MacDermid Autotype Autotex Steel is a hard-coated polyester film for producing stainless-steel effects on membrane switches, keypads, and fascia panels.
Microbridge Technologies Micro-flow differential pressure sensors incorporate a thermal anemometer element and CMOS analog conditioning circuitry with a micro-flow channel having very high flow-impedance that allows accurate sensing of low differential pressures over a wide dynamic range.
Association Report: AHAM: Facing Challenges, Seizing Opportunities AHAM’s recent annual meeting, Organized for Opportunity, held in April had very good attendance, which was somewhat of a surprise given the state of the economy. There are many industry events sponsored by associations and others that have either been canceled or have suffered low attendance this year. I attribute our healthy turnout to two facts.
by Joseph M. McGuire
Editorial: Stay Alert on the Night Shift When appliance makers announce their intentions to design appliances compatible with the smart grid, they need to examine whether their objectives are congruent with the goals of their utility partners. The environmental imperative of reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions does not perfectly mesh with the utilities’ desire to reduce its investment in new construction.
by RichardBabyak
News Watch: Electronics & Energy Electronics are boosting energy consumption. Or, electronics are reducing energy consumption. It depends on one’s perspective. Dueling reports, both issued on May 13, appear to suggest differing conclusions.
Motors The ARCUS DMX-K-SA-11 stepper motor is an all-in-one microstep motor with driver, controller, and encoder integrated into the motor’s back cap, minimizing external electronics and wiring. The motor uses Renishaw’s OnAxis AM256 magnetic encoder chip for real-time position verification.
Clever and Cool Innovative appliances seen at the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, held April 30-May 3 in Atlanta.
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Interface Design The current generation of consumers expects all of its electronics to provide much more than just basic functionality. The same old knobs or switches on a new product will not win over today’s electronics buyers. To differentiate new products and keep up with competitors, companies must offer exciting, full-color touch screens that are both easy and fun to use.
Flat & Fast A new approach to fabricating electric heating elements promises to significantly change the way heat sources are designed into appliances and other products that employ electric heating. The method involves spraying the heating element material onto a rigid substrate such as metal, glass, or ceramic.
Electronics: The Energy Aware Home Helping homeowners increase their awareness of energy usage and effectively reducing that usage has been an elusive goal. Achieving it requires a monitoring and control solution that involves makers of home appliances, home controls, and in-home displays. To accomplish the necessary monitoring and control, appliances must be connected to a home area network (HAN). This network would also enable utility companies via smart meters to remotely control and monitor consumer energy usage and directly communicate to homeowners.
Biodiesel Blends The use of biodiesel-blended heating oil in oil-fired appliances is a trend that is slowly growing in the U.S. Some retailers of heating oil have been offering residential and industrial customers biodiesel blends for about 10 years at concentrations of typically 5 and 20 percent biodiesel.
Coatings: Foiling Fingerprints Keeping surfaces on residential and commercial appliances free of contamination from fingerprints and dirt, as well as making them easier to clean, is an active field of research and technology development. Recent development in the hybridization of perfluoropolyether polymers modified with organofunctional silanes has created stay-clean and easy-to-clean surface properties.
by StevenBlock PeterHupfield YasuoItami EijiKitaura DonKleyer TetsuyaMasutani YasuhiroNakai
Motors: Cutting Cooling Costs Increasing energy prices, tighter energy efficiency legislation, and interest in energy conservation have created a strong demand for efficient refrigerated appliances. In response, suppliers have started to offer a range of solutions to save energy in applications such as refrigerated display cases, bottle coolers, walk-in coolers, and refrigerated vending machines. Possibly the easiest and most widely adopted energy-efficiency improvement is the substitution of electronically commutated (ECM) evaporator and condenser fan motors for their wasteful traditional motor counterparts. …More
Quality and Standards: Preventing Problems There are many reasons why successful appliance design manufacturers use Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), including lower warranty costs, more successful testing programs, improved safety and compliance. But one of the most important reasons to use FMEA during appliance design is customer satisfaction.
Software: Speedy 3D In today’s business climate, flexibility drives the ability of product manufacturers to stay competitive. As the costs of labor, materials and transportation fluctuate, manufacturers must continually assess the profitability of their design and supply chains. Consumer trends and new manufacturing processes further compel them to seek innovative ways of bringing new products to market quickly and efficiently.
