A.O. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., has announced the acquisition of Applied Energy Recovery Systems Inc. (AERS), Norcross, Ga., a manufacturer of commercial and residential heat pump water heaters.
Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich., has announced manufacturing production changes to its China operations, which include the closure of its washing machine manufacturing facility in Shanghai, China.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has released a report arguing that California’s businesses and consumers will suffer under the California Energy Commission’s (CEC) proposal to set arbitrary limits on television electricity usage.
Electrolux Home Care Products, Bloomington, Ill., has recalled about 320,000 Ergorapido, Pronto, and Precision vacuums because of a risk that the vacuum’s battery may expand and burst.
The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA)® has formed two discussion groups to investigate the need for standards addressing universal wireless charging and the ability to transfer metadata between portable and handheld devices.
The Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute will begin using a new unified mark to identify heating, ventilation, air conditioning and commercial refrigeration products that have achieved third-party certification of their performance ratings. The new mark will replace the ARI Performance Certified, GAMA Efficiency Rating Certified and I=B=R marks, but these changes will be made according to an implementation schedule that provides enough time to bring all certification programs into compliance with internationally recognized accreditations.
Sharp and Sony have reached an agreement to form an LCD manufacturing joint venture. The two companies aim to conclude a definitive deal by the end of September that will see a new LCD plant already under construction by Sharp taken over by the joint venture. The plant in Sakai in western Japan is being built at a cost of about $3.5 billion, and under the joint venture plan Sony will shoulder 34 percent of the cost of the factory.
Engineering, technical and industrial professionals have seen an impact of the economic slowdown on their businesses, yet are still working on specific types of projects and specifying and purchasing products and services, according to results of the 2009 GlobalSpec Economic Outlook Survey. More than 3800 GlobalSpec registered users - comprised of engineering, technical, industrial and manufacturing professionals - completed the survey, designed to gather data and report on the 2009 North American economic outlook from the point of view of professionals working in the industrial sector.
If ozone-depleting substances had not been banned, by the year 2065 nearly two-thirds of the Earth’s ozone would have been depleted, the ultraviolet radiation would have risen 650 percent, and the harmful effects to wildlife and humans would have increased, according to a new computer simulation program developed by researchers.
As fears about the recession become more widespread, millions of Americans are on the verge of disconnecting expensive cell phone plans. Two out of five Americans with contract-based cell phones –- 39 percent or 60.3 million consumers – are likely to cut back on their cell phones to save money if, as is widely expected, the economy gets worse over the next six months, according to new survey of 2,005 Americans conducted by Opinion Research Corporation (ORC) for the New Millennium Research Council (NMRC), Washington, D.C.
Hamilton Beach Brands, Richmond, Va., signed an exclusive licensing agreement with the Galanz company. Galanz will produce a comprehensive line of Hamilton Beach(R) and Proctor Silex(R) branded microwave ovens. Hamilton Beach Brands was assisted by Los Angeles-based new business development consultancy Brand Sense Partners, LLC (BSP) in developing and negotiating the license deal.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) urge the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to quickly disburse funding to state energy offices for the Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Programs so that consumer rebates will be available for the summer months to purchase ENERGY STAR appliances.
January shipments of heating and cooling equipment dropped as compared to January 2008, according to the Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI).
OMRON Corporation and Renesas Technology Corp. have reached an agreement to jointly develop capacitive touch sensor1 solutions, a field that is attracting a great deal of interest as a next-generation man-machine interface. Based on this agreement, Renesas will integrate OMRON’s touch sensor technology into its R8C Family 16-bit microcontroller (MCU) products and supply touch sensor solutions for a wide range of fields, including household appliances and mobile devices.
The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) is developing a voluntary, uniform industry test procedure for product manufacturers to determine clothes washer drum volume, which is expected to be finalized by the end of 2009. This new procedure will result in standardized volume measurements that can be applied across all washers—traditional and high-efficiency top as well as front loaders—and can be used by the consumer to compare washer volume regardless of platform. It is possible that, if appropriate, AHAM will request government adoption of this measuring test procedure.
The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) has serious concerns with a premature rush to 15 percent ethanol (E15) or other mid-level fuel blends as being suggested by pro-ethanol producers. Without a formal waiver process through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and a continued misinterpretation of test results from a recent Department of Energy (DOE) report, introducing E15 and higher fuels to the marketplace for existing equipment pose serious risks to American consumers and businesses.
The ZigBee Alliance and the RF4CE Consortium, founded by Panasonic, Royal Philips Electronics, Samsung Electronics, and Sony, have reached an agreement to deliver a standardized specification for radio frequency-based (RF) remote controls.
In a new position document, ASHRAE outlines its support for research, assessment and strategic growth in the use of natural refrigerants such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, air and water in refrigeration systems and technologies. …More
Intertek, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, will host a webinar educating manufacturers on the mandatory new EuP (Energy-using Products) Directive in Europe. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 2 p.m. (EST). Fast, free registration can be completed at: Intertek, a global leader in testing, inspection and certification, will host a webinar educating manufacturers on the mandatory new EuP (Energy-using Products) Directive in Europe. The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10 at 2 p.m. (EST). Fast, free registration can be completed at: http://www.intertek-etlsemko.com/portal/page/cust_portal/ITK_PGR/Copy_of_CONTACT_US_PG/EuP_Webinar
Appliance manufacturer Arcelik, Istanbul, Turkey, plans to merge with TV manufacturer Grundig Elektronik, an Arcelik subsidiary in which it already owns a majority of shares. The companies say the merger will help both companies increase their competitiveness.
Whirlpool is investing $175 million into its Clyde, Ohio, manufacturing plant. The factory makes automatic clothes washers. Whirlpool plans to add 90 to 100 positions at the plant in 2010. Whirlpool laid of 250 employees at the plant late last year.
Bosch, Huntington Beach, Calif., has been named the 2009 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Appliances by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The award recognizes Bosch for its outstanding contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by manufacturing energy-efficient appliances and helping to educate consumers about those products. Bosch’s accomplishments will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 31, 2009.
In a recent survey of U.S. die casters, 78% reported that they have seen die casting parts come back from overseas during the last two quarters. According to these reports, die cast components are returning to the U.S. for three main reasons: concerns about part quality, customer-supplier proximity and overseas logistics.
Wireless power is emerging as a popular concept since the profusion of personal and portable electronic devices has created a need for a convenient means to power these gadgets, eliminating the inconvenience and mess of several chargers and wires. Industries too echo this sentiment, as wires represent a burden in terms of cost and maintenance. Scientists are considering several technologies for such applications.
SIRIUS XM Radio and Liberty Media have entered into agreements in which Liberty will invest an aggregate of $530 million in the form of loans to SIRIUS XM and its subsidiaries and receive an equity interest in SIRIUS XM.
The employee owners of Market Forge Industries, Everette, Wash., acquired Stellar Steam, Cherry Hill, N.J. The acquistion becomes the newest addition to the Market Forge family of steam cooking equipment. Stellar Steam manufactures steamers, including the Polaris mobile boilerless steamer, which was named a 2008 Kitchen Innovations award winner at the 2008 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show. The company is also a 2007 Energy Star Manufacturing Partner of the Year.
