for 12 Mbps data-transfer rates. In combination with a wide variety of on-chip peripherals and nanoWatt Technology power...

Heyco products.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... ERTB terminal blocks are compact, sturdy, post-to-damp style unitized blocks that mount to any cabinet or housing attachment point. Each of these electrical poles has a protective strip under each tightening screw that does not pierce either...

SAIA-burgess.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... The B22-L latching, open-frame solenoid features magnetic latching capability. These open-frame solenoids are designed for latching applications such as security systems, office automation and medical devices. They are available standard with 6...

Watson-Marlow Bredel.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... The easy-to-load 313D pumphead is ideal for flavor blending in food and beverage processing applications. It offers flow ranges of 0.25 ml/min to 3000 ml/min, pressures up to 30 psi, and can utilize seven different tube sizes. With an accuracy...

Nexergy.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... The LX Series of battery chargers are designed for lithium-ion and lithium-polymer batteries. Safety precautions make certain that the charging voltage is precisely regulated to the needs of the battery, pack, helping to ensure maximum battery,...

SouthCo.(NEW PRODUCTS)
September 1, 2006... The CEMA ST Series of constant-torque position-control hinges creates versatile options for precise positioning of hinged panels in a variety of applications. Their reliable positioning torque eliminates the need for secondary mechanical...

Bill will help industry and environment.(ASSOCIATION REPORT: ARI)
September 1, 2006... If you had a chance to help U.S. businesses save energy and money while helping U.S. manufacturers do something good for the environment, you'd probably jump at the chance, right? Well, Congress has that chance now. A bill before the House of...