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MATERIALS & JOINING
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 | Setting the Bar in Slide Technology
Functional hardware technology in appliances has not kept up with the technology that surrounds it - until now, that is.
by David Doub and Bernd Heinz
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 | Natural Oils Get Rigid
From materials that have zero ozone depletion potential (ODP) to the push for materials with lower global warming potential (GWP), designers have had the challenge of adapting as material migrated from one environmentally acceptable product to the next.
by Larry Adams
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 | Designing with Plastic
Through the use of plastic materials, designers are able to create innovative, intricately designed parts not possible with glass.
by Fred Colhoun and Alan Phillips
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 | Successful Slide Selection
Drawer slides should operate trouble-free the entire life of a product, which is why it’s important to analyze slide specifications, features and other available options.
by Susan Kearns and Frank Gerk
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 | Avoid Plastics Design Pitfalls
Designing to ensure plastic product reliability is critical to avoid product liability claims, environmental concerns and quality costs.
by Dr C. O’Connor
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 | Stainless Steel Challenges
Many foodservice equipment manufacturers rely heavily on stainless steel. However, not all stainless is made equal and alternatives can also mean cost savings.
by Austin Weber
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 | Insulation: Advancing to the Next Level
With the mandated phase-out of HCFC-141b as a blowing agent for polyurethane insulation, manufacturers of refrigeration appliances were faced with limited choices for alternatives, primarily hydrocarbons or hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
by John Murphy
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 | Metals: Aluminum Appeal
The art and science of designing appliances and electronics involve merging form, function, and aesthetic appeal. The selection of the right material is a crucial step for designers to meet these demands, as well as support the product’s performance requirements.
by Greg Courval
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 | Joining: Light-Curable Adhesives
Manufacturers have recently faced the most challenging
economic conditions in decades and have aggressively sought means to reduce
costs without sacrificing product quality.
by Virginia P. Read
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 | Coatings: Alternative to Porcelain
For decades, porcelain enamel has been the
coating of choice for appliance applications requiring high heat resistance and
abrasion resistance.
by John Robinson
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 | Plastics: Curbing Microbes
Incorporating antimicrobial properties into products may seem like a magic bullet destined to appeal to the germaphobe in everyone—after all their use is increasing in products we see all around us, from antibacterial soaps to kitchen countertop protection.
by Mike Chappell
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 | Metals: Heat Exchanger Design
For years the HVAC/R industry has been chasing an alternative to copper for direct substitution of helical enhanced copper tube in mechanical expanded heat exchanger units. The quest has been to maintain the same production process and product performance with cost savings derived from the change in raw materials.
by Richard Jorgensen
John MacDonald
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 | Plastics
Millad NX8000 clarifier provides a significant change in haze reduction compared to the industry standard (typically a 50 percent reduction), enabling polypropylene to achieve a level of clarity that approaches polycarbonate.
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 | Joining: Double Duty
Aerospace and automotive manufacturers have been incorporating hybrid joining into their production for years now. This joining method, however, has been largely ignored by appliance manufacturers. A novel approach to assembly construction, the method is surely applicable within the appliance industry — and stands to benefit both appliance manufacturers and end users.
by Steve Wichelecki
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 | 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 Steven Block
Peter Hupfield
Yasuo Itami
Eiji Kitaura
Don Kleyer
Tetsuya Masutani
Yasuhiro Nakai
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 | Elastomers: Versatility Progresses
Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to elastomers, both literally and figuratively, given their wide range of uses and ability to be stretched repeatedly and returned to near original shape. A decade or so ago, elastomer use was limited to some gasket and hose applications, or used for appearance, feel, and color. Today’s elastomers come in composites that are more utilitarian, and their usage has exploded.
by Larry Adams
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 | Decoration: Translating Texture
Imagine being able to recreate the texture of fine silk on a metal surface. It sounds impossible, but the capability exists now. Silk, or virtually any other texture, can be recreated on metal foil with such accuracy and fineness of detail that it looks and feels like the real thing. The process for accomplishing this feat was developed by a small South Korean firm that combined nano-imprinting and nano-electroforming techniques. …More
by Wayne H. Choe
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| Insulation: Alternative Blowing Agents
The saga of alternative blowing agents for polyurethane foam insulation seems never-ending, and new chapters are still being written. In both residential and commercial refrigeration applications, the blowing agent CFC-11 had been the standard for years until banned by the Montreal Protocol because of its ozone depletion potential (ODP). Given the challenges of quickly finding ideal alternatives, HCFCs such as HCFC-141b, with a somewhat lower ODP, were approved as a temporary alternative until better blowing agents could be found.
by Richard Babyak
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 | Metal & Metal Parts: Foamy Future
The term metal foam is self-evident as a description; less obvious is the reason for making it. As the name suggests, metal foam is metal material that has been created with a porous, cellular structure, making it sort of a metallic sponge. The point of making such a material is to provide designers with the characteristic benefits of metal, such as strength, rigidity, thermal conductivity, and electromagnetic shielding, with the uncharacteristic benefits of lighter weight and increased surface area.
by Larry Adams
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 | Joining: Pivotal Parts
Latches, hinges, and slides all have a utilitarian function in common: they secure two parts together, often when one component moves and the other is stationary. They latch, lock, open and close, slide, tilt, rotate, lock in place, close automatically, close softly, and do many other actions. And, while doing that, they must work smoothly and reliably for upwards of hundreds of thousands of cycles.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics & Plastic Parts: Heed the Draft
Injection molding is the most commonly used method of manufacturing any significant volume of plastic components. The process uses metal molds to produce parts with high accuracy and cosmetic surface finishes, accommodates a vast variety of engineering-grade resins and can be highly cost effective in mid- to high-volume runs.
by Brad Cleveland
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 | Quality & Standards: Chemical Content
Just as the manufacturers of the world thought they were getting a stranglehold on the compliance requirements in the European Union (EU), the EU throws in another regulation to comply with. On June 1, 2007, the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals Regulation (EC 1907/2006), more commonly known as REACH, came into force. The REACH Regulation was created with the intention to protect human health, as well as the environment, by reducing the risk of harmful chemical exposure.
by Matthew Quinn
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 | Metals & Metal Parts: The Merits of Molding
Injection molding metal is not the most common way to produce a three-dimensional metal part. The traditional methods – machining, forging, and, the most popular, casting – still hold sway most of the time.
But, molding metal is a sometimes-overlooked concept that can be a viable option for designers looking for ways to make a component that combines the benefits of metal’s mechanical properties with the design flexibility of an injection molding operation. This is especially true for high volume, complex parts that maybe too small or too difficult to do easily with the more conventional method
by Larry Adams
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 | Coatings: Conquering Corrosion
The appliance industry has long relied on surface treatment chemistries such as zinc phosphate and electro-coating technologies to properly clean, conversion coat, and paint metal substrates. These surface treatments create and sustain a lasting quality finish and help prevent corrosion to enhance the aesthetics of finished goods and the working life of inner components.
by Mark Ziehm
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 | Prototyping: Mix & Match
As part designs become increasingly complex, there is a corresponding growing desire to emulate that complexity in the prototyping stage. A novel technology developed by Objet Geometries, Rehovot, Israel, makes that possible to an unprecedented degree. The company’s PolyJet Matrix technology, first employed in its Connex500 system, can simultaneously jet two different materials with different mechanical properties, permitting the prototyping of co-injected or overmolded parts. In addition, the system can blend those two materials in different proportions on the fly, enabling the fabrication of a multiple-material model in a single build.
by Richard Babyak
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 | Prototyping: Materials Play the Part
In the early days of rapid prototyping, product developers were ecstatic to have quickly produced parts that accurately indicated form and fit. But as compressed development cycles have placed more demands upon design engineers, they in turn demand more from their prototypes. They want RP parts that exhibit greater functionality, more durability, higher accuracy, and improved appearance. The key to meeting those demands is continued innovation in the realm of RP materials, and the companies that create such products have stepped up to the plate and delivered. In the past few years, the industry has witnessed an expanded range of RP materials that bring product designers ever closer to their ideal – making rapid prototypes that look and perform as well as production parts.
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 | Decoration: Bright Ideas
Alternatives to traditional electroplated chrome have hit the market that can achieve the material’s bright and glossy look without the negatives usually associated with electroplating. The timing couldn’t be better.
by Larry Adams
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 | Industrial Design: The Right Stuff
Designers need to be materialistic. Not in the sense of being superficially obsessed with material things, but in the literal sense of being focused on materials themselves, the very substance and content of the products they design.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics: Water Works
Injection molding is a tried-and-true production
technology that for years has been used to make millions of parts, large and
small. Injection molding does have some drawbacks, however, especially with
larger parts, such as visible sink marks and other surface defects. To resolve
those issues, the basic technology is being augmented with new equipment,
materials, and processes.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics: Pondering the Palette
Designing with plastics offers many benefits, one of which is the ability to embed the color into the polymer itself, eliminating the production bottlenecks created by finishing lines. But the decisions to be made for coloring plastics are multi-faceted, involving aesthetics, color stability, processing, cost, and the effect of pigments on mechanical properties. All of these factors must be carefully weighed to make the optimal selection of color and coloring method, and with new special effect resins being introduced on a regular basis, the right choice becomes a moving target.
by Larry Adams
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 | Joining: Lock & Unlock
OEM product designers and fastener application engineers have struggled to provide a self-locking screw-thread system that is reusable and cost effective. Over the years, several locking systems for threaded fasteners have been developed and implemented in a wide range of commercial products. Most of these locking fasteners depend on some type of interference fit between the male and female thread. This interference is most commonly accomplished by deforming a few threads in the fastener, which is referred to in the fastener industry as an all-metal, prevailing-torque fastener.
by Kevin Peacock
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 | Elastomers: Simply Silicone (May 2008)
Silicone elastomers are extremely versatile
materials that offer a range of attractive performance characteristics, often
outperforming their TPE cousins. They work well in extreme cold and high heat
temperatures, are chemical resistant, and can be customized with a variety of
unique properties. Combine this with tactile characteristics that range from
soft to tacky to hard, and designers are given a plethora of options. Various
grades of purified silicone materials can also be used in regulated
applications such as foodservice appliances and medical devices.
by Larry Adams
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 | Insulation: Optimizing Objectives (March 2008)
When evaluating polyurethane (PU) systems for
household appliance applications, short demold times have typically forced PU
processors to choose between strong insulation performance and higher
productivity levels.
by Sandro Kohn
Hans Kramer
Vanni Parenti
Dasaradh Kumar Patchala
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 | Metals: Flashy Finish (March 2008)
Using an eye-catching finish has become an
increasingly used method to differentiate products from the competition and
excite the consumer’s interest. For OEMs using prefinished metals for either
cabinets or trim pieces, the options for achieving a new look have also grown.
While the idea of using prefinished metals isn’t new, there are new
opportunities to exploit them. Those opportunities arise from the introduction
of new materials and changing consumer tastes. Today’s consumers are more
amenable to colorful designs, but they also have practical concerns, such as
fingerprint resistance and finish durability.
by Larry Adams
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 | Joining: Through Thick and Thin
Self-pierce riveting (SPR) has been around for
decades, so most are probably familiar with its basic premise. SPR is a cold
joining process used to fasten two or more sheets of material by driving an
engineered rivet through the top sheet(s) and upsetting the rivet, under the
influence of a die, into the bottom sheet without breaking through it.
by Dean Monday
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 | Joining: Think Zink
Molten zinc alloy is not commonly considered as
an instant curing “glue,” nor as an alternative to instant-cure adhesives for
bonding small components. But it has been used for more than 60 years in
FisherTech’s Injected Metal Assembly (IMA) process to join components in much
the same way as adhesives. While zinc alloy can’t replace adhesives in all
applications, it can do so in many assemblies without the problems of peeling
and thermal degradation inherent with conventional adhesives, and without the
need for special surface preparation.
by Les Agnew
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 | Plastics: Shielding Solutions (Jan. 2008)
Fabricating electronic device housings out of
plastic offers several advantages, including design flexibility and inherent
coloring, but polymer has an Achilles heel when it comes to electromagnetic
interference (EMI), which passes through even the hardest plastic like ghosts
through walls. Unchecked interference can cause a range of problems, from mild
annoyance in a consumer electronic device to a life-threatening malfunction in
a sensitive piece of medical equipment.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics: Gas Shows New Side (Jan. 2008)
External gas pressure is shown in green during
the gas-packing phase. The still molten plastic shown in blue was completely
injected into the mold in the prior phase. Gas can be introduced through
individual gas pins or through a gas manifold system; either approach puts gas
on the back side to allow uniform gas packing pressure. Integral seals in the
piece part geometry provide the sealing. Another sealing technique is to “O”
ring the parting line. The gas pressure “inflates” and holds the plastic
against the cavity half of the mold during cooling. With other processes the
plastic shrinks down on the core.
by Larry Adams
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 | Metals & Metal Parts: Lightweights Get Tough (Nov. 2007)
In recent years there has been growing interest in
using lighter weight materials across a broad range of applications. This is
particularly true of the aerospace and automotive industries, where there is
increasing environmental pressure being brought to bear on manufacturers to
reduce emissions. But, in fact, many other applications, including portable
devices, can benefit from a switch to lighter materials given the appropriate
surface characteristics.
by Anne Wilde
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 | Coatings: Powder on Plastics (Oct. 2007)
When
considering coating plastics, the first obvious question pops up. Why bother?
By simply using pigmented resin one gets a molded-in color that can’t scratch
off and one that also eliminates the need for a finishing operation. The answer
is two-fold. One is that, in thick, large plastic parts, it can be more
economical to put color on the outside where it is needed, instead of
throughout the entire thickness of the part. The other is better color
matching. Everyone has had the experience of seeing an assembly of metal and
plastic parts that didn’t perfectly match, and where the fading on the plastic
only made the color mismatch worse over time.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics: Nano is Now (Aug. 2007)
It’s hard to read anything these days
without coming across a reference to nanotechnology. What some designers may not
realize is that some nanotech products have already made it out of the lab and
into the field. In the realm of engineered materials, plastics enhanced with
nanometer-sized particles are now available that offer designers a range of new
options and benefits such as optical clarity, strength, stiffness, thermal
stability, reduced permeability, and flame retardancy.
by Larry Adams
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 | Plastics: Spheres of Influence (Aug. 2007)
A new type of glass microsphere additive has been
developed for use in plastic extrusion and injection molding processes. The
high-strength, low-density glass microspheres, 3M™ Performance Additives iM30K,
can survive extremely high compressive forces, providing compounders and
processors with new application opportunities. The potential benefits from
using these additives include low microsphere breakage, lower part weight,
improved thermal expansion properties, improved processing, improved
dimensional stability, lower fuel load and reduced injection cycle times in
many applications. Addition of these materials can also result in the
maintenance of important thermoplastic physical properties.
by Stephen E. Amos
Andrew S. D’Souza
Hendrikson Karl
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 | Joining: Speedier Silicones
Flexible, heat-resistant, one-part RTV silicones have
traditionally been used to bond smooth glass or porcelain stovetops to metal
stove frames. As a stove heats and cools, its components expand and contract at
different rates, causing stress on adhesive joints. Silicones inherently exhibit very high elongation, which allows
them to absorb this stress without failing cohesively or cracking the glass.
by Noonan Brian P.
Fisher Edward A.Y.
Lafond John A.
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 | Joining: Snappy Style
Reliability and quality are extremely important for
consumers. However, inevitably there comes a time in a product’s lifecycle when
the item will require service. Whether the product is a home appliance,
commercial foodservice appliance, vending machine, ATM machine, or computer
server, the less time it takes to repair the item the better.
by Ramsauer Dieter
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 | Joining: Failsafe Fusing
There are many critical plastic-part assembly
applications where the long-term integrity of the joint is absolutely
essential, such as when the assembly must contain a liquid. Examples include
various small household appliances, oral hygiene appliances, or parts for major
appliances, such as a dishwasher arm or clothes washer pump assembly.
by Chookazian Steven M.
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 | Elastomers: Vents Make Sense (May 2007)
Consumers
expect appliances and portable devices to the withstand normal wear and tear of
an active household. At the same time, the electronic components used in
consumer products are becoming much more sophisticated and sensitive. It is
essential to protect the electronics from external contaminants such as dust,
dirt, liquids, and detergents. At the same time, battery gases that build up
inside appliances must be vented so as not to damage the electronics.
Therefore, the design engineer must
develop a product housing that allows gases to be vented, equalizes pressure,
and prevents corrosion and damage to the internal electronics.
by Jason Zambotti
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 | Elastomers: Overmolding Overtures (May 2007)
The
soft touch and comfortable, non-slip grip are the first things that come to
mind as reasons for overmolding an elastomer around a part or product, either
partially or totally. But the process can provide other benefits beyond the
tactile ones. Elastomers over a part or housing can improve aethetics, provide
a weather seal, dampen noise and vibration, protect against impact, and provide
insulation against heat or cold. Elastomers used for overmolding are available
in a wide range of colors, textures, and softness grades, offering designers
flexibility in how to use the materials.
by Larry Adams
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| Insulation: Agent of Change (March 2007)
As everyone knows, the Montreal Protocol created a sea change in a number of industries, including air-conditioning, refrigeration, and foam insulation, as manufacturers in those segments had to scramble for alternatives to the chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) being used for refrigerants and blowing agents.
by Richard Babyak
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 | Metals: Exploring Extrusions (March 2007)
Aluminum extrusions touch people’s lives everyday. Home and commercial appliances, HVAC equipment, power tools, electronics, office machines, medical equipment, fitness equipment, and vending machines, just to name a few, all incorporate aluminum extrusions to some extent.
by Lynn Brown
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 | Metals: Layered Look (March 2007)
The word “stainless” in appliances implies durability, quality and class. But stainless steel has its limitations. It smudges easily, for instance, and designers can only obtain a limited number of appearances out of the material.
by Shan Jhamandas
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 | Insulation: Aerogels Arrive (March 2007)
Moving a concept from prototype to production is often the most challenging part of innovation, not unlike building a really cool boat in your garage, only to find you can’t get it out the door. Aerogel materials represent a classic example.
by Richard Babyak
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 | Joining: Better Bonding
Combining materials of choice is important for the appliance industry where “form follows function” is archetypal. Appearance, performance, cost, and assembly ease constantly dog the engineering community in this industry. This is particularly true when joining dissimilar materials, such as metals and plastics, into one unit or subassembly.
by George W. Ritter
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 | Joining: The Heat Is On
As the use of plastic parts increases in various segments of the appliance and electronics industries, specifying the optimal method for joining molded plastic parts has become more challenging and important than ever. This is due to the expanding range of polymer formulations available, along with the increasing number of additive options for reinforcing or modifying the material.
by Michael Brunetti
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 | Plastics: Stretching Performance (Jan. 2007)
Polyolefin elastomers are one of the fastest growing product families within elastomers markets. One of the largest usages of polyolefin elastomers is thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) compounds replacing styrenic based TPEs, flexible polyvinyl chloride (f-PVC), thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPVs), and thermoset rubbers. Recent advancements in polyolefin synthesis have given rise to novel high performance olefin elastomers. Structure-property relationships of these novel high performance olefin elastomers will permit them to be used in many new markets and applications.
by Y. Wilson Cheung
Charles F. Diehl
Seema V. Karande
Michael J. Levinson
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 | Plastics: Convincingly Conductive (Jan. 2007)
A new moldable conductive polymer that can mimic metal in terms of its electrical conductivity and thermal abilities has been developed for use in myriad applications such as antennas, heat generation, shielding, and more than 100 other uses.
by Larry Adams
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 | Metals and Metal Parts: Troubling Tin Tendrils
They’re back. The mysterious and troublesome tin whiskers, once banished, have returned. That’s because lead, the guardian that kept them at bay, has been forced into retirement.
by Larry Adams
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 | Metals and Metal Parts: Meritable Magnesium
While plastic still dominates as the material of choice for electronic housings, more designers are looking at metal die castings as an alternative that delivers higher strength and inherent electromagnetic shielding. Where weight is a concern, magnesium is often chosen for its lightness.
by Larry Adams
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 | Coatings: Getting Smart
Surfaces are getting smarter, thanks to a new generation of dynamically responsive coatings. Many of today’s coatings can make a product look good and protect it from damage while offering advanced features such as corrosion detection and self-healing.
by Larry Adams
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 | Coatings: Safer Surfaces
Antimicrobial coatings are being increasingly used to improve the hygiene of many types of appliances, including foodservice equipment, medical devices, home appliances, and, recently, even consumer electronics.
by Larry Adams
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 | Coatings: Tiny Titans
The nanotechnology revolution that is affecting so many industries is also making a huge impact on the coatings segment, as the addition of nano-engineered particles increasingly are used to enhance coatings performance to levels previously unimagined.
by Larry Adams
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 | PLASTICS: NPE Energizes
More visitors. More education. More innovations. That would be the concise way to sum up NPE 2006, the international plastics exposition held at Chicago’s McCormick Place in June. The Society of the Plastics Industry, sponsor of the show, was so ecstatic over the results, the organization referred to it as a “turning point in NPE history.”
by Richard Babyak
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 | JOINING: Pivotal Point
When an application requires two thin metal sheets to be joined permanently face-to-face, designers routinely have turned to rivets, welding, or adhesives and tapes. But tradeoffs loom with each of these methods. An innovative fastener design using clinch technology provides a more practical and less complicated joining method that is able to perform multiple functions and expand design possibilities.
by Michael Maloney
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 | JOINING: Press Time
The peel-and-press simplicity of applying pressure-sensitive adhesive tapes makes them inherently attractive as a bonding method, but that same simplicity has, in the past, made many wary, as the association with peel-and-stick labels created the impression of weakness. So in the early days of PSAs, the first hurdle suppliers had to overcome was convincing engineers that PSAs had the muscle to get the job done. Over time, as PSAs replaced other joining methods in a number of applications, their value became better understood, and there was less to prove.
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 | PLASTICS: Ingenuity with Inserts
When designing components, engineers today are challenged to reduce size, weight and cost, while increasing part reliability. Achieving these goals is often difficult with conventional production methods such as soldering, fastening, adhesives, and others. For many component applications involving thermoplastics, insert molding can prove to be an optimal solution. Insert molding offers an efficient process for combining single or multiple discrete parts into a single component, joined by a lightweight, molded thermoplastic.
by James Spaniol and Tim Giometti
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 | Elastomers: Powerful Polymer
An actuator technology developed in the early 1990s could potentially replace common motion-generating mechanisms in positioning, valve control, pump, and sensor applications, where designers are seeking quieter, power efficient devices to replace cumbersome conventional electric motors and drive trains.
by Mary Lowe
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 | Elastomers: Simulating Seals
The appliance industry today uses two types of elastomer seals, static and dynamic, both of which provide better performance, processing and cost benefits than thermoset rubber seals. A static seal, such as on the end of a hose, rarely experiences any change in operating conditions. Dynamic seals, such as those found on front-loading washing machine doors, experience repeated stress from opening and closing actions.
by Ward Narhi
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 | METALS: Simplifying Stainless
Proper grade choice optimizes cost and performance goals.
As stainless steel grows in popularity in items such as high-end kitchen appliances, engineers increasingly face the challenge of finding the appropriate grade of steel for their designs. Choosing the correct grade ensures that design engineers can achieve both aesthetic and performance objectives, and in some instances, keep costs at a minimum. The main points to consider when choosing a stainless steel are its corrosion resistance and formability.
by Mary Lowe
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 | JOINING: Forming a Circle
Edge-forming rollers join round assemblies.
Tubing, cylindrical housings, and similar shapes often pose joining challenges. Crimping and pressing operations have been frequently used to form an edge on such shapes as a means of joining them to another part or to enclose an assembly of parts, but those methods have their drawbacks.
by Richard Babyak
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 | JOINING: Plying Polymers
Molding process improves bonding of dissimilar plastics at lower temperatures.
Dissimilar plastics have an aversion to bonding during injection molding processes because their polymer chains are not properly oriented. Energy is required to form the material bonds necessary to achieve acceptable strength.
by Mary Lowe
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 | PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Vibrant Visions
Special effects command attention and propel products.
Break through the clutter. Stand out from the crowd. However they phrase it, makers of consumer products all have the same objective: to set their products apart from their competitors. To achieve that goal, many of them are now using vibrant colors and special effects to create unique, eye-catching designs.
by Mary Lowe
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 | PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Finding Fault
Impartial failure analysis needed to solve part problems.
When a component failure occurs in service, the negative effects can extend well beyond the cost of replacing the piece of equipment. This is particularly true when user safety may be at risk.
by Jeffery Jansen
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COATINGS: Mighty Metallics
Designers of consumer products constantly seek new approaches to improve their products? appearance and quality, while lowering cost. Low Temperature Arc Vapor Deposition systems have been used extensively in the kitchen and bath fixture industry to deposit decorative and colorfast finishes on diverse, low-cost materials, while providing a uniform look and the durability of more expensive materials. Appliances and trim would also benefit from the distinctive appearance and durability possible with these coatings.
by patrick sullivan and gary larson
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PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Making Waves
A good electric toothbrush makes brushing teeth less of an ordeal, and as competition in that personal care segment heats up, manufacturers must look for new ways to differentiate their products. And the goal of making waves in that market is what led to the development of the innovative Sonicare Elite by Philips Oral Healthcare, a unit of Philips Domestic Appliances and Personal Care Div. of Royal Philips Electronics.
by Richard Babyak
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 | PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Versatile Vision
It’s a well-known fact that many people use their microwave oven more frequently than their traditional oven, or even their cooktop. However, many consumers are confronted by the dilemma of finding an optimal place for the indispensable microwave, particularly in kitchens suffering from space constraints or where aesthetic preferences demand an uncluttered look.
Sharp Electronics has provided a solution to this dilemma by designing a 30-in. freestanding range that incorporates a novel, microwave drawer in addition to a conventional oven and glass-ceramic cooktop. The Sharp Insight range was introduced earlier this year and represents Sharp’s first expansion into the arena of major appliances.
by Richard Babyak
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METALS & METAL PARTS: Design for Die Casting
High-pressure die cast zinc and magnesium alloys provide some of the best opportunities for reducing manufacturing costs and improving metal part performance. When it is necessary for a component to perform a mechanical function, both the process and the alloys’ properties can produce very complex configurations with a precision which eliminates the need for secondary finishing or deburring operations. Gears provide an excellent illustration of die casting and tooling capabilities.
By Meinrad Machler
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PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Bug Busting Polymer
Your hands are often your worst enemy when it comes to staying healthy. It’s a well-documented phenomenon how often people catch a cold or a Norwalk-like virus from touching something touched by an infected person, picking up the germs on the hand, then touching the hand to the face, nose or mouth. With new and potentially more dangerous microbes emerging in the Far East, microbes that can be quickly spread abroad by air travel, the touching mode of transmission has become a greater concern for everyone.
by Richard Babyak
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PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Faster Flow
Makers of vacuum cleaners are always looking for new ways to maximize the performance of their products. They want increased airflow efficiency, better motor life, yet at the same time, want to reduce noise. These goals can often conflict, a fact well known by companies like Ametek, Paoli, Pa., a leading supplier of air moving motors for the floor care industry.
by Richard Babyak
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PLASTICS & PLASTIC PARTS: Powering the Future
A fuel cell prototype made solely of engineering thermoplastics was recently unveiled by Ticona, Florence, Ky., the technical polymers business of the Celanese Group. The design is expected to reduce fuel cell cost at by least 50 percent versus those fabricated with other materials such as metals or thermosets.
by Richard Babyak
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METALS & METAL PARTS: A Cut Above
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 shavers, marketed under the Philishave brand in Europe and under the Norelco brand in North America.
by Richard Babyak
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COATINGS: Dazzling Depth
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.
by Karen Buscemi
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PLASTICS: Color Me Recyclable
In achieving distinctive appearances, the Kodak company must balance stringent polymer specifications and processing guidelines with varying manufacturing capabilities located around the world.
by Richard Babyak
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COATINGS: On the Right Wavelength
Ultraviolet (UV) curing technology has been around for over 30 years, but remains an unknown to many designers even though it is commonly used in a wide variety of industrial processes for curing adhesives, inks and coatings.
By Susan Mitchell
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ELASTOMERS, GASKETS & SEALS: Sealing & Shielding
Conductive, form-in-place EMI gasketing seals electronic enclosures.
Joe Butler, new business development manager, and Marc LaRosee, global product development engineer, Chomerics Div. of Parker Hannifin Corp., Woburn, Mass.
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PLASTICS & MOLDING: Cube It
Versatile cube mold more than twice as productive as turntable - The turning-stack system is based on a rotary cube with four equal mold faces, arranged between the platens of the injection molding machine.
by Richard Babyak
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 | PLASTICS & MOLDING: Resins Hit the Mark
Improved polymers meet market demands. Unique, challenging applications require special polymers, tailored for specific performance characteristics, and today’s resin suppliers are constantly adjusting and improving the mix of their formulations to meet market demands.
by Richard Babyak
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 | Plastics that Perform
Innovative use of plastics infuses appliances with durability, dimensional stability, and chemical resistance.
by Charmaine Jones
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 | Plastics Rx
Medical device manufacturers look to plastics for chemical and heat resistance.
by Charmaine Jones
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Testing Coatings Accurately
The primary objective of heat curing is to cycle as many parts per hour as possible through ovens while maintaining proper curing periods.
by Norman Remich
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